Billionaires and many multi-millionaires are fleeing California to escape from one of the highest tax levels in the USA. They are leaving for Florida, Texas and Nevada. But California isn't letting them go. The state tax authorities are chasing them for every dollar they can get. Elon left California in 2020, moving to Texas and moved the HQ of SpaceX and Tesla to Texas in recent years. But he still has to pay California taxes based on old stock option packages from back when he lived in California. It is best to just never live there. States like New York, Illinois and California will never let you fully escape.