Billionaire Tom Steyer spotted flying Southwest

He’s promoted himself as the simple billionaire everyman running for California governor.

And while he’s spent an unprecedented $192 million on his campaign, it seems he hasn’t broken through quite as he’d expect.

On Wednesday, a passenger was so stunned to see Tom Steyer lining up to take the 1pm Southwest Airlines flight 996 from Burbank to San Francisco, he snapped a picture.

At first, the passengers figured the 68-years-old former hedge fund manager was attempting to appear more relatable.

But that was until he witness the reaction from the other passengers.

Or rather, the fact no-one seemed to recognize him at all

The passenger said Steyer, dressed in his trademark white Nike high tops and jeans, had no entourage with him and was seen handling his own surprisingly basic luggage.

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Onboard, he reportedly blended in completely, even forced to battle for space to load his own luggage into the overhead bins.

Steyer, a Democrat who resides in San Francisco, has an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion.

He built his fortune as the founder of the San Francisco-based hedge fund Farallon Capital, which he ran for nearly 27 years before selling his stake to focus on climate advocacy and left-wing politics.

The flight sighting comes as Steyer continues his run in California’s 2026 governor’s race, where he currently sits in third place behind Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton.

Steyer’s campaign has also faced scrutiny over political optics in recent months.

He has drawn criticism for spending $100,000 this election cycle on influencer outreach, including payments to Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 27-year-old Uruguayan activist based in Houston with more than 22 million followers.

He has also faced backlash after appearing at a May Day rally in East San Jose alongside labor leaders, where he was labeled a “class traitor.”

The moment was highlighted by Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, president of the California Federation of Labor, who wrote: “When @TomSteyer shows up to your ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ May Day Rally in East San Jose, you ask him to wear the shirt. And he does! #ClassTraitor.”

The appearance, combined with his low-key airline trip, has added to ongoing debate over Steyer’s political positioning and attempts to connect with voters.