[jerrycabbage]

The answer is a wealth tax. The inequality grows leading into a need for investments like these. If all other assets weren't so inflated then we could at least wish PE wouldn't need to do things like this but this is what will happen. Excess capital keeps buying up assets lower classes need due to lack of options otherwise.

[pessimizer]

I'm still an advocate of the old-school top income tax bracket of 85-100% i.e. a maximum income. A general wealth tax always seems like double-dipping; today I take $1 out of your $10, and a year from now I take 90¢ from your remaining $9. It's more of a motivation for one to continue accumulating (a floor, even) just to tread water.

Property taxes are different, because more services get provided to people with more property. Income taxes are fine because we take it as a given that the state has the ability to regulate every aspect of domestic financial transactions and financial lives, at least in our currency (even if we don't or shouldn't, we of course can.)

A yearly individual income cap means at the least people would have to put money in more hands. Being corrupt on a large scale would hopefully require a larger conspiracy.

I'm fine with arbitrary wealth taxes and taxes on capital, with arbitrary justifications, so I'm probably not saying much here; but I'm not in support of a revolving wealth tax.