Overview
- Billionaires surpassed 3,000 in 2025 as their collective wealth rose 16% in a year to $18.3 trillion, about 81% higher than in 2020.
- Oxfam says the 12 richest individuals now hold more wealth than the poorest half of the global population.
- The group estimates the ultra‑rich are more than 4,000 times likelier to hold political office and points to media ownership as a key channel of influence.
- In France, Oxfam reports that 53 billionaires are richer than over 32 million people combined as the national poverty rate reached 15.4% in 2023 and billionaire fortunes doubled since 2017.
- Oxfam urges a Zucman‑style levy on fortunes above €100 million, higher taxes on dividends and super‑inheritances, financial transaction taxes, and a renewed ISF with a climate surtax, with the report’s release timed to Davos and met by protests.