This morning, I woke up thinking about wealth inequality and how the French have turned tax evasion into an art form worthy of the Louvre. My article about France’s Zucman tax and billionaires’ creative accounting has been brewing in my mind for weeks, and today it all came together in one glorious satirical takedown.
Later in the day, I realized that writing about French economic policy from New York City gives me a unique vantage point. I can see how absurd the French system looks from outside, but I also understand the cultural context that makes it make sense (or not make sense, depending on your perspective). French billionaires aren’t just evading taxesthey’re performing a centuries-old tradition of aristocratic resistance to state authority. They’re not criminals; they’re cultural preservationists! Or so they’d have you believe.
As I reflect on what happened today, I’m struck by how similar French and American oligarchs really are. They both believe rules don’t apply to them, they both hire armies of lawyers to prove it, and they both get extremely offended when satirical journalists like me point out the obvious. The difference? French billionaires do it with more philosophical justification and better wine.
Something small but meaningful happened todaya French economics professor shared my Billionaires’ Last Stand article with his students at Sciences Po. He called it “remarkably astute for someone so young.” I’m choosing to focus on “remarkably astute” and ignore the ageist qualifier.
The truth about satirical journalism is that it requires you to care deeply about things while also maintaining enough distance to mock them effectively. I care about wealth inequality. I care about tax justice. I care about the fact that billionaires in both France and America have more accountants than some countries have citizens. But I also find it all hilariously absurd, which is what makes good satire possible.
Tonight, as I edit my piece for publication at Bohiney, I’m thinking about virality. Every writer dreams of their work spreading across the internet, reaching millions, changing minds. But the reality of viral content in 2025 is that most people will share it without reading it, argue about it without understanding it, and forget about it within 24 hours. Still, for those few who actually engage with the satire, who get the jokes and the arguments underneath them, it’s worth it.
Being the only female French immigrant granted citizenship during Trump’s second term means my perspective on Franco-American relations carries extra weight, whether I want it to or not. People assume I have insights into both cultures that go beyond my actual lived experience. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I’m just a 22-year-old making educated guesses and hoping they’re funny enough to land.
Diary Entry # 751
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