Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke under fire for suggesting poor shouldn't vote

Shopify founder and CEO Tobias Lütke is facing sharp pushback after suggesting that voting power should be proportional to income tax paid—effectively arguing that people without earned income shouldn't vote at all.

On July 25, Lütke commented on a post calling for "weighted voting proportional to the level of income tax you pay," calling it a "good system." He also dismissed Toronto residents attending a town hall as "Retired, Unemployed, Unemployable, and useful idiots."

The comments sparked immediate backlash. Former radio personality Dean Blundell called Lütke's rhetoric something "that would get all of his employees fired," and social media users quickly pivoted to the broader question of wealth and political influence in Canada.

Lütke is no stranger to controversy, but his comments landed with particular force in Toronto, where working people make up the city's backbone. Forbes reports Shopify generated nearly $9 billion in 2024 revenue. Lütke owns 6 per cent of the company and took home $205.5 million last year alone—making him Canada's highest-paid CEO with an estimated net worth of USD $10.1 billion.

The firestorm reflects a deeper tension in Canadian cities: frustration over billionaire influence in public life, combined with skepticism that extreme wealth correlates with judgment or empathy. While Lütke is entitled to his opinions under democracy, the speed and tenor of Toronto's response underscored how the idea lands with voters who helped build the economy Lütke now dominates.