most often, capital accumulation involves both a net addition and a redistribution of wealth, which may raise the question of who really benefits from it most. if more wealth is produced than there was before, a society becomes richer; the total stock of wealth increases. but if some accumulate capital only at the expense of others, wealth is merely shifted from a to b. it is also possible that some accumulate capital much faster than others. when one person is enriched at the expense of another in circumstances that the law sees as unjust it is called unjust enrichment. in principle, it is possible that a few people or organisations accumulate capital and grow richer, although the total stock of wealth of society "decreases".