> Fewer than 20 percent inherited 10 percent or more of their wealth.
That's a very misleading statistic; it takes less than 25 years and the long term average return if the S&P 500 to get a 10× multiple; so with that much time, an inheritance that represents only 10% of final wealth is quite easily the source (with just basic passive investment) of 100% of it. At 40 years from inheritance, it's over a 42× multiple, so an inheritance or less than 2.5% is the source of a whole fortune.
And, surprisingly, your statistic doesn't cover how many had “business” (whether genuine or as a tax dodge method of giving large gifts as “businesses expenses”) funneled to them to build their fortune directly from their wealthy family members, businesses controlled by wealthy family members, or people seeking to curry favor with wealthy family members. Which is how the pros do it.
That's a very misleading statistic; it takes less than 25 years and the long term average return if the S&P 500 to get a 10× multiple; so with that much time, an inheritance that represents only 10% of final wealth is quite easily the source (with just basic passive investment) of 100% of it. At 40 years from inheritance, it's over a 42× multiple, so an inheritance or less than 2.5% is the source of a whole fortune.
And, surprisingly, your statistic doesn't cover how many had “business” (whether genuine or as a tax dodge method of giving large gifts as “businesses expenses”) funneled to them to build their fortune directly from their wealthy family members, businesses controlled by wealthy family members, or people seeking to curry favor with wealthy family members. Which is how the pros do it.