Quote

The fact is that, except for those very few whose wealth is overwhelmingly or entirely inherited, the more affluent have usually worked harder than the less affluent.

Four hundred obscenely wealthy individuals, 400 little Mubaraks - most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion-dollar taxpayer bailout of 2008 - now have more cash, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined.

The richest people are those who have life arranged so they have food for the family and the rent or mortgage paid. After that, at least in my case, it can become a pretty boring existence if wealth is the only objective.

You've got the top 400 Americans owning more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans. Most folks do not think that is right.

In real terms, there is a greater disparity of earnings between the very rich and the very poor.

Fortunately there is more wealth in the world than there was at the time of the global economic crisis of 1929 - Chinese, Indian, Arab and Russian.

What seems extraordinary is that the richest countries in the world, in terms of economic output, are the ones where we work hardest.

The only truly affluent are those who do not want more than they have.

Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.

The only thing wealth does for some people is to make them worry about losing it.