If there was a “WANTED” poster for the crime that is extreme wealth concentration in America, I imagine it would have Ronald Reagan’s face on it. Or maybe the logos of Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley, whose executives almost toppled the global economy in 2008 while lapping up exorbitant bonuses.
Given how much I care about solving America’s inequality crisis, you probably won’t believe that I actually worked for all of them.
Before joining the Patriotic Millionaires in September 2025, I had a long career in business. I worked in the finance and auditing divisions of several large multinational corporations, including Marriott International, The Walt Disney Company, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Interpublicgroup. I’m retired now, and am fortunate that my work put me in a position where I don’t have to worry about finances for the rest of my life.
Outside of financial security, I am also grateful for the career that I had because it gave me a bird’s eye view on the topsy-turvy way that America’s economy functions. I witnessed firsthand the countless ways in which markets, corporate structures, and our tax and wage systems privilege the interests of wealthy people like me over those of millions of working people, and it’s these experiences that ultimately put me on my path to becoming a Patriotic Millionaire.
My first foray into the backwards nature of America’s economy came after I received my first paycheck after the passage of the Bush tax cuts. My husband and I were doing pretty well at the time, yet, incredibly, our take-home pay ended up being higher. This made no sense to us. In our minds, as wealthy people, we should have been paying more in taxes, not less. And despite the narrative that Bush and his friends pushed to the public, as a finance professional who understands how markets work, I can tell you definitively that there is no way that our massive tax breaks would or will ever “trickle down” to the pockets of the poor.
My time working on Wall Street ended up being just as much of a nasty wake-up call. It didn’t take long for me to see how financial behemoths’ singular focus on short-term profits and shareholder returns puts our economy on the road to ruin. We nearly fell off the road entirely during the 2008 financial crisis when millions of Americans lost their jobs, houses, and retirement savings thanks to the recklessness and greed of my bosses at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. Outside of the economy, I also saw how Wall Street’s practices jeopardize our environment as well. As the effects of climate change become more alarmingly evident as the years tick by, it’s clear that our planet can only withstand so much extraction and destruction that short-sighted investors’ decisions enable.
The “last straw,” if you will, that brought me to the Patriotic Millionaires’ doorstep came on July 4, 2025. It was on that day that I watched in horror as President Trump signed his “big, beautiful” tax bill that was only “big” and “beautiful” for wealthy people like me. I never needed a tax cut to begin with—but I certainly don’t need one when so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, and under a president who uses the awesome powers of his office to enrich no one but himself and his billionaire cronies.
I was so angry about Trump’s tax cuts that I called my tax attorney and asked if it was possible to start some sort of pledge among wealthy people to give away their massive tax savings. To my amazement, however, I discovered that a group of like-minded millionaires already existed in the form of Patriotic Millionaires. After several conversations with leadership, I realized that their three-pronged mission—taxing the rich, paying the people, and spreading the power—was even better than what I had in mind, so my decision to join the group as a member was an easy one.
For the record, I was never a formal employee of President Reagan. I “worked” for him only as a volunteer on his 1984 campaign. And while I admit that I mostly did it to get a ticket to the inaugural ball, I did support him at the time as I grew up in a fairly conservative family.
I wouldn’t say I’m particularly proud of that volunteer service (although I’ll admit the ball was a lot of fun). Ronald Reagan lit the spark that ignited America’s inequality crisis with his attacks on unions, tax cuts for the rich, and deregulation of the financial sector. What I am proud of, though, is the fact that I kept my mind and eyes open throughout my career, enough that I was able to see the light and have a change of heart in my political beliefs.
I didn’t want to be an accomplice in my employers’ crimes to pursue profit for the few at the expense of the many. I wanted to be part of the solution to ensure the stability of the economy, the environment, and our democracy, and I am lucky to have finally found that solution in the Patriotic Millionaires.
Ashley Craig is a former finance and audit professional who has spent her career working primarily for large corporations like The Walt Disney Company, Interpublicgroup, and Morgan Stanley. Craig is a life-long environmentalist, advocate for fair taxation and corporate social responsibility. She retired from corporate work in 2022 and currently volunteers with political and social causes.