Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (born Wilfried Fritz Pareto; Italian: 15 July 1848 – 19 August 1923) was an Italian engineer, sociologist, economist, political scientist, and philosopher. He made several important contributions to economics, particularly in the study of income distribution and in the analysis of individuals' choices. He was also responsible for popularising the use of the term “elite” in social analysis.
