Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos
Lacy O’ Toole | CNBC; Getty Photographs
The wealth of America’s wealthiest individuals, equivalent to Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos, elevated by a complete of $6.5 trillion final yr, primarily pushed by hovering inventory costs and monetary markets, according to the Federal Reserve.
The full wealth of the 1% reached a file $45.9 trillion on the finish of the fourth quarter of 2021, stated the Federal Reserve’s newest report on family wealth. Their fortunes elevated by greater than $12 trillion, or greater than a 3rd, throughout the course of the pandemic.
“The numbers are astounding,” stated Edward Wolff, professor of economics at New York College. “The pandemic wealth growth actually ranks at or close to the highest of all of the wealth booms over the past 40 years.”
The highest 1% owned a file 32.3% of the nation’s wealth as of the tip of 2021, information present. The share of wealth held by the underside 90% of Individuals, likewise, has declined barely since earlier than the pandemic, from 30.5% to 30.2%.
The wealth progress on the prime has probably stalled or declined barely to date this yr as a consequence of inventory declines.
The primary drivers for the richest Individuals final yr have been shares and personal companies. About $4.3 trillion of the general positive aspects for the 1% final yr got here from company equities and mutual fund shares, in line with the Fed information. The inventory portfolios of the highest 1% are actually value $23 trillion, they usually personal a file 53.9% of individually held shares, in line with the central financial institution.
Regardless of claims of a democratization of the inventory market, with tens of millions of recent retail traders opening buying and selling accounts on Robinhood and different platforms, inventory possession in America has really turn into extra concentrated than earlier than the pandemic. The highest 10% owned a file 89% of individually held company equities and mutual fund shares on the finish of 2021.
A Gallup in 2021 discovered that 56% of Individuals owned no less than some inventory — barely above the common of 55% in 2019 and 2020, however nonetheless down from the 62% excessive earlier than the 2008 monetary disaster.
Extra wealth inequality
Hovering inventory costs have created a “suggestions cycle” for wealth and inequality, stated Wolff, the NYU professor. As a result of inventory possession is tilted towards the highest of the wealth ranks, rising inventory costs shift more cash to richer Individuals. Because the rich can afford to save lots of and make investments a bigger share of their added wealth, extra of the nation’s wealth positive aspects move to the inventory market. That raises inventory costs even additional.
“Rising wealth inequality drives the inventory market, which then drives extra wealth inequality,” Wolff stated.
Non-public companies have additionally been a strong engine of wealth for these on the very prime. The 1% personal 57% of personal corporations, in line with the Federal Reserve. The worth of personal companies held by the wealthiest elevated by 36%, or $2.2 trillion, final yr.
“Small enterprise is de facto key if you discuss concerning the sources of their wealth,” Wolff stated.
The 1% have additionally benefited modestly from rising real-estate values. Their real-estate holdings elevated by just below $1 trillion throughout the pandemic, to achieve a excessive of $5.27 trillion.
However their share of the nation’s actual property really fell barely throughout the pandemic, as dwelling costs and residential possession additionally elevated for remainder of the nation. Actual property is way extra broadly owned than shares, so the rising in dwelling costs has helped the center class barely greater than the rich. The highest 1% owned 14% of the nation’s actual property on the finish of 2021, down from 14.5% earlier than the pandemic on the finish of 2019.
The underside 90% of Individuals added $2.89 trillion to their wealth final yr from actual property.
“The housing growth has benefited the center class,” Wolff stated. “If it hadn’t been for that, wealth inequality would have grown much more than it did.”
