Owen Zidar

The Invisible Economy Three of four large American businesses are private

open.substack.com/pub/everywhe...

What the Housing Market Teaches Us About Who’s Really Rich in America Some simple arithmetic on inequality and housing costs

open.substack.com/pub/everywhe...

Simon Johnson, Atif Mian, Antoinette Schoar, and Owen Zidar on the Stone Center launch panel.

Owen Zidar presenting on a panel.

Simon Johnson, Antoinette Schoar, and Owen Zidar seated during Atif Mian's presentation.

At the Stone Center (@mitshapingwork.bsky.social) launch event, Professors @atifrmian.bsky.social and @omzidar.bsky.social presented research on the debt crisis and wealth in America during a panel discussion on wealth inequality.

Learn more and watch the full panel: https://bit.ly/4j42Cdv

(2/) 💰 The top 1% isn’t just tech billionaires

@omzidar.bsky.social stressed that owners of businesses like car dealerships, construction firms, and franchises make up a significant portion of the top 1%.

Is the U.S. a gerontocracy? What an aging Congress has to do with the United States’ generational wealth gap.

Was fun discussing whether the US is a gerontocracy

www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

Who is rich in America, and how did they become rich? How is wealth inequality connected to housing markets, finance, and the macroeconomy?

A panel at our upcoming launch will feature @atifrmian.bsky.social, @omzidar.bsky.social, and Antoinette Schoar.

Register: shapingwork.mit.edu/events/stone...

Many thanks to all the signatories, including @dacemoglumit.bsky.social, @emilyjblanchard.bsky.social, @danieldbunn.bsky.social, @kclausing.bsky.social, @stevecicala.bsky.social, @jasonfurman.bsky.social, @kylepomerleau.bsky.social, @michaelrstrain.bsky.social, and @omzidar.bsky.social.

An early Christmas gift 👇

Thanks, @davidragrawal.bsky.social, Jim Poterba and @omzidar.bsky.social, for leading this project so successfully.

It was an honor and a pleasure to contribute a chapter on corporate tax competition among the Swiss cantons.

you are about to see the nation’s beer distributors—aka “the toughest lobby you’ve never heard of”—lose their fucking minds

Senior Research Specialists-AY27 We have opened our search for predoctoral research positions starting July 6, 2026 to assist faculty members in all aspects of their research.For more information, register for a Zoom info session wit...

Please apply to work with us

irs.princeton.edu/senior-resea...

paw.princeton.edu/article/will...

Patrick Dovigi, Waste Management "I’m trash by day and luxury properties by night."

Patrick Dovigi, Waste Management
open.substack.com/pub/everywhe...

The ‘Cable Cowboy’ Battles a Giant Gas Station for the Soul of the West A dispute over plans for a colossal highway rest stop has divided a small Colorado town—and it’s boiled over into slashed tires and crude name-calling.

www.wsj.com/us-news/buce...

Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, released Thursday, offer a detailed view into the effects on income groups.

The GOP megabill now before the Senate cuts taxes for high earners and reduces benefits for the poor.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, released Thursday, offer a detailed view into the effects on income groups.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Fun fact: debt and sin are the same word in German

HT: Andreas Peichl

I've had the pleasure to organize this year's @cepr.org Public Economics Symposium, together with @sigginho.bsky.social and Johannes Spinnewijn. Here's the program:

drive.google.com/file/d/1CggW...

Looking forward to 2 great days in Cologne, keynotes by @omzidar.bsky.social and Cecile Gaubert!

You should read the book. There’s some nuance about different sources of wealth of business owners. One important force in many industries from beverage distribution to auto dealing to dentistry is regulatory capture and restraints to competition.

Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Is Great for the Podcast Episode · Plain English with Derek Thompson · 05/28/2025 · 1h 8m

Eric Zwick was on ⁦‪@DKThomp‬⁩’s podcast talking about our research on the tax cuts and jobs act and a bit about our forthcoming book on the stealthy wealthy

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

Smerconish: The Secret Path to Wealth No One Talks About - Smerconish on CNN - Podcast on CNN Audio It's commencement season. This year's speakers they include military leaders, politicians, sports stars, captains of industry, celebrities, even a famous frog. They'll all be addressing many young gra...

www.cnn.com/audio/podcas...

YouTube video by CNN Who are the 'stealthy wealthy' and how do they make their money?

Thanks for having me on the show @smerconish.bsky.social

youtu.be/rRL4X49KVBM?...

Appeal from colleagues at Harvard:

"...we also call upon our fellow institutions of higher education in the United States to declare their willingness to facilitate the immediate co-enrollment of Harvard’s international students., including formal acceptance of transfer for immigration purposes."

Lessons from the Biggest Business Tax Cut in US History (Summer 2024) - We assess the business provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the biggest corporate tax cut in US history. We draw five lessons. First, corporate tax revenue fell by 40 percent ...

Seems like a good time to re-read this paper by Chodorow-Reich, @omzidar.bsky.social, and Zwick.
www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Owen’s Substack | Owen Zidar | Substack Stay tuned for updates on our forthcoming book. Click to read Owen’s Substack, by Owen Zidar, a Substack publication. Launched 3 days ago.

Owen’s Substack -sign up here for updates on our forthcoming book on the stealthy wealthy everywheremillionaire.substack.com?r=4a6ft&utm_...

For Once, Economists Agree: Extending Section 199A Is A Bad Idea The rule has proven to be expensive, regressive, complicated, ineffective in promoting investment, and unfair to wage earners.

taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/once-...

Michael is joined by Dr. @omzidar.bsky.social , a professor from Princeton University, to discuss the "Stealthy Wealthy": entrepreneurs who quietly build multimillion-dollar fortunes through unglamorous, essential businesses.
Listen to the #podcast here 🎧➡️ loom.ly/7l3hQnE

The "Stealthy Wealthy": Rich, Quiet, and Right Next Door Talked to Michael Smerconish on his podcast about entrepreneurs who quietly build multimillion-dollar fortunes through unglamorous, essential businesses

open.substack.com/pub/everywhe...

Thanks

Thanks

If you have not done so already, I would take a look at Isaac William Martin's Rich People's Movements and The Permanent Tax Revolt. He has interviewed many people involved in anti-tax activism.