What reasons make the rich richer and the poor poorer?

1. Wealthy people own assets that growing in value without any additional work.
2. Wealthy people have skills that generate high rates of income, poor people have skills that generate low incomes.
3. Wealthy can afford to take risks that pay off long term, poor people much focus on immediate returns.
4. Wealthy people know wealthy people, poor people know poor people.
5. Wealthy people are optimistic, poor people are pessimistic.

I could go on and list 100 reasons but all of them really point back to whatever made you successful in the past will likely make you successful in the future, whatever is holding you back will likely continue to hold you back.