A growing wave of millionaires and billionaires relocating to states like Florida and Texas may not hold the political views they publicly express, according to real estate investor Grant Cardone.
In a recent post on X, Cardone argued that many members of America’s ultra-wealthy class signal liberal views in public while privately favoring lower taxes, less regulation, and tougher approaches to crime.
“Most of them Billionaires & Super Wealthy ain’t real liberals,” Cardone wrote.
“They’re just pretending to be, so they don’t become the target of hate.”
Cardone said the migration of wealthy individuals to states such as Florida and Texas is not just about tax policy. He believes the trend reflects broader dissatisfaction with regulation, crime, and political culture in other regions.
“The wealth migration to Florida & Texas is not just about money, these people are fed up with regulations, the crime, ridiculous ideologies, & sick of having to pretend to be supportive of them,” he wrote.
According to Cardone, many of these individuals may appear left-leaning in public settings but express very different priorities privately.
“They may speak in public like they lean left but….behind closed doors, they want lower taxes, less regulation, less crime & less waste on dumb micro-fringe issues,” Cardone wrote.
Cardone said his views come from personal experience interacting with wealthy individuals through business and social circles.
“I can tell you with total certainty most of them are NOT liberals,” he wrote. “I’ve met them, spent time with them, and done business with some of them.”
Miami’s Rapid Wealth Growth
In a separate post, Cardone highlighted what he described as a dramatic increase in wealth flowing into South Florida.
“Miami Gets 94% WEALTH SURGE in last decade,” Cardone wrote.
He said the region now contains a growing concentration of high-net-worth residents.
“Greatest surge of millionaires and billionaires moving to South Florida. ~40,000 millionaires, 180 centimillionaires, & 20+ billionaires,” Cardone wrote in one post discussing the trend.
Cardone argued that once wealthy individuals relocate to the area, they typically stay for long periods.
“Once these people settle it’s for decades,” he wrote.
He said this long-term migration pattern is one reason his investment firm has focused heavily on the region.
“This is why Cardone Capital is so concentrated here,” Cardone wrote.
Cardone also listed several high-profile figures he said are part of the broader influx of wealth into South Florida.
Among the names he mentioned were Ken Griffin, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Peter Thiel, Jared Kushner, Carl Icahn, and Michael Saylor.
He also included athletes and public figures such as Tom Brady, Tony Robbins, Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, and David Beckham.
“Who did I miss?” Cardone asked followers in the post.
Debate In The Comment Section
The post triggered a mix of reactions from users who questioned or supported Cardone’s claims.
One person suggested that economic incentives remain the primary factor behind the relocation trend.
“Or maybe the billionaires moving to Florida just want lower taxes and less regulation, and they’re using culture war stuff as cover so regular people don’t notice it’s really just about the money. Which is exactly what this post accidentally admits,” they wrote.
Cardone responded briefly: “Maybe.”
Another person questioned whether wealthy migrants who relocate to conservative states might still financially support progressive political organizations.
“So Grant, what guarantees do we have that they won’t go to their chosen safe havens and then donate money to the progressive (AKA communist) democrat organizations and political campaigns?”
Cardone again responded cautiously.
“Maybe or maybe they have seen what happens when they do that,” he wrote.
Other people said they believed Cardone’s argument reflected a broader tension between progressive policy priorities and the incentives of high-net-worth individuals.
“There are a lot of liberal principles that do not align with a billionaire and multimillionaire mindset in my opinion,” one person wrote.
Cardone replied that many wealthy people publicly present different views than the ones they hold privately.
“Most of these guys just acting liberal, they don’t support it…..privately,” he wrote.
Wealth Migration Continues To Reshape U.S. Cities
Cardone’s comments come as the movement of wealthy people to states like Florida and Texas continues to draw attention.
Over the past several years, both states have attracted a growing number of high-income residents and businesses, with many pointing to taxes, regulation and lifestyle as key reasons for the move.
Cardone believes the shift also reflects something less visible. In his view, many wealthy individuals feel pressure to publicly signal certain political views, even if their private priorities are different.
His argument is simple: what wealthy elites say publicly doesn’t always match what they want privately.
“They may speak in public like they lean left,” he wrote, “but….behind closed doors, they want lower taxes, less regulation, less crime & less waste on dumb micro-fringe issues.”
IMAGE CREDIT: “Grant Cardone“ by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Image adjusted for layout.