A survey by The Harris Poll found that 6 out of 10 Americans would like to be billionaires, although for 40% of those consulted, people who have a lot of money are despicable
The Harris Poll conducted an interesting “Survey of Americans and Millionaires, August 2022”, in which it found that although rich people seem despicable to many, more than half of the population would like to be a billionaire.
The survey was conducted online within the US by The Harris Poll from July 15-17, among a nationally representative sample of 1,989 American adults.
The research includes 184 people from Generation Z (ages 18-24); 560 Millennials (ages 25-40); 470 Generation X (ages 41-56); as well as 775 Boomers (over 57 years old).
Results The Harris Poll found:
– 6 in 10 American adults (60%) want to become billionaires one day, while 40% say they despise billionaires.
– 44% believe they have the tools available to them to become billionaires. Crypto investor confidence jumps to a higher level of 71%.
– In general, Americans show high respect for billionaires, with more than 6 in 10 seeing the wealthy as good for society, innovation and the economy.
– However, there is a growing disconnect, as two-thirds of Americans believe that economic inequality is a serious problem nationally, with nearly half (46%) of Americans believing that billionaires make it more difficult reach your objectives. Billionaires are seen as standing in the way of the personal dreams of younger Americans (59% Gen Z and 58% Millennials) as well as diverse communities (68% LGBTQ and 58% Asian).
– There is growing interest in limiting wealth accumulation, with 47% of Americans thinking this way. For 24% there should be a lower limit of $1 billion, while 20% say a limit should be set somewhere between $1B and $10B.
– Feelings of justice are rising against American billionaires. 65% think that the taxes paid by the rich are unfair; 58% believe that their activities contribute to the increase in inflation; and 58% have resentments about the accumulation of wealth they achieved during the pandemic.
– Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe that people with extreme wealth should pay taxes differently.
– 7 out of 10 Americans strongly believe that billionaires have a responsibility to improve society, but they are not doing enough.
– More than 4 in 10 (42%) Americans believe that billionaires should not be allowed to buy businesses in the media industry, for example: newspapers, news websites or social networks like Twitter. Also nearly three in 10 (28%) say that millionaires should not post on social media at all.