Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

World's Billionaire Wealth Surges by $2 Trillion in 2024, Oxfam Report Reveals

World's Billionaire Wealth Surges by $2 Trillion in 2024, Oxfam Report Reveals

Billionaire wealth grows at an unprecedented rate amidst global economic disparities, new findings show.
The wealth of the world's billionaires increased by $2 trillion in 2024, marking a growth three times faster than the previous year, according to the latest report from the charity organization Oxfam.

This increase translates to approximately $5.7 billion per day.

The report, titled 'Takers Not Makers', forecasts the presence of five trillionaires within a decade, a significant shift from last year's prediction of a single trillionaire within the same timeframe.

This study coincides with the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, where global leaders and corporate executives gather for discussions on economic and political matters.

Additionally, the report's release aligns with Donald Trump's inauguration as the President of the United States.

Trump's administration is expected to include billionaires like Elon Musk from Tesla and SpaceX, with plans to propose tax reductions for affluent Americans.

Oxfam's report highlights a stagnation in reducing global poverty, with around 3.6 billion people, or 44% of the world's population, living below the World Bank's poverty line of $6.85 per day.

The data indicates a significant gender gap, with one in ten women existing in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 per day, a situation affecting 24.3 million more women than men.

The wealth increase among billionaires is largely attributed to the rise in global share prices and higher property values.

Stock market gains were primarily responsible for the elevation in billionaire fortunes, although real estate investments also contributed significantly, with residential property making up roughly 80% of worldwide investments.

In 2024, the global count of billionaires rose by 204, reaching a total of 2,769.

Their collective wealth leaped from $13 trillion to $15 trillion over a twelve-month period, marking the second-largest annual increase on record.

If the world's ten richest individuals, whose wealth increased by nearly $100 million daily on average, were to lose 99% of their fortunes overnight, they would still retain billionaire status.

Noteworthy figures among this group include Amazon's Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $219.4 billion, and Aliko Dangote from Nigeria, the wealthiest person in Africa with $11 billion.

Oxfam's findings suggest that the majority of this wealth is not generated through labor but through inherited fortunes, monopoly powers, and 'cronyism and corruption'.

Some 18% of this wealth is attributed specifically to monopolistic practices.

These revelations come as Forbes' real-time billionaires list ranks the world's top billionaires, including Musk, Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Oracle's Larry Ellison, and Bernard Arnault from LVMH.

During Trump's inauguration, Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg are anticipated to be seated together, symbolizing the growing political influence of major technology companies.

While Oxfam highlights these stark inequalities, the charity calls for systemic changes to address economic disparities.

However, the report remains focused strictly on presenting the current landscape of wealth distribution without delving into specific policy suggestions or governmental actions.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
×