“We live in a hyper-‘woke’ day and age, the age of ‘no-platforming’ and ‘cancel culture,’ characterized by elaborate speech codes, tight constraints on what we are allowed to say in public, and potentially steep social penalties for transgressions. Unless, of course, you are engaging in ‘upward classism,’ one of the few remaining forms of negative stereotyping that are not just socially acceptable but often positively socially encouraged. Rainer Zitelmann’s book has to be the most thorough and comprehensive account of this phenomenon to date. Zitelmann’s writing is accessible and jargon-free yet remains academically rigorous throughout. Commendably, the author manages to steer clear of polemicizing — although he must have been tempted more than once. This is a timely and relevant book, not least because while ‘eat-the-rich’ rhetoric may be good politics, it is demonstrably a poor guide to policy.”

—Kristian Niemietz, head of political economy,
Institute of Economic Affairs

“This is a very timely book about the rarely mentioned prejudice, classism, and denigration of those with wealth and status. Zitelmann systematically and scientifically explores why this attitude is so pervasive. To some degree, he says, it derives from the zero-sum fallacy, the belief that the rich create problems and poverty for others in order to become rich. In fact, as he shows, the rich contribute hugely to the well-being of society. This book is a timely correction to a pervasive but negative view of high achievers.”

—Madsen Pirie, president, Adam Smith Institute

“Rainer Zitelmann exposes, dissects, and quantifies the twin vices of envy and covetousness. For many, the desire to have what others possess and the accompanying frustration-driven hatred directed at the people who have what you wish to seize have fused into a political program. Under many names through countless centuries, every society has had more or fewer members consumed by these powerful prejudices. Most importantly, Zitelmann’s book makes it undeniable that irrational hatred and bias against the rich is as real, palpable, and dangerous as racism, religious bigotry, and tribalism. In a world well convinced that religious bigotry, racism, and tribalism exist and deserve repudiation, Zitelmann adds one more nasty ‘-ism’: upward classism, the envy and covetousness directed at the successful and wealthy. Using serious scholarship, he exposes this vice, quantifies it, and makes it impossible for future generations to ignore: Atlas Shrugged—with numbers and footnotes.”

—Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform

“This book is not just another book with a series of ideas, philosophies, and a boring central thesis: it is dynamite! Zitelmann is a bias-breaking machine. He destroys empirically and logically the virtue-signaling arguments that so often attack the rich. Rich people are a minority—a minority that, through risktaking and delayed consumption, allows billions of us to have jobs, to feed our families, and to have more goods and services at our disposal compared to previous generations. Zitelmann does a superb job of revealing the media and public bias against the very people that allowed most of the world to overcome poverty and reach the
middle class. An important contribution that sets the record straight!”

—Wolf von Laer, CEO, Students for Liberty

“Rainer Zitelmann’s study offers a fascinating insight into a much overlooked yet often criticized minority—rich people. However, this book is more than just a thorough account of the prejudices and stereotypes against affluent individuals in different countries. It also raises the awareness for the general biases of the media against the people who have created value not only for themselves but especially for the society they live in. This makes the book a great read for everyone interested in the intersection of sociology and economics.”

—Frank Schäffler, president, Prometheus –
Das Freiheitsinstitut, Berlin