The EconomistJul 27, 2026 – 8.00pmBillionaires have never exactly been popular, but today they are loathed. Politicians in America’s Congress talk about them far more than ever before, usually to decry their ill-gotten gains or their malign influence on politics, or to insist that their wealth needs taxing.Fundraising emails from Democrats are three times as likely to mention billionaires – and almost always negatively – as they were in 2024, according to Andrew Hall of Stanford University. “Every billionaire is a policy failure” is a common cry from the left, linking members of the 10-figure club with a rigged economy and social decay.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
The new billionaire playbook: Half of all wealth is now self-made
Just as politicians go full “eat the rich”, something unexpected is happening. Today’s billionaires are more likely than yesterday’s to have made their own money.
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