Wealth Trends Among the Superrich

Only one out of every 10,000 American families has an income in excess of $10.7MM. These people make up less than 15,000 total families in the U.S. According to the New York Times, "put together, they could all fit into a modest-size town. (We could call it Aspen or Nantucket.)"

These superrich are now getting an increasing slice of the pie:

• In 1980, the top 0.01% of the population had 0.87% of total income
• In 2006, the top 0.01% had 3.89% of the total income. (This is more than quadruple the 1980 share.)

Source: "The Wealth Trajectory: Rewards for the Few" The New York Times, April 20, 2008