An Ottawa Company's CEO at the Centre of a National Firestorm
Tobi Lütke, the billionaire CEO of Shopify — the e-commerce giant headquartered right here in Ottawa — is facing intense criticism after appearing to endorse a proposal that would give wealthier Canadians more votes than everyone else.
The controversy erupted after Lütke replied positively to a post on X floating the idea of "weighted voting proportional to the amount of income tax you pay." Under that system, Canadians who don't pay income tax would get zero votes, while those paying $500,000 or more in income tax annually would be handed as many as five votes each.
What Sparked the Backlash
The reaction online was swift and largely negative, with critics pointing out that the proposal would effectively strip voting rights from lower-income Canadians, students, retirees, and anyone temporarily out of work, while concentrating political power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy — a group Lütke himself belongs to as one of Canada's richest people.
Shopify has not issued an official statement distancing the company from Lütke's personal comments, and it remains unclear whether the CEO intended his reply as a serious policy endorsement or a provocative thought experiment. Either way, the exchange has kept his name trending in Canadian political and tech circles.
Why Ottawa Is Watching Closely
Shopify isn't just any Canadian company — it's one of Ottawa's biggest homegrown success stories and a major employer in the city's tech sector, anchoring much of the growth that's helped put the capital on the map as a serious player in Canadian tech alongside Toronto and Waterloo. When the company's CEO becomes the centre of a national controversy, it inevitably reflects on the city that helped build his platform.
Ottawa residents who work in or near the tech industry, including in the Kanata North tech hub, have been especially vocal in online discussions, with many expressing frustration that a leader so closely tied to their city would appear to back a system that could disenfranchise ordinary Canadians.
The Bigger Picture
Canada's electoral system is built on the principle of one person, one vote, regardless of income — a foundational element of the country's democracy since Confederation. Proposals to alter that structure based on tax contributions have periodically surfaced in libertarian and tech circles but have never gained serious political traction in Canada.
Political scientists have noted that even floating such ideas publicly, especially from someone with Lütke's influence and reach, can shape public discourse around wealth inequality and democratic representation, especially at a time when affordability and income disparity remain top of mind for many Canadians.
As of now, Lütke has not issued a follow-up clarification or apology for the reply, and the story continues to generate discussion across Canadian social media and news outlets.
Source: CBC News
