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Wages Are Falling. Wealth Is Surging. No Wonder Americans Are Unhappy.

As Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire, workers are facing higher prices and fears of A.I.-driven job losses.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Times Square on Friday, when Elon Musk’s SpaceX went public on the Nasdaq exchange.
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Musk Is the World’s First Trillionaire. Who Was the First Billionaire?

John D. Rockefeller, the Gilded Age oil baron, became America’s first billionaire in 1916. Like Elon Musk’s ascension, the milestone made headlines.

© Associated Press

John D. Rockefeller Sr., in Lakewood, N.J., in 1933. Rockefeller, the Gilded Age oil baron, became a billionaire in 1916.
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