#AI #ChatGPT #Grok Of 1.000 wealthiest in 1950, how many remain in that group in 2025?

I asked ChatGPT and Grok:

"In the Western world, of the one thousand wealthiest in 1950, how many would you guess remain among the one thousand wealthiest in 2025?  A number please?"

ChatGPT answered:

"A reasonable estimate would be fewer than 50—likely closer to 10 to 30 at most. Wealth turnover across generations, economic shifts, taxation, and new industries (like tech) have significantly reshaped the landscape. Would you like a breakdown of the key reasons behind this estimate?"

I said: This suffices. Thanks!

ChatGPT said:You're welcome! Let me know if you ever want to dig deeper.

Grok answered:

"Estimating how many of the 1,000 wealthiest individuals in the Western world from 1950 would still be among the 1,000 wealthiest in 2025 is inherently speculative, as it involves numerous variables like inheritance, wealth preservation, economic shifts, and family dynamics. However, I can provide a reasoned guess based on historical trends and available data.

In 1950, wealth in the Western world—primarily the United States and Western Europe—was concentrated among industrialists, oil magnates, bankers, and heirs to large fortunes, such as the Rockefellers, Mellons, and Du Ponts. Over 75 years, factors like inflation, taxation, economic diversification, and the rise of new industries (e.g., technology) have reshaped the wealth landscape. Wealth persistence often depends on whether fortunes were maintained through trusts, reinvestment, or successful adaptation to changing markets, versus dissipation through poor management, division among heirs, or societal changes like estate taxes.

Historical examples offer clues. In 1957, Fortune magazine listed the 76 wealthiest Americans, many of whom were tied to family dynasties. By 2025, only a handful of those family names—like Rockefeller or Walton (via Walmart)—still appear prominently among the ultra-wealthy, often through descendants rather than the original individuals. Studies on intergenerational wealth suggest that only about 10-30% of family fortunes survive intact across three generations, with significant erosion by the fourth or fifth due to division among heirs and lack of entrepreneurial renewal.

The modern billionaire list, dominated by tech entrepreneurs (e.g., Musk, Bezos, Gates) and finance moguls, shows a stark contrast to 1950’s industrial and inherited wealth. Forbes’ 2025 billionaire rankings indicate that self-made fortunes now outnumber inherited ones, with roughly 67% of billionaires being self-made compared to 13% fully inherited. This shift suggests that many 1950 fortunes have either shrunk relative to new wealth or failed to keep pace with economic growth and inflation (e.g., $1.4 billion in 1950, like Rockefeller’s peak, is about $30 billion today—substantial, but dwarfed by Musk’s $351 billion in 2025).

For the top 1,000 specifically, not just billionaires, the threshold in 2025 is lower—likely around $500 million to $1 billion in net worth, based on wealth distribution trends. Some 1950 families could still qualify if their wealth grew modestly or was preserved (e.g., through real estate or diversified investments). However, the influx of new wealth from tech, finance, and globalization means the list has been heavily diluted with newcomers.

Considering these dynamics—wealth attrition rates, the rise of new industries, and limited persistence of dynasties—I’d estimate that roughly 50 to 100 of the 1,000 wealthiest individuals or families from 1950 in the Western world remain in the top 1,000 in 2025. This accounts for a small core of enduring dynasties (e.g., Walmart’s Waltons, Ford heirs) while acknowledging the overwhelming turnover driven by economic transformation.

My final guess: 75. This number reflects a conservative balance between historical wealth retention and the dramatic reshaping of the rich list over 75 years."

I said: Thanks

Grok said: You’re welcome! Glad I could help with that. Anything else on your mind?

Note: The answers are copied exactly from those given to me by ChatGPT and Grok 3