Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

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 Economy Faces Acute Strain as Trump’s Global Tariff Reshapes Trade Landscape
UK Signals Retaliation Is Possible as New US Tariff Policy Threatens Trade Stability
British Police Arrest Former Ambassador Peter Mandelson in Epstein-Related Misconduct Probe
Australia Officially Supports Proposal to Remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from Royal Succession
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
Britain Emerges Among a Small Group of Nations Without a Religious Majority
UK’s Manufacturing Base at Risk as Soaring Energy Costs Weigh on Industry
Matt Goodwin’s Unconventional Campaign for Reform UK in the Gorton and Denton By-Election
US Military Movements in the UK Spark Speculation Over Preparations Related to Iran Tensions
UK Faces Significant Economic Risk From Trump’s New Global Tariff Regime
UK Defence Secretary Signals Intent to Deploy British Troops to Ukraine
UK Students Mark Lunar New Year as Universities Adjust to New Equality Compliance Rules
UK Government Weighs Removing Prince Andrew from Line of Succession After Arrest
Prince Andrew’s Arrest in UK Rekindles Scrutiny Over US Handling of Epstein Records
Trump’s Strategic Warning to UK Over Chagos Islands Deal Sparks Diplomatic Whiplash
Starmer Government Postpones Local Elections Affecting 4.5 Million Voters
UK Economy Remains Fragile Despite Recent Upturn in Headline Indicators
UK Businesses Face Fresh Uncertainty Following US Tariff Ruling
Reform UK’s Senior Figures Face Scrutiny Over Remarks on Women and Family Policy
UK Electric Vehicle Drive Threatened by Shortage of 44,000 Qualified Technicians
University of Kentucky Trustees Advance Academic Reforms and Approve Coliseum Plaza Purchase
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment of UK Troops to Support Ukraine
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
North Korea's capital experiences a significant construction boom with the development of a new city district dubbed 'Pyonghattan'.
New electric vehicle charging service eliminates waiting times
Vox Populi confronts Justin Trudeau at Davos over vaccination policies
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
The mayor of Rotherham in Britain
UK Confirms Preferential U.S. Trading Terms Will Continue After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
U.S. and U.K. to Hold Talks on Diego Garcia as Iran Objects to Potential Military Use
UK Officials Weigh Possible Changes to Prince Andrew’s Position in Line of Succession Amid Ongoing Scrutiny
British Police Probe Epstein’s UK Airport Links and Expand High-Profile Inquiries
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
×