America's wealthy have too much power. It's hurting democracy – and our economy.

USA Today

8 hours ago

What do you think of this conspicuous power of America's billionaires? USA TODAY readers sound off in our Opinion Forum.
If there's one thing the Trump administration has a surplus of, it's billionaires. President Donald Trump himself is America's first billionaire president, boasting a net worth of $5.3 billion, according to Forbes.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found the median weekly earnings for U.S. workers was $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025 – or $62,088 a year. At that rate, it would take the average American roughly 85,350 years to reach Trump's net worth.
Meanwhile, the total net worth of the billionaires who make up Trump's changing administration – including former friend Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent among them – equals at least $450 billion.
And that money buys a lot of influence – and power. Maybe too much.
That's the question we asked you. As part of our Opinion Forum, we asked USA TODAY readers what you thought about the growing power of billionaires: in our corporations, in our markets and, yes, in our government. Is this exorbitant wealth something to aspire to? Or is it a threat? Read the responses below.
They've got yachts. We're just trying to keep our canoes afloat.
I do think the wealthy have too much power. Who listens to someone making minimum wage? (I'm speaking, by the way, as a former sociology professor, jail administrator and jail standards specialist.)
Having a large number of very wealthy people in political power also has a negative effect on our democracy. The richer people are, the less they are in tune with the common people they are supposed to represent.
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The growth in the number of billionaires and in their collective wealth is not a sign of a healthy economy. A healthy economy is defined by a more equal income distribution. In the 1980s, CEOs earned about 40 times more than their hourly employees. Today it's about 300 times. There is something horribly wrong with this picture!
I do think taxes should be raised on the the richest people in our country. The wealthy are not paying their fair share. They sit back in their mansions and yachts while the rest of us are desperately trying to keep our canoes afloat.
— Bev Scott, Trinity, Texas
Let's stop assuming the wealthy are criminals
Without data directly on hand about how much people in different income strata contribute to the federal budget, it's hard to answer questions like whether we should raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans. But I'm in my 70s and have witnessed many things. My parents and their parents worked until they died. That work ethic comes with compensation. Some do better than others.
The common thread is working. I support the work requirements for Medicaid recently approved by Congress and signed into law. The details are rarely published. The headlines are almost always divisive and incomplete.
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Let's stop accusing the wealthy as if they are criminals. They pay most of the taxes and give a tremendous amount to philanthropy. Google it!
Get the best education you can afford. Get a job that adds value to your life and work hard. Vote in every election. And try your best to live a good life. Stop judging others.
— Rick Bateman, Loveland, Ohio
Infinite wealth is fine, if everyone has a roof
Our distribution of wealth is completely out of balance and will have dire consequences. I have no argument against infinite personal wealth as long as every citizen has access to basic essentials. Food, medical care, shelter, public safety, etc. should be a foundation for the populace.
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The uber wealthy can have all the mansions they want once everyone has a roof. Wealth is achieved through more than business acumen. Billionaires exist because they utilize economic and civic infrastructure, provided collectively by all of us. Their argument that "I did it" is, at best, specious. Without fundamental change, this will end badly.
— Sam Collins, Gainesville, Florida
Even those hurt by billionaire policies seem to support the billionaires
The increased involvement of billionaires in our government has a huge effect on how our system operates. The ultra rich have always held sway over American democracy, but the days of their political dealings being done behind the scenes are long gone.
Now, it's not only out in public every day that billionaires are controlling the government and looking to alter the country in such a way to elevate themselves even further above the average person, but it's also that a huge portion of the American public, most of them people who will be affected negatively by these actions, is still hugely supportive of this regime.
This means that the country can continue to be run in such a way that the marginalized are stomped on while the rich get richer. It is now to the point that the Trump regime can brazenly break laws and defy courts with few to no repercussions, and this is, surely enough, eroding away the foundation of American democracy.
— Ben Rivera, Salt Lake City
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