Benioff on Bay Area's 70 billionaires: 'You're either for kids and homeless, or you're for yourself'

Adam Rogers and Marc Benioff speak onstage at WIRED25 Summit: WIRED Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Tech Icons Of The Past & Future on October 15, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Adam Rogers and Marc Benioff speak onstage at WIRED25 Summit: WIRED Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Tech Icons Of The Past & Future on October 15, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images For WIRED25 Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images For WIRED25 Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Benioff on Bay Area's 70 billionaires: 'You're either for kids and homeless, or you're for yourself' 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

Salesforce co-CEO and co-founder Marc Benioff pointed out Monday the incongruity in the 70 billionaires calling the San Francisco Bay Area home and the more than 7,500 individuals and 1,200 families with young children living on SF's street.

At Wired's 25th anniversary summit, Benioff used this juxtaposition to express his feeling that the community should come together to help solve the city's growing homeless issue.

"Current programs can't handle the expansion," he said. "The city is out of money. The city doesn't have enough money to handle the current situation."

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He added, "We have these incredible companies, incredible entrepreneurs, amazing innovation and technology, but we cannot separate ourselves from others," Benioff said. "We have to get back to the feeling that we are one, and we are responsible for the city that we are living in and growing our businesses in."

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In a conversation with Wired's Deputy Editor Adam Rogers, Benioff said one way the community can begin to come together is by voting for Proposition C, which appears on the Nov. 6 ballot. If passed, it would impose a one-half of one percent tax tax on the biggest businesses in the city to raise as much as $300 million for homeless programs. Benioff supports the initiative even though it could cost his company as much as $10 million in additional taxes each year.

"It would give us a boost of funding to really address our most urgent needs, which is providing not only shelter for our homeless but also healthcare," he said.

ALSO: Benioff, Dorsey battle on Twitter over SF ballot measure to help homeless

Last week, Benioff and Jack Dorsey, the head of Twitter and Square, got into a debate on Twitter over Prop. C with Dorsey expressing that he wants to help fix the homeless problem but doesn't believe Prop. C is the best way to do it. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Assemblyman David Chiu and Sen. Scott Wiener all oppose the proposition.

"We all recognize the crisis on our streets; we see it every day. So I understand why Proposition C sounds appealing, and I know those who support it are well-intentioned," Breed said in her statement. "But as mayor, I must weigh more than popularity and good intentions. I must consider the long-term impacts on our city, and thus, upon lengthy analysis and consideration, I cannot support Proposition C."

MORE: Three SF elected leaders announce opposition to Prop. C — raising business taxes for homeless services

Benioff and Salesforce have donated to multiple San Francisco Bay Area causes including $250 million to support hospitals, $11 million to help the homeless, and $50 million to public schools. In his talk, he acknowledges that some of city's business leaders haven't been as generous.

"I have gone hat in hand to every high net worth individual in the city," he said. "I know who is willing to give money, and who isn't. I already have the list. I know if we're going to raise money for our schools, the homeless and hospitals, there's a group of people in our city who are willing to give. And there's a group of people in the city who give nothing based on the level of wealth they have. You're either for the kids, the homeless and the hospitals, or you're for yourself."