The Super-Rich and Us

The United Kingdom is home to more billionaires per capita than any other country in the world, yet it also boasts one of the highest levels of inequality in all of Europe. The documentary “The Super-Rich and Us” delves into the impact of this astronomical wealth on society.

In the first episode, host Jacques Peretti explores how the super-wealthy first exploited a legal loophole to establish the UK as a prime destination for tax havens. He argues that this was not a coincidence, but rather a deliberate strategy implemented by government officials in an effort to reshape the economy, under the belief that the wealth of the elite would benefit all citizens. However, data from the OECD suggests that the British economy would have been 20% larger if this strategy had not been pursued.

Throughout the series, Peretti examines the reasons behind this phenomenon and the effect it has had on society, including the rise of unaffordable property and the growing divide between the 99% and the 1%. He also meets with the super-rich themselves, from those buying premier league football clubs to billionaires who have begun to criticize the policies that made them richer at the expense of society’s overall well-being.

Peretti challenges the architects of these policies and tracks down foreign multimillionaires who are buying up Britain, turning it from a nation of property owners to a nation of renters. He also uncovers new research that shows growing inequality has been driven by unaffordable property and the far-reaching effect this will have on every aspect of our lives.