Sure most CEO's don't make the really big figures. Most of their salaries seem within reason. However many of them probably make more than you think with company write offs and such. My millionaire grandma does the same thing. Although CEO's are just one example of this, using a tiny group (not really a sample) is the entire point. In America a very, very small amount of the population wields most of the wealth. Not just base income but things that can be written off as well. I agree most of the population won't have the gross amounts of wealth that only the very few have.