SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A "March for Billionaires" planned for Saturday in San Francisco that raised eyebrows online earlier this week is for real. That's according to Derik Kauffman, a startup cofounder who organized the event. A website and social media accounts for the event surfaced online some time toward the end of January, raising eyebrows online. Many speculated that the event which calls on people to "Stand up for the entrepreneurs, innovators, and risk-takers" was a parody. "Is this a parody account?" asked one social media commenter. "This is satire right?" chimed in another. Not the case, according to Kauffman. "Yes, it's real," he told KRON4. Queen Mary 2 in San Francisco on eve of 90-day global voyage Kauffman, who is co-founder of an artificial intelligence startup called RunRL, confirmed the details in a San Francisco Examiner story Thursday, reporting that he launched the event, in part, because he opposes a proposed state tax on billionaires. Beyond that, he feels the billionaire class has been unnecessarily vilified. "Vilifying billionaires is popular. Losing them is expensive," the event's website reads. Speaking to the Examiner, Kauffman acknowledged that some billionaires have done bad things. However, the event's website states that people should "judge individuals, not classes." "Of course, not all good billionaires are good people," it reads. "Some extract rather than create wealth. Some use their resources to cause serious political harm. These criticisms have merit, but they apply to individuals, not billionaires as a whole." Kauffman, who has since left RunRL, which previously took part in Y Combinator's startup accelerator program, told the Examiner that he's not a billionaire or a front for the ultra-rich. And while he aspires to be a billionaire, he doesn't think he'll ever actually become one. Still, the threat of the proposed billionaire tax, which is opposed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom among others, was enough to spur him to action. He said he fears the tax and a general negative attitude toward billionaires could drive them to leave the state, taking their innovations and jobs along with them. He's organized the march to show that their contributions are appreciated. "These are sort of my honest beliefs," Kauffman told the Examiner. "I know it's unconventional. Billionaires are never going to do something like this." If you'd like to take part in the March for Billionaires, it begins with a meet-up at Alta Plaza Park in SF's ritzy Pacific Heights neighborhood. From there, marchers will head down Fillmore Street to an eventual rally at Civic Center across from City Hall scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ...read more read less