‘We got lazy and complacent’: Swedish pensioners explain how abolishing the wealth tax changed their country

'A country of rich people': a superyacht with helicopter on board heads into Stockholm's harbour. M-Production/Shutterstock

For much of the 20th century, Sweden enjoyed a justifiable reputation as one of Europe’s most egalitarian countries. Yet over the past two decades, it has transformed into what journalist and author Andreas Cervenka calls a “paradise for the super-rich”.

Today, Sweden has one of the world’s highest ratios of dollar billionaires, and is home to numerous “unicorn” startup...