New York Tax Breakdown

That pie chart looks impossible at first glance. The top 50% of New Yorkers paid almost all the state’s income taxes in 2023—99.8% to be exact. The bottom half? Basically zero.

The Marketing Lesson

This is a wild visual example of power concentration—a few people (or actions, or products) drive nearly all the results. Classic 80/20 rule, just more extreme.

Why It Works

• Visual data makes the point instantly—tiny yellow sliver = big emotional punch
• Highlights inequality, which triggers curiosity and debate
• Shows disproportionate contribution, easy hook for storytelling or positioning
• Makes you rethink effort vs. impact in any system

Examples

• 20% of products drive 80% of Amazon’s revenue.
• 10% of users create 90% of Twitter engagement.
• Top 1% of YouTube channels get most of the views.
• Most SaaS revenue comes from a handful of enterprise clients.