Overview
- Billionaire wealth rose more than 16% in 2025 to a record $18.3 trillion, adding $2.5 trillion as the global tally of billionaires surpassed 3,000.
- Billionaires are 4,000 times more likely to hold executive or legislative office than the average person, according to Oxfam’s analysis.
- The report cites U.S. policy under President Trump—tax cuts for the ultra-rich, blocked international tax cooperation, and looser antitrust enforcement—as an enabling example.
- In Latin America, billionaire fortunes jumped 39% with 109 individuals now in the group, reflecting concentrated power in finance, media, and energy.
- Oxfam calls for higher taxes on the ultra-rich, campaign finance and competition reforms, stronger public services and worker rights, and flags billionaire control of major media and platforms, citing a University of California study linking X’s ownership change to a roughly 50% rise in hate speech.