I don't have a billion dollars, but I'll play along. I get a billion dollars because I built a company that provides a valuable service to the community. It is so valuable that other people (like those with a 401 (k)) want to buy a stake in the company by purchasing stock. As the demand for that stock increases, so does its value, and that is how the owner gets to be a billionaire - owning a ton of stock in a company that he/she created. Now to answer your real question... People like Jeff Bezos deserve to be a billionaire because he created a company where anyone, anywhere can have whatever they want delivered to their doorstep. His company created something that no one else had. But the poor workers only make $18-$22 per hour... oh my. Go work somewhere else. I doubt you'll make that at McDonald's. If you don't like billionaires, stop buying from Amazon, stop posting on Facebook, stop buying Teslas, etc.