Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There
Interview with Eric Zwick about his book The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There, co-authored with Owen Zidar. Argues the American rich are far more numerous, dispersed, and ordinary, comprising ‘main street millionaires’ – owners of private businesses with $5–100 million in net worth, not just media-covered billionaires. Wealth is often accumulated through everyday businesses – like car dealerships or dental practices – benefiting from restrictive practices, anti-trust failures, and political influence in tax policy and local regulations. Suggests room for upward mobility through entrepreneurship, whilst highlighting significant policy problems including tax loopholes and local market power that enable wealth concentration.
