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posted by takyon on Tuesday January 22 2019, @10:32AM   Printer-friendly
from the self-made-trillionaire dept.

Global wealth inequality widened last year as billionaires increased their fortunes by $2.5 billion per day, anti-poverty campaigner Oxfam said in a new report.

While the poorest half of humanity saw their wealth dwindle by 11%, billionaires' riches increased by 12%. The mega-wealthy have also become a more concentrated bunch. Last year, the top 26 wealthiest people owned $1.4 trillion, or as much as the 3.8 billion poorest people. The year before, it was the top 43 people.

[...] To address many of these ills, Oxfam advocated raising taxes. It estimated that a 1% wealth tax would be enough to educate 262 million out of school children and to save 3.3 million lives. As of 2015 returns, Oxfam says that only four cents in every tax dollar collected globally came from tariffs on wealth, such as inheritance or property. The report also claims that the rich are hiding $7.6 trillion in offshore accounts

Previously: Only 1% of World's Population Grabbed 82% of all 2017 Wealth


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  • (Score: 1, Redundant) by inertnet on Tuesday January 22 2019, @02:21PM (9 children)

    by inertnet (4071) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @02:21PM (#790072) Journal

    Billionaires can't lead a normal life like us, I don't envy them at all. Also to become one, you'd have to have kind of mindset that most people don't have, no fun to be around. And their children are likely to become real assholes.

    It would be nice to be rich. But being rich, I think raising children to become wonderful adults would be a real challenge.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday January 22 2019, @03:26PM (2 children)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @03:26PM (#790091)

    For what it's worth, both BillG and Warren Buffett have been pretty clear that their kids are only getting enough to live comfortably, maybe a few million each, and are determined to give away the rest.

    I think it's possible to be not a complete jerk and be super-rich. But the path to doing that involves ruthlessly giving away a lot of your riches. It's one of those ideas that Jesus guy was about (see Matthew 19:16-24, Mark 10:17-25, Luke 18:18-25), which for some reason the prosperity gospel types tend to not emphasize. And other religions have similar ideas too, it's not just Christians.

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by linkdude64 on Tuesday January 22 2019, @06:46PM

      by linkdude64 (5482) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @06:46PM (#790199)

      Notice that the giving pledge is not a Chinese invention, and I seriously doubt many top-profile chinese billionaires will be doing anything of the sort

    • (Score: 2) by Nuke on Wednesday January 23 2019, @10:24AM

      by Nuke (3162) on Wednesday January 23 2019, @10:24AM (#790552)

      Gates remains a complete jerk whatever he does wiith his money.

  • (Score: 3, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 22 2019, @04:35PM (5 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @04:35PM (#790121) Journal

    I'll trade with the fucking billionaire. I'd end up giving most of it away to important causes like clean energy and ending human trafficking anyway, so it wouldn't corrupt me, and I'm sure the bllionaire would be begging for his riches back after a few months of my life. Especially if it was a few of the selected worst ones.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @05:47PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @05:47PM (#790161)

      Especially if it was a few of the selected worst ones.

      You've been living multiple lives?!?!? Split personality? This would explain a lot.

      • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 22 2019, @06:52PM (3 children)

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @06:52PM (#790204) Journal

        Selected worst months, you fucking moron. Get off the site and go back to fourth grade until you can read like a grown-up.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:27PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:27PM (#790231)

          They are just desperate to tear you down in any way possible. You are the AOC of SN!

          • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:37PM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:37PM (#790240) Journal

            I really, really, REALLY do not want to be thought of as the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes of SN, but I know what you meant by it...thanks :) And yeah, they want to, but they will never be able to, because they stand convicted by their own evil and stupidity.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
          • (Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:58PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @07:58PM (#790260)

            Thats not fair to say of AH, AH at least tries to make logical conclusions from the data provided, AOC was educated in economics and then threw the books away because it didn't match her feels.