Who Wants to Tax a Millionaire?

WHO WANTS TO TAX A MILLIONAIRE?
By Jeremiah Hill

The portrayal of wealth inequality in fiction is flawed,

and gives governments excuses not to act.

Fictional portrayals of poverty and wealth inequality are typically quite unrealistic and reinforce problematic stereotypes. This is exemplified by the film Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle, as well as the play Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. In both these pieces of literature, the difference between rich and poor is shown to be fixed and rigid; the poor and the rich never associate and the vast majority of people are unable to change their economic status. Social mobility is reserved for only a select few heroes, who are only able to improve their situation in life in a few key ways.

The first of these ways is through luck or unusual talent. Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire takes this route out of the slums, by being both incredibly observant and intelligent, and lucky enough to get a place on the show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’. The reaction of the Police Inspector highlight Jamal’s incredible luck:

“Doctors... Lawyers... never get past 60 thousand rupees. He's won 10 million. What the hell can a slumdog possibly know?” (Boyle, 2008, 5:37)

Jamal is only able to succeed with a healthy dose of luck

A second, less socially desirable method of social mobility is entering a life of crime. This is how Salim in Slumdog Millionaire is able to becomes rich. He enters the service of a notorious gangster, and does “anything he asks” (Boyle, 2008, 1:11:49), no matter how bad.

Finally, a common way of improving one’s situation in fiction is having a rich or influential sponsor, someone who has already ‘made it’ to help you. In Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle is accepted inis only able to become a member of high society because she is helped by Henry Higgins, an upper class gentleman.

In fiction, the role of larger forces such as governments in reducing inequality is rarely examined. This is problematic, as in reality very few people are able to escape poverty by their own means.

Not in my backyard

A second problem with the depiction of wealth inequality in fiction is that it often leads western audiences to think that it is only a problem for ‘other countries’. Stories such as Slumdog Millionaire imply that only poorer, developing countries such as India have a vast divide between the poor who live in slums, and the ultra wealthy who live in mansions. Furthermore, if the story is set in a western country such as Britain or America, wealth inequality and class is usually only examined from a historical perspective. This is the case in Pygmalion, as although it does include themes of vast wealth difference, it was written over a hundred years ago and so necessarily appears dated to modern audiences. This is dangerous, because it implies that vast wealth inequality only exists in the past, and that it is a solved problem.

We’re gonna have a problem here…

Wealth inequality is much more prevalent in western nations than many people realise. As a review by Inequality.org points out, in America, the richest 5% of the population own two thirds of the entire nation’sal wealth. Such statistics are not confined to just America. In Australia, the average wealth of a household in the highest 20% wealth group is ninety times that of the lowest 20% wealth group. In fact, Australia has a higher Gini coefficient than India, meaning from a mathematical standpoint Australia has a higher income inequality than ‘developing’ India.

Poverty and inequality are more common in Australia than we like to think

The really bad news is that the global wealth divide is getting worse. According to Qureshi, (2023): “Over the past four decades…income inequality has risen in most advanced economies and major emerging economies.”

It is clear that, despite what fiction would have us believe, inequality is a problem here and now. Something needs to be done to address this growing issue.

Income share of the richest 10%, 1980-2020. This shows that even in advanced economies the richest portion of the population has progressively grown more wealthy, at the expense of everyone else.

Putting your money where your mouth is

While there are plenty of worrying statistics around inequality, it would be a mistake to think that the vast divide between rich and poor is an inevitable consequence of globalisation and modern consumerism. There absolutely are things governments can do to address it; the trouble seems to be in getting people to agree on what should be done. A case in point is the contrasting tax policies being debated in Australia and the US currently. In America, the government is trying to pass a ‘big beautiful bill’ that will, among other things, reduce the amount of tax that the highest earners pay in an attempt to stimulate economic growth. By comparison, in Australia a controversial super tax reform will reduce the amount of wealth people can store in their superannuation by increasing taxes. For better or worse, these will undeniably have an impact on wealth inequality.

In any case, there is a wealth of ideas (pun intended) of actions to reduce inequality in society. The late economist Sir Tony Atkinson wrote a book called: ‘Inequality – What can be done?’ in which he proposes 15 things that would help to reduce wealth inequality, from raising taxes on the wealthy to increasing the minimum wage and child benefits. In the words of journalist Nicholas Kristof:

“Inequality is a tough problem, but we have tools that could begin to make a difference. The problem isn’t inequality; the problem is us.”

Hello government? I’d like to use one of my lifelines…

Stories such as Slumdog Millionaire and Pygmalion make inequality seem like a problem for ‘other people’, something that can only be escaped through exceptional circumstances. This is problematic because it ignores the fact that inequality is arguably worse in Wwestern countries. Furthermore, this view is flawed simply because most people aren’t lucky like Jamal, willing to hurt others like Salim or possessing a wealthy sponsor like Eliza. We mustn’t let fiction fool us into thinking that luck, crime or powerful friends are the only paths to financial success. Doing so lets the governments off the hook, and gives them an excuse to not use the powers they have to do good.

Bibliography:

ACOSS. (n.d.). Poverty and Inequality. Inequality in Australia. https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/inequality/

Atkinson, T., & Roser, M. (n.d.). The 15 Proposals from Tony Atkinson’s ‘Inequality – What can be done?’. Tony Atkinson. https://www.tony-atkinson.com/the-15-proposals-from-tony-atkinsons-inequality-what-can-be-done/

Boyle, D. (Director). (2008). Slumdog Millionaire [Film]. Warner Bros.

Crowley, T. (2025, June 3). How does Labor's new super tax work and why is it controversial? ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-03/labor-super-tax-explained/105368436

Gini Coefficient by Country 2025 (2025). World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gini-coefficient-by-country

Global Inequality (n.d.). Inequality.org. https://inequality.org/facts/global-inequality/

Kristof, N. (2014, July 23). An Idiot’s Guide to Inequality. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/opinion/nicholas-kristof-idiots-guide-to-inequality-piketty-capital.html

Kristof, N. (2015, May 2). ‘Inequality Is a Choice’. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-inequality-is-a-choice.html

Ostry, J.D., Berg, A., & Tsangarides, C.G. (2014). Redistribution, Inequality, and Growth. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2014/sdn1402.pdf

Qureshi, Z. (2023, May 16). Rising inequality: A major issue of our time. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rising-inequality-a-major-issue-of-our-time/

Shaw, B. (1916). Pygmalion. (1964 ed.). Penguin.

Steedman, E. (2025, June 5). What is the Big Beautiful Bill and why are Elon Musk and Donald Trump fighting over it? ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-05/what-is-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/105378960

Stiglitz, J. (2025, April 21). America Is Becoming the World’s Largest Tax Haven. Project Syndicate. https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/america-becoming-largest-tax-haven-under-trump-by-joseph-e-stiglitz-2025-04

Wealth Inequality (n.d.). Inequality.org.

https://inequality.org/facts/wealth-inequality/

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