What do First Lady Michelle Obama, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and actress Sandra Bullock have in common? They’re all baby boomers, and they’re all turning 50 in 2014.
About one in four Americans were born between 1946 and 1964 and thus belong to the baby boomer generation. While many of the oldest boomers have already exited the workforce, the youngest boomers are just now hitting the half-century mark.
“Baby boomers, a generation that because of its sheer size has dominated the country’s economy and politics for decades, continues steadily marching toward retirement,” says the Wall Street Journal. “Boomers make up roughly a quarter of of the U.S. population, so their decisions and actions are closely tied to the state of the nation as a whole.”
Those born during the beginning of the baby boom include former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and actress Diane Keaton.
Each day, around 12,500 Americans turn 50, according to the Wall Street Journal, which says the median net worth of householders add 65 and older in 2010 totaled $170,000.
Click here for the full Wall Street Journal pice, including more infographics.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
