By working hard, anyone can become rich; Rich people consume and invest; Rich people create jobs; The more rich people there are, the fewer poor people there are; Rich people pay a lot of taxes...Philippe Richard, a doctor in economics, analyses some twenty preconceived ideas about the wealthy and social inequality. By dissecting the economic data, the author provides factual information on the liberal doxa. The reality is that the wealthiest consume little, invest little in France and create no jobs, even though their wealth is growing like never before.Beyond this observation, the author poses crucial questions for the future of our society: Is it a good thing that a minority sees its fortune explode while poverty and precariousness grow ? Do the rich represent an opportunity for our country or, on the contrary, a threat to the balance of our democracy ? Can our society survive with such inequalities ?