Billionaire Howard Schultz doesn't want to be called a billionaire and people are having none of it

Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Schultz has been the subject of a furious backlash after he suggested that billionaires be referred to as "people of means" or "people of wealth".

The former CEO of Starbucks made this statement during an on-stage Q&A with CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin, where he laid out his philosophy on wealth and the 'American Dream'.

During the discussion, the author of Winner Takes All,Anand Giridharadas, sent in a question to Schultz asking if he agreed that 'billionaires had too much power in American public life?'

The 65-year-old billionaire from Brooklyn didn't quite agree with this sentiment and instead said that he'd prefer billionaires to be called something different.

The moniker 'billionaire' now has become the catchphrase. I would rephrase that and say that 'people of means' have been able to leverage their wealth and their interest in ways that are unfair, and I think that speaks to the inequality but it also speaks to the special interests that are paid for 'people of wealth' and corporations who are looking for influence.

Although Schultz might have thought his statement made perfect sense, he probably should have given it a bit more consideration, as people were quick to point the irony of a billionaire using his wealth to campaign for president without any political experience.

Others began to make a joke about the new name that Schultz concocted and started to come up with their own.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has already been critical of Schultz, waded in and wasn't impressed at the sight of those green Starbucks straws on the stage.

HT Huffington Post

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