What Happened in the mid-1990s? The growth of wealth and its concentration from 1980 to today

The growth of wealth since 1980

The market cap of the largest US company has grown rapidly since 1980:

Market cap of largest US companies by year

And the wealth of the richest American has also grown rapidly since 1980:

Net worth of richest Americans by year

Market caps have even grown substantially relative to average income:

Ratio of market cap of largest US company to average US income

Similarly, wealth of the richest American has grown substantially relative to average income:

Ratio of wealth of richest American to average US income

And relative to US GDP:

Conclusion: Something happened in the mid-1990s.

Companies and individuals on the same trajectory

But, the ratio of market cap and wealth has stayed roughly the same since the mid-1990s:

What Happened in the mid-1990s?