Answer by Marc Hodak:
Take a look at this:
In 1950, the entire world had a total wealth of about $15 trillion (in 2009 dollars, as are all the other numbers mentioned here).
As you can see from the chart above, in 1950 the US had a GDP of about $2 trillion. GDP is a measure of income (as opposed to wealth). Today, US GDP has grown to about $17 trillion.
So, where did that other $15 trillion in annual income come from? It could not have come from “the (99.999% of) people” because all the wealth in the world in 1950 equalled $15 trillion. By the way, the rest of the world’s GDP is now about $77,000,000,000,000 ($77 tril), and its wealth is now about $225,000,000,000,000 ($225 tril.)
So, where did all of that extra $15 trillion in US GDP come from? When you answer that question, you will have the answer to yours.
Akira Morikawa 