The trend of phenomenal growth of wealth of the superrich shows no sign of relenting. Under the existing archaic, exploitative and free-market economic system, anything different can hardly be expected. In its report “Takers Not Makers”, the Oxfam International presents a bleak picture of the world where its rich Global North preaches democracy, social justice, human rights and the rule of law but practices in most cases the opposite. In 2024, the number of billionaires worldwide was 2,769, up from the previous year’s 2,565. This means 204 ultra-rich joined the bandwagon of billionaires in the past one year at the rate of four a week.
Contrast this with the number of poor people in the world, which has hardly changed since 1990 as the World Bank’s data show. What an atrocious economic order the privileged and top affluent people in every society have established! Under its arrangement, billionaire wealth grew by $2.0 trillion in 2024 alone. Together they could garner roughly $5.7 billion a day to line their coffers throughout the year. The $2.0 trillion addition of annual wealth to their $13 trillion makes the total $15 trillion and this growth is three times faster than that of the previous year. Again, the total wealth increase is the second highest after the $5.8 trillion increase in the pandemic year 2021.বিস্তারিত