The article does show a graph of the concentration of wealth according to a power law. It also mentions that "All it will take is is one extremely bad decision and the cascade of failure that follows will catch everyone off guard."
So the article is suggesting that the decisions of a small group of a powerful elite have a large influence on our lives. Unless you are saying that these people don't talk to each other, that's what the "smoke-filled rooms" expression is all about.
The article doesn't literally mention "smoke-filled rooms". It is an expression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke-filled_room
The article does show a graph of the concentration of wealth according to a power law. It also mentions that "All it will take is is one extremely bad decision and the cascade of failure that follows will catch everyone off guard."
So the article is suggesting that the decisions of a small group of a powerful elite have a large influence on our lives. Unless you are saying that these people don't talk to each other, that's what the "smoke-filled rooms" expression is all about.