Masters in Business · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Achieving top-tier wealth in the U.S. is predominantly driven by business ownership rather than high labor income. While individuals in the 90th percentile of income largely earn through salaries, the top 0.1% derive most of their income from business ownership.
“If you look at top incomes, for example, take the top decile and then ask what share of people's income is coming from labor income, like from a normal salary job or from business ownership or other capital income, you know, the typical person in the 90th percentile, um, is getting salaries. But as you go up, the graph converges and crosses so that in the top 0.1%, most of the top income is coming from business income.”
“And the main typical way you get wealthy in the country is by owning something rather than earning.”