from Hacker News

America’s 50 Largest Inherited-Wealth Dynasties Accelerate Inequality

by bengtan on 6/27/21, 3:12 AM with 32 comments

  • by ppf on 6/27/21, 10:33 AM

    >Dynastic families have seen their wealth grow significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic

    >Dynastically wealthy families wield a great deal of political power, and use it to further their interests.

    I've been saying this pretty much since the start of lockdowns and restrictions. For the past year, we have essentially legislated the transfer of more power and wealth to those already wealthy and powerful. When the dust starts to settle, it will become clearer just how much has changed, and maybe the theoretical questions of "was this worth it"? will become more practical.

  • by DrNosferatu on 6/27/21, 11:47 AM

    Laudable goals and action points - for which I would vote. Already, if nothing more, raising awareness is a positive outcome of this initiative.

    *However*, I guess it is easy to agree that the prescribed policies would face huge political opposition in attempts to implement them. Look at what happened to Bernie's campaign! (Unless, of course, something majeur / extraordinary circumstances - like the Pandemic - are invoked to pass such a policy package in one clean swoop).

    Being it so, how about considering a simpler, less contentious, parallel alternative - a bypass around the mighty legal loopholes, media & lobby opposition?

    That would be *the creation of Citizen's Wealth Fund*. Just like Norway's Oil Fund. But instead of oil, the asset would be *the bailed out stocks*. In other words, in the "bailout action", the State buys stock, then the State would keep said stock in the fund. Extendable to 5G auction proceeds, other licenses, etc.

    best explanation, also longer read, the 208 page book: https://angrynomics.com/

    https://www.ippr.org/media-item/watch-a-citizens-wealth-fund... https://youtu.be/rC9RAylrl0s

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_wealth_fund

  • by dagw on 6/27/21, 10:30 AM

    Of the 10 richest people in Sweden, you have 1 company founder, 1 hedge fund manager and 8 people who directly or indirectly inherited their wealth, 4 of whom belong to the same family. This is hardly unique to the US
  • by ChuckNorris89 on 6/27/21, 10:19 AM

    That's cute compared to Europe where for example in Austria, the top 50 wealthiest families own a third of the country's wealth.
  • by prometheus76 on 6/27/21, 2:26 PM

    Pareto Distribution makes people angry. Film at 11.