However, after the
Great Recession which started in 2007, the share of total wealth owned by the top 1% of the population grew from 35% to 37%, and that owned by the top 20% of Americans grew from 85% to 88%. The Great Recession also caused a drop of 36% in median household wealth but a drop of only 11% for the top 1%, further widening the gap between the top 1% and the bottom 99%.
[14][16][17] According to
PolitiFact and others, in 2011 the 400 wealthiest Americans "have more wealth than half of all Americans combined."
[18][19] Inherited wealth may help explain why many Americans who have become rich may have had a "substantial head start".
[20][21] In September 2012, according to the
Institute for Policy Studies, "over 60 percent" of the
Forbes richest 400 Americans "grew up in substantial privilege".--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States#Statistics