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In first interview since election, Pope Leo XIV warns against extreme wealth concentration, calls for economic justice, and reflects on his global mission as the Church’s first American leader.
The first American pope denounces extreme executive salaries, reflects on global challenges, and shares personal insights in wide-ranging conversation.
Pope Leo XIV has taken aim at runaway CEO compensation in his first sit-down media interview since becoming head of the Catholic Church, warning that income inequality is fueling polarization in society.
Speaking with Elise Allen, senior correspondent at Catholic news site Crux, in late July for her forthcoming biography, Leo highlighted the widening gap between executive and worker pay.
“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving … it’s (now) 600 times more than the average workers are receiving,” he said.
The pontiff specifically referenced Tesla’s controversial trillion-dollar compensation package for Elon Musk, who is reportedly on track to become the world’s first trillionaire.
“What does that mean and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble,” Leo added.
Elected on May 8, Leo became the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history. Born in Chicago, he spent much of his adult life as a missionary and bishop in Peru, before Pope Francis appointed him to a senior Vatican role in 2023.
Now 70, Leo acknowledged the adjustment to life as a world leader. “It’s a huge learning curve,” he admitted, describing the transition as “jumping into the deep end of the pool very quickly.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Leo expressed hopes for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war while lamenting that the United Nations has “lost its ability to bring people together on multilateral issues.”
He also signaled continuity with Pope Francis’ social advocacy on migration, poverty, and climate change—though with his own voice and style.
Though American by birth, Leo also holds Peruvian citizenship and said he still feels a strong attachment to the country. “I would probably support Peru in a soccer match against the United States were they to play against each other in the World Cup,” he joked.
On Sunday, Leo celebrated his 70th birthday as crowds gathered at St. Peter’s Square. Groups held banners wishing him well, and a band played a birthday song during the midday prayers. From the balcony, Leo thanked his parents, the faithful, and “all those who have remembered me in their prayers.”
As he begins his papacy, Pope Leo XIV appears intent on pairing his pastoral warmth with candid commentary on some of the most pressing social and economic challenges of the modern world.
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