Fund manager Geoff Wilson, a prominent critic of the Albanese government's tax changes, has deleted an inflammatory AI-generated video he reposted from a rightwing nationalist account. The video depicted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers taking money from white Australians and handing it to recently arrived migrants wearing Islamic face coverings.
Wilson's response and deletion
Wilson said he had not watched the full video before sharing it or examined other accounts, some of whose content he reposted on Wednesday morning – including content relating to the QAnon conspiracy theory. He deleted his posts after being contacted by Guardian Australia. “Once the inappropriate associations were identified, I immediately removed the two posts,” he said.
Content of the video
The video also includes AI-generated imagery of a protest march where demonstrators hold signs reading “diversity is not our strength” and “treason”, as well as images of a white family with blond children becoming homeless after leaving their house, which is later occupied by a triumphant south Asian family. In other social media posts on X, Wilson also reposted content relating to the QAnon conspiracy theory and from accounts regularly sharing anti-immigration content.
Wilson's background and criticism
Wilson, the founder and chair of Wilson Asset Management, is a well-known investment manager often quoted by media as an expert voice on tax and finance. He is a major public critic of Labor’s negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, calling them “economic vandalism” and an “aspiration tax”. He was also among the most vocal opponents of Labor’s proposed reforms to franking credits in 2019 and its 2025 changes to tax unrealised gains in superannuation.
Political reactions
Senior Coalition figures have quoted and promoted Geoff Wilson’s views on tax legislation in recent media appearances. Prime Minister Albanese has previously rejected Wilson’s criticisms, saying he “has been a political participant for some period of time … Geoff Wilson has opposed everything my government has done.”
Wilson's statement
Wilson said he “shared material without fully checking all of its sources and content”. “I posted the content as part of our campaign against the government’s damaging CGT changes to Australian businesses. The focus was to clearly articulate the campaign against this illogical new tax on Australian businesses has just begun,” he said. “I unequivocally reject racism, antisemitism and conspiracy theories of any kind. The focus remains fully on opposing these insane tax changes that will clearly harm the Australian economy, aspiration, investment, small business and economic growth.”
