Some scholars name and year of statement regarding western wealth
1) Adam Smith (1776) - In his book "The Wealth of Nations," Smith argued that Western nations had become wealthy due to the division of labor, free trade, and the pursuit of self-interest.
2) Max Weber (1905) - In his work "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," Weber proposed that the rise of Western capitalism was influenced by Protestant religious beliefs, particularly the Protestant work ethic, which emphasized hard work and frugality.
3) Raghuram Rajan (2010) - Rajan, an Indian economist, stated during a lecture at the University of Chicago that the Western world's wealth was built on borrowed money and excessive risk-taking, which eventually led to the global financial crisis in 2008.
4) Thomas Piketty (2013) - Piketty, in his influential book "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," highlighted the role of capital accumulation and inequality in driving and perpetuating Western wealth, arguing that if left unchecked, it could result in increasing societal disparities.
5) Walter Scheidel (2017) - In his book "The Great Leveler," Scheidel argues that historically, the Western world's wealth has been influenced by major disruptions such as wars, revolutions, pandemics, and other catastrophes that equalize wealth distribution due to the destruction of assets and institutions.