Few issues rile up more people than income inequality. The distribution of wealth in America has always received attention, but after the Great Recession, the debate became louder and more public. The widening gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” ignited social movements like Occupy Wall Street, bolstered liberal politicians like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and fueled all those railing against the people atop the economic ladder.

Much of the anger is directed at the “top 1 percent” — the people who make more money than 99 percent of all other Americans. Many people envision these “1 percenters” as corporate...