Income inequality is increasing: the wealth of the three richest people in the world has reached staggering levels



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Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com Inc., had net assets of more than $ 200 billion on Wednesday. dollars as the e-commerce giant’s shares rose to record highs. With rising stock prices, his ex-wife of 50 years, MacKenzie Scott, has come close to being the richest woman in the world, lagging behind L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers.

Meanwhile, Elonas Muskas continues to successfully increase his wealth in impressive ways, eventually earning himself the status of one hundred billionaire. Shares of Tesla Inc. rose $ 101 billion on Wednesday. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows the list of the 500 richest people in the world

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite stock indices hit new highs for four days in a row, fueled by news that the US Federal Reserve is likely to keep short-term interest rates near zero for at least minus five years. years.

The assets of Bezos and E. Musko, 56, reflect only the most recent jump in wealth this chaotic year, marked by both emerging markets and catastrophic human lives and economic losses. So far this year, the wealth of the world’s 500 richest people has grown to $ 809 billion. USD, 14 percent. more since January, although the global pandemic has caused a record drop in gross domestic product (GDP) and the loss of millions of jobs.

Income inequality

Rising income inequality has sparked a strong reaction from many progressive politicians and critics on the left. US Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation in early August to tax “extraordinary” wealth gains during the coronavirus crisis.

“We can no longer allow billionaires like Jeff Bezo and Elon Musk to become indecently rich at a time when millions of Americans are being evicted from their homes, suffering from hunger and despair due to difficult economic conditions,” Sanders said in a statement on the Wednesday. “It is time to fundamentally change our national priorities.”

Others justify their vast wealth by explaining that they have earned it by establishing separate businesses. “When we talk about Musk and Bezos, it would be too small to say that they, each in their own way, have changed the world,” said Thomas Haves, president of Great Hill Capital.

The growth in wealth is particularly notable at the higher end of the billionaires index, supported largely by stocks in tech companies, the value of which is rising sharply as more people participate in the online space during a pandemic. Also, there is an increase in the number of retail investors buying stocks.

The assets of 49-year-old E. Musko, currently one of 400 billionaires, have risen $ 73.6 billion this year. – less than Mr. Bezos, whose capital increased by USD 87.1 billion. AMERICAN DOLLAR. Mark Inc. Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook Inc., had net assets of just over $ 100 billion as of early August. dollars On Wednesday alone, it rose to 8.5 billion. Dollars

America’s tech moguls aren’t the only winners. The Indian businessman Mukesah Ambani became the first Asian among the five richest people in the world in July. Its assets have risen $ 22.5 billion this year. The conglomerate’s technology division has recently attracted new investment from companies like Facebook and Silver Lake as shares in its conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. rise in price.

And as tensions with the United States escalate, China’s tech billionaires have also gotten rich this year. Penc Ma, CEO of Tencent Holdings Ltd., increased his assets by $ 16.6 billion this year. dollars, and now it stands at $ 55.2 billion. dollars Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., and William Ding, founder and CEO of NetEase Inc., also enriched $ 12 billion. its assets amount to $ 58.9 billion and $ 30.8 billion, respectively. Dollars



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