Tim Draper (left) Doorstep Photography Tim Draper is known for having crazy ideas and for funding them. He's put forth plans to divide California into six states. He's also backed giant companies like Tesla that have big visions to change the worlds in crazy ways.

Onstage at the Startup Grind conference in Redwood City, California on Tuesday, Draper put forth a new idea: let's give everyone $15,000.

Draper used the plight of mothers on welfare as an example. He claimed that the way the current system is set up, many people are dis-incentivized from getting jobs.

"The people who are the most depressed who I’ve ever run into in my life are not working," Draper said. "They don’t feel like they’ve had enough of a positive effect enough on the world to work."

Giving everyone $15,000 would put everyone on the same level, Draper argued. They could do with it whatever they wanted, but having the financial security of some basic money to live on, would give them people the opportunity to work on what they want."Work is everything," Draper said.

The idea of a basic income is gaining traction in Silicon Valley. Y Combinator's Research arm is looking for a researcher to study what would happen if you just gave money to people. Silicon Valley leaders like Marc Andreessen and Peter Diamandis have spoken in favor of it as well.