<prompt> Human: When I see my 401K grow to 20X the amount when I retire, does that mean someone out there is losing money to cause that growth? If hypothetically EVERYONE in this world invest in their 401K like I do, and each get 20X the amount when they retire, wouldnt everything just cancel out and that 20X would simply be offset by inflation and thus retains the same spending power? Bread will cost 20x more and so will everything else?  <response>: No. Stocks are part-ownership of companies. Companies strive to produce real value, and they frequently do, and that is reflected in the growth and income of your stock portfolio.For bonds, governments and corporations go into debt by selling bonds with a promise to pay you back more in the future. 