The United States has become a plutocracy where the ultra-rich have all the wealth and power.
Who has Extreme Wealth?
It’s not just the billionaires. There are 300,000 households in the U.S., each with over $50 million, with a combined wealth of $40 trillion (that’s more than the entire national debt).
Tax the Ultra-Rich
The ultra-rich have rigged the system to amass, grow and protect their wealth. We need to unrig the system with a set of Ultra Rich Taxes, the URTs –an income surtax, a wealth tax, and a set of provisions that prevent extreme dynastic wealth passing down tax-free to heirs.
Our Work
EWC affiliate TGB (Tax the Greedy Billionaires) is launched.
Five and Dime Wealth Tax Proposal – Raises $7 trillion!
Study of the Millionaires Surtax – Raises $1.5 trillion!
Excessive Wealth Disorder Blog
Pleonexia
It happened on Friday, June 12, 2026: Elon Musk, sooner than almost anyone expected, became a trillionaire. With so much written about this, it may not be necessary to say that a trillion dollars is one-million millions. But if you can agree with me that $50 million is “enough” for any one person to have, Musk has 20,000 “enoughs!”
Other Voices
Philanthropy’s Chosen Blind Spot: The Harms of Extreme Wealth
Apr 28, 2026 | Larry Ottinger, Inside Philanthropy
Stay informed: Join us
Sign up to our mailing list to stay up-to-date with the latest research, newsletters, and more.
Copyright © 2026 | Privacy Policy | Contact
EWC is a 501c3 Project at the Tides Foundation
Our sister organization, Tax the Greedy Billionaires, is
building support for policies to rein in excessive wealth.