The world’s richest 500 people have added about $ 1.8 trillion to their combined wealth in 2020, bringing them to a total net worth of $ 7.6 trillion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Bloomberg noted that the 31% increase, which came even amid the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is the largest annual gain in the index’s eight-year history.
The increase has mainly reached the top, where five people now own more than $ 100 billion, with another 20 people worth at least $ 50 billion.
At the top of the Bloomberg index is the founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos
Jeffrey (Jeff) Preston Bezos: Amazon delivered more than 1.5 billion articles in the Washington Post holiday season to add more than 150 jobs next year, bringing record-breaking newsroom Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated more than a billion in the last 4 Monday MORE with about $ 190 billion. The technology company benefited greatly from the pandemic, when blockages and health restrictions forced more people to resort to online shopping.
Founder and CEO of Tesla Elon Musk
Elon Reeve MuskTrump ends Obama’s 12-year career as the most admired man: Apple CEO Gallup ignored the meeting request to discuss the sale of Tesla, Musk says NASA selects next Artemis moonwalkers while SpaceX flies a ship stars experienced the largest increase in wealth in 2020, which Bloomberg reported is potentially the fastest wealth creation in history.
Now worth $ 170 billion, Musk first overtook Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for the title of the richest person in the world in November.
Musk’s wealth growth was largely driven by Tesla, which has a market value of nearly $ 670 billion as of Saturday. About three-quarters of Musk’s net worth is made up of Tesla shares.
Bloomberg reported that together, Bezos and Musk had a fortune increase of about $ 217 billion in 12 months, which is about enough to send $ 2,000 checks to more than 100 million Americans.
The rise of the founder of Tesla was only the second time in the history of the index when Gates was not considered one of the richest people in the world.
Gates now ranks third with a total net worth of about $ 132 billion, while Bernard Arnault, president and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, ranks fourth with 114 billion dollars.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot ZuckerbergSelena Gomez criticizes Facebook for misinforming COVID-19: “Will be responsible for thousands of deaths”, Facebook dispute with Apple escalates Hillicon Valley: MPs call for action after “devastating” cyber attack on federal government | US cyber agency issues emergency directive following piracy | The FTC opens the study of privacy in the main internet platforms MORE he is the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of about $ 104 billion.
According to Chuck Collins, director of the Inequality and Common Good Program at the Institute for Political Studies, growth for the world’s best billionaires “strikes a painful nerve for the millions of people who have lost loved ones and lost health.” their wealth and livelihood. ”
“Worse, it undermines any sense that we are ‘together’ – the solidarity needed to withstand the difficult months ahead,” Collins told Bloomberg.
As of Saturday, more than 84 million people worldwide had been infected with COVID-19, with more than 1.8 million deaths from the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.