Private jets offer a figurative middle finger to everyone but the richest of the rich. The salute from Kid Rock's plane is literal.
The large cartoon gesture on the vertical stabilizer was captured by a Reddit user who posted a photo of the aircraft in r/mildlyinteresting a couple of years ago. The plane is designed in shades of brown and includes "American Badass" in script along the fuselage.
Users discussed the childish logo as well as the wealth of the musician, born Robert Ritchie, and his upbringing as the son of a Detroit-area car magnate.
"It must have been hard figuring out how to make a private jet look trashy," one person said.
Others discussed the plane itself, with someone pegging its cost at $1 million and yearly operating expenses at $3 million.
Last year, the International Council on Clean Transportation reported that in 2023, pollution from private jets increased 25% from the prior decade, accounting for 4% of all civil aviation pollution. This makes private planes perhaps the most environmentally damaging mode of transportation, with each craft equivalent to 177 cars or nine heavy-duty trucks.
The damage is magnified because so few people even have access to such luxury: 0.003% of the world population, according to one study. Private-jet flights made up about 8% of all flights in 2025, Snopes explained. Even when compared to first-class flying, private aviation produces almost nine times as much carbon dioxide per passenger, per DriveElectric.
Traveling by car is much cleaner, and using a train, electric vehicle, or bus is even better for the environment. For short trips, cycling and walking are alternatives that will also get you some exercise. Such healthy behaviors are vital since pollution is extremely hazardous to human health.
Though Kid Rock reached peak fame long ago, more relevant artists are catching flak for the outsized harm of their habits as regular people work hard to reduce the pollution that is warming Earth — and, in turn, wreaking havoc, especially on the most vulnerable.
What's extra frustrating is that the ultra-wealthy act without recourse and often even improve their standing while stepping on others. Taylor Swift, for one, in 2024 paid less to park her jet than it costs to park a car at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland.
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$200 or more 💰 Commenters roasted Kid Rock.
"I would imagine the intersection of people that would put a middle finger on their private jet and people that are financially responsible is pretty small," one wrote.
Another responded: "Lol. Population: 1."
A third added, "And it doesn't even have jet nuts…. what a disgrace."
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