10 richest billionaires doubled their wealth during pandemic, Oxfam says
CBSN
The world's 10 richest billionaires have doubled their wealth since the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, with inequality now reaching "outrageous" levels, according to anti-poverty charity Oxfam.
At the same time, the bottom 99% of humanity — including middle- and lower-income households — lost income during the crisis due to layoffs, economic uncertainty, and increased caretaking due to closed schools and illnesses caused by COVID-19, the group said in a new report. Women and people of color are among those who bore the brunt of the economic impact of the crisis, the study noted.
The world's 10 richest men saw their wealth double, from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion, during the pandemic — a rate of $15,000 per second, Oxfam said. Nine of the 10 are Americans, including tech titans such as Tesla founder Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who are worth $264 billion and $187 billion, respectively.
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