It’s probably the oldest question in capitalism.
Make no mistake, there are a myriad of reasons why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and only a few apply to any one instance. That doesn’t prevent generalization from being made. The defenders of the status quo explain it as thus:
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer because the rich learn to become stewards of the talents given to them. The poor have squandered their talents and are not given more.
Clean and simple. The poor are poor because they’ve brought it upon themselves. The rich are just better than you. Case closed. It’s a very convenient philosophy if you’re rich.
In reality there is only one reason for the growing wealth disparity that applies to practically every instance, and it isn’t because one group is better, or smarter, or more amoral than another group.
It’s not a hidden secret. Everyone is aware of it, but few understand it as well as they think they do.