Fact check: Does the top .1% in US control more wealth than the bottom 90%

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, the question about whether the top 0.1% in the US controls more wealth than the bottom 90% cannot be definitively answered with the provided data, though there are strong indicators suggesting significant wealth concentration.

The most relevant data comes from Princeton University research ^[1], which indicates that the top 0.1% holds 15.7% of total wealth. However, this source notes that this figure is "less than the combined wealth of the bottom 90%," though it doesn't specify the exact percentage held by the bottom 90%.

Federal Reserve data ^[2] provides additional context, showing that the top 0.1% holds around 13.8% of the nation's wealth, while the bottom 90% holds approximately 27% of total wealth. This suggests that the bottom 90% still controls more wealth than the top 0.1%, contradicting the original question's premise.

However, US News reporting ^[3] presents conflicting information, stating that the top 0.1% have a combined wealth of over $22 trillion, while the bottom half of households collectively own close to $4 trillion in assets. This data point, while not directly comparing to the bottom 90%, demonstrates extreme wealth concentration at the very top.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several important contextual factors missing from the original question:

• Wealth composition differences: The research shows that the bulk of wealth for Americans in the bottom 90% comes from their homes, while the richest 1% own 50% of U.S. stock and mutual funds ^[4]. This distinction between asset types is crucial for understanding wealth inequality.
• Broader wealth distribution patterns: Statista data ^[5] indicates that the top 10% owns almost two-thirds of total wealth, while the lowest 50% owns only 2.5%, providing important context about overall wealth stratification.
• Racial wealth gap considerations: One analysis ^[6] highlights that wealth inequality intersects with racial disparities, though specific data wasn't provided in the summary.

Financial institutions, wealth management firms, and policy advocates would benefit from different interpretations of these statistics - some emphasizing the need for wealth redistribution policies, others defending current economic structures.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears to contain a factual inaccuracy based on the available evidence. Federal Reserve data ^[2] suggests that the top 0.1% holds approximately 13.8% of wealth compared to 27% held by the bottom 90%, indicating the premise of the question is incorrect.

However, the question may reflect confusion between different wealth percentiles - several sources confirm that the top 1% holds nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90% ^[1], which is a well-documented statistic that may have been conflated with the top 0.1%.

The lack of direct, comprehensive data comparing these specific groups (top 0.1% vs. bottom 90%) in the analyses suggests this comparison may not be the most commonly tracked or reported wealth inequality metric, potentially leading to confusion or misstatement of the actual figures.