The wealth of the world's poorest 3.6 billion people is the equivalent to the combined net worth of six American businessmen, one from Spain and another from Mexico.
Eight men own the same wealth as half the world's population, a level of inequality which "threatens to pull our societies apart", Oxfam said today ahead of the World Economic Forum opening in Davos.
The wealth of the world's poorest 3.6 billion people is the equivalent to the combined net worth of six American businessmen, one from Spain and another from Mexico.
Picked from Forbes' billionaires list, they include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg who co-founded Facebook, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.
Oxfam pointed to a link between the vast gap between rich and poor and growing discontent with mainstream politics around the world.
The charity said new data on wealth distribution from countries such as India and China had prompted it to revise its own calculation, having said a year ago the wealth of half the world's population was in the hands of 62 people.
Inequality will be among the issues topping the agenda as the world's political and business elite meet in Davos from Tuesday until Friday, when 3,000 people will gather for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
(PTI)
1. Bill Gates: The Richest Man in the World
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Currently worth around $75 billion, Gates co-founded Microsoft in the mid-70s. He stepped down as CEO in 2000 and pledged to devote his fortune to his philanthropic activities in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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2. Amancio Ortega: $67 billion
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We all know Zara, the high street fashion brand. Spanish retail magnate Amancio Ortega is the man behind the brand. He opened the first Zara fashion shop in 1975. The brand has 7,000 shops globally, and is part of Ortega's Inditex group. He is currently the richest man in Europe and the second richest in the world.
(Image courtesy: Getty images)
3. Warren Buffett: $60.8 billion
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Warren Buffet or as he is popularly known, "The Oracle of Omaha", is considered by many as one of the smartest investors in the world. He began investing as a teenager in the 1940s and gradually grew his firm, Berkshire Hathaway. At 86, he is the third richest man in the world, replaced recently by Amancio Ortega in 2015.
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4. Carlos Slim Helu: $50 billion
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The Mexican tycoon owes his fortune to his personal 7 percent ownership in America Movil, a telecommunications multinational worth $42 billion. His broader family retains a 37 percent stake. He currently stands at fourth place in the rich list.
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5. Jeff Bezos: $45.2 billion
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He is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, that initially started as an online book shop and now sells pretty much anything, revolutionizing the retail industry. Bezos owns 17 percent of Amazon, holds ownership of the Washington Post and set up an aerospace company, Blue Origin, which aims to make space accessible to tourists. He currently stands at fifth position in the ranking of the richest.
(Image courtesy: AFP)
6. Mark Zuckerberg: $44.6 billion
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Mark Zuckerberg's name is synonymous with Facebook. At 32, he is the youngest in this list, ranking at number six in the category of richest in the world. He founded Facebook in 2004 while a college student to connect Harvard students. The company went on to become popular globally and listed its shares publicly in 2012. He and his wife have pledged to sell 99 percent of their holdings in Facebook, worth $50 billion, to support philanthropic causes.
(Image courtesy: Getty images)
7. Larry Ellison: $43.6 billion
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Larry Ellison was a young programmer in the '70s, his first big client was the CIA. The name of the project was "Oracle." In 1977, Ellison and associates used the name of that product for their company, which creates software that helps manage databases and has since become an industry standard. His fortune comes from the 27 percent stake he still owns in Oracle, currently worth $160 billion.
(Image courtesy: Getty images)
8. Michael Bloomberg: $40 billion
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Michael Bloomberg made the most of his misery when he was laid off his job in an investment bank, by creating a financial software, data, and media company in 1981. Bloomberg, who reportedly retains an 88 percent stake in the privately held company, turned to politics in 2001, becoming mayor of New York City for three terms. He currently ranks number eight in the list of the richest in the world.
(Image courtesy: Getty images)
