Tech entrepreneur Jesse Proudman flees Washington due to companies being villainized

A prominent Washington tech entrepreneur is joining the growing exodus of business leaders fleeing the Evergreen State, citing a “dramatic” shift in the state’s tax climate following the passage of a controversial new “millionaire tax.”Jesse Proudman, the founder and CTO of the privacy-focused generative AI platform Venice.ai, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the state he once called a “startup sanctuary” has become increasingly hostile to the very people who fuel its economy.“I started three companies here in the state.I have been an entrepreneur my whole life here,” Proudman said.

“The business climate when I started my first company was very entrepreneurial-friendly, and the startup community was looked upon as a contributing member of the city.Over the last number of years, that has changed dramatically.”Proudman, who previously founded the private cloud company Blue Box and the crypto-investing platform Makara, is now serving as a spokesperson for Let’s Go Washington.The political committee is currently spearheading a massive signature-gathering effort to repeal the tax measure before it can take root.The tax, pushed through by the Democratic-controlled legislature during the 2026 session and signed into law by Gov.

Bob Ferguson in March, imposes a 9.9% levy on annual income exceeding $1 million.While it is set to take effect on Jan.1, 2028—with the first payments due in 2029—the mere threat of its implementation is already shifting the state’s demographics.“We have until July 2nd to gather about 325,000 signatures to put this on the November ballot,” said Hallie Herzberg, Director of Communications for Let’s Go Washington.

“The people deserve the right to vote on this.It’s already driving businesses, employers, and families out of the state.”The move marks a seismic shift for Washington, which has historically been one of only a handful of states with no personal income tax.However, the legal ground shifted...