Two economists in the United States (Emmanuel Saez and Edward Wolff) have delved into wealth accumulation, using historical figures. In the 1920’s, the bottom 90 percent of Americans only held 16 percent of the country’s wealth. By the 1980’s however, the middle class made impressive gains. Their percentage rose to about 36 percent of the country’s wealth.

After that, the percentage for the middle class began to fall and is now approaching the percentage in the 1920’s.

Meanwhile, the very rich (not the 1 percent, but the .01 percent) now control about 11.2 percent of total wealth, back to the 1916 figure.

A return to the era of the Great Gatsby?