| ▲ | SlinkyOnStairs 2 days ago | |
It is true enough that "the stock market" is about them. To stick some concrete numbers on this, combined the world's billionaires have about $15 trillion dollars worth of assets. Combined the world's retirement funds have about $60-$70 trillion dollars worth of assets. What's driving the major disconnect is the generational wealth divide. Boomers have loads of wealth, housing, their pension funds, non-pension investments. Millenials, not so much. (Obviously, this is in part because wealth builds up during one's life, though the divide is stronger than merely that effect) If you're a boomer, all this politics that promotes the stock market over the material economy is fucking great. Tech lays off another 16 billion people? Stonks go to the moon, and maybe you'll collect a nice fat severance package on your way out of your last job. If you're young though, it's a nightmare. It's quite recent that the political balance has changed; Biden fumbled the 2024 election in no small part because of his "But the stock market is good, why are you mad?" stance that had been ol' reliable for the decades prior. | ||
| ▲ | fittingopposite a day ago | parent [-] | |
"Obviously, this is in part because wealth builds up during one's life, though the divide is stronger than merely that effect" Do you have any numbers on this? Age is a pretty important part of the GINI index. People underestimate the age effect when discussing inequality. | ||