To trim our richest down to democratic size, we need to think big.
by Sam Pizzigati, Inequality.org
How rich have America’s super rich become? The annual compensation of Steve Schwarzman, the chief exec of the private-equity colossus Blackstone Inc., offers up one telling yardstick.
In 2023, we learned earlier this year, Schwarzman’s take-home actually fell some 30 percent off what he collected the year before. But Schwarzman’s overall payday for that year, even after that tanking, still amounted to a jaw-dropping $896.7 million.

The current personal net worth of Blackstone’s CEO? The Bloomberg Billionaires Index puts that figure at a sweet $42.3 billion.
Schwarzman’s current political net worth? That remains to be seen. In the 2020 presidential election cycle, this Wall Street titan spent over $27 million on donations to his favorite office-seekers, over five times what he spent in the 2016 election cycle. Since 2020, Schwarzman’s personal fortune — what he has available to shower down on his election-day favorites — has more than doubled.
Recent Posts
Nonviolent Discipline Is Helping Turn The Tide On ICE
January 19, 2026
Take Action Now Despite brutal provocation, the people of Minneapolis have been courageous and remarkably nonviolent, embodying the spirit of Martin…
‘People in Venezuela Can Oppose the Government But Still Reject US Intervention’:
January 18, 2026
Take Action Now CounterSpin interview with Michelle Ellner on Venezuela invasionBy Janine Jackson, FAIR Janine Jackson interviewed CODEPINK’s…
Social Strikes: Confronting ICE and Resisting Authoritarianism
January 17, 2026
Take Action Now An in-depth discussion with Jeremy Brecher on the strategy, potential, and challenges of mass social strikes following the Minnesota…
Israeli Ban on 37 Aid Organizations Expected to Have Devastating Impacts Across Palestine
January 16, 2026
Take Action Now Aid organizations say Israel’s recent ban of 37 groups has dealt a severe blow to humanitarian work across Palestine. In Gaza, it…




