The gap between the one percent and the 0.1 percent could have serious political consequences. Even in the United States, there are just 412 billionaires, and 134,888 taxpayers fall in the 0.1 percent. The 1 percent is bigger, containing 749,375 taxpayers. With an annual income of $486,395, the 1 percent is also not that far away from the 7.5 million taxpayers who occupy the wider 10 percent and earn an average $128,560. These people at the bottom of the top income distribution are financially essential to the country and politically vital to those at the very top. If the super-elite loses their loyalty, it could become very isolated indeed.