Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Eugene

(61,899 posts)
Fri Oct 26, 2018, 01:53 AM Oct 2018

World's billionaires became 20% richer in 2017, report reveals

Source: The Guardian

World's billionaires became 20% richer in 2017, report reveals

UBS report shows billionaires increased fortunes by $1.4tn, more than the GDP of Spain

Rupert Neate Wealth correspondent
Fri 26 Oct 2018 06.01 BST

Billionaires made more money in 2017 than in any year in recorded history. The richest people on Earth increased their wealth by a fifth to $8.9tn (£6.9tn), according to a report by Swiss bank UBS.

The fortunes of today’s super-wealthy have risen at a far greater rate than at the turn of the 20th century, when families such as the Rothschilds, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts controlled vast wealth. The report by UBS and accountants PwC said there was so much money in the hands of the ultra-rich that a new wave of rich and powerful multi-generational families was being created.

“The past 30 years have seen far greater wealth creation than the Gilded Age” the UBS Billionaires 2018 report said. “That period bred generations of families in the US and Europe who went on to influence business, banking, politics, philanthropy and the arts for more than 100 years. With wealth set to pass from entrepreneurs to their heirs in the coming years, the 21st century multi-generational families are being created.”

The world’s 2,158 billionaires grew their combined wealth by $1.4tn last year, more than the GDP of Spain or Australia, as booming stock markets helped the already very wealthy to achieve the “greatest absolute growth ever”.

-snip-


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/oct/26/worlds-billionaires-became-20-richer-in-2017-report-reveals
3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
World's billionaires became 20% richer in 2017, report reveals (Original Post) Eugene Oct 2018 OP
Unless they can build a wall of solid gold coins, without Mexican labor, who cares. Xipe Totec Oct 2018 #1
these are the monsters of GOP Hermit-The-Prog Oct 2018 #2
Jeff Bezos's Net Worth Down As Much As $14 Billion As Amazon Stock Drops mahatmakanejeeves Oct 2018 #3

Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
1. Unless they can build a wall of solid gold coins, without Mexican labor, who cares.
Fri Oct 26, 2018, 01:59 AM
Oct 2018

The mob will crawl over dunes of gold coins to feast on their living flesh when the revolution comes.

Yes, I'm practicing post Trumpian hyperbole.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,347 posts)
2. these are the monsters of GOP
Fri Oct 26, 2018, 02:27 AM
Oct 2018

TrumPutin is not the monster GOP created; he's just a con who exploited a situation. The GOP has been manufacturing monsters since the Reaganites arrived. Fiscal conservatism was discarded in favor of the two Santas scheme.

"Trickle down economics" was just the mask used on tax cuts for the rich in order to get GOP voters to accept the flawed concept. This reverse Robin Hood strategy kept the background billionaires working to keep GOP in power. Who is brave enough to stop feeding a monster?

We have a chance to cut some of the strings to the GOP puppets.


America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

-- Monster, Steppenwolf

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,459 posts)
3. Jeff Bezos's Net Worth Down As Much As $14 Billion As Amazon Stock Drops
Fri Oct 26, 2018, 11:09 AM
Oct 2018
BRIEFING AMAZON EARNINGS

Jeff Bezos's Net Worth Down As Much As $14 Billion As Amazon Stock Drops

By NATASHA BACH 10:55 AM EDT

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s wallet is looking a little lighter. ... After the e-commerce giant announced lower-than-expected earnings in the third quarter on Thursday night, it wasn’t just Amazon’s stock that fell.

While Amazon shares were down 8% at the opening of the market on Friday morning, Bezos, who is the company’s largest shareholder, lost as much as $14 billion in personal wealth, according to CNBC estimates. Stock market selloffs earlier this month had already negatively impacted the CEO’s personal wealth, with his net worth falling from $161 billion in early October to $140 billion on Oct. 11—a drop of $15 billion.

This is the second time that Amazon’s results have fallen short of Wall Street’s targets. As part of its earnings call, the company also warned that its fourth quarter would likely do the same, despite including the busy holiday season. However, the company reportedly expects its cloud and advertising businesses to see more robust growth.

As of Thursday, Bezos’ net worth was roughly $138 billion. Even with the losses he’s incurred since then, that estimate still puts him firmly ahead of the second richest man, Bill Gates, whose net worth is currently estimated at $93 billion.
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Economy»World's billionaires beca...