So last night we watched the documentary entitled Top One Percent, filmed by Jaime Johnson, family member of the Johnson & Johnson brand. I found it quite interesting to get a glimpse of what the top one percent thinks in regards to their wealth, how they amassed their fortune and their thoughts about the poor. I feel two sided about this argument that the rich should pay the way of the poor. As a person who grew up in what I consider to be lower middle class, even in the South Bronx, to now own a home in the suburbs of Atlanta I can truly appreciate hard work and earning your keep. I also have gained an appreciation for the money I earn and duly feel as though I should not be forced by law to take care of those who choose not to exert the same initiative in life to sustain a desired lifestyle. There is always going to be those who have and have not in the current state of our American world BUT I do not think there has to be such a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor. Individuals who push themselves to become entrepreneurs, build brands, create companies, and invent products should be able to reap the rewards of their hard earned work but at the same time, they would not be where they are without the efforts of their consumers and employees. Shouldn't they reap a reward or kickback too? Do you think we would be better off in an economy where we all earned the same wages and had universal access to things such as healthcare and education?
According to Forbes Magazine here are the top 10 wealthiest people in the world:
1. Carlos Slim (Mexico) - $74 billion, telecommunications
2. Bill Gates (USA) - $56 billion, Microsoft
3. Warren Buffett (USA) - $50 billion, Berkshire Hathaway
4. Bernard Arnault (France) - $41 billion, LVMH
5. Larry Ellison (USA) - $39.5 billion, Oracle Corp
6. Lakshmi Mittal (India) - $31.1 billion, steel
7. Amancio Ortega (Spain) - $31 billion, retail
8. Eike Batista (Brazil) - $30 billion, mining, oil
9. Mukesh Ambani (India) - $27 billion, petrochemicals, oil and gas
10. Christy Walton & family (USA) - $26.5 billion, Wal-Mart
source
How do you feel about the distribution of wealth in America? Would you feel differently if perhaps you were born into a family like the Buffetts, Gates or Meyers of the world?
