Overview
- Global billionaire fortunes rose 16% in 2025 to a record $18.3 trillion, lifting the tally above 3,000 as Elon Musk became the first person to exceed $500 billion in net worth.
- Wealth has climbed 81% since 2020 even as one in four people struggle to eat regularly and poverty reduction has stalled near 2019 levels, with a $2.5 trillion gain in 2025 roughly matching the wealth held by the poorest 4.1 billion people.
- Oxfam estimates billionaires are about 4,000 times more likely than ordinary citizens to hold public office and highlights growing control of major media and social platforms by the ultra‑rich.
- The report links the surge to U.S. policy under President Donald Trump — including tax cuts, eased antitrust scrutiny and shielding multinationals — together with soaring valuations for artificial intelligence companies.
- The charity calls for national inequality plans, higher taxes on extreme wealth, and tighter limits on lobbying and campaign finance, with regional snapshots showing stark concentration in the UK and Australia.