The world's richest people's wealth skyrocketed in 2025. The investment bank UBS said the 500 richest people on Earth made an extra $2.2 trillion last year. This increased their collective net worth to $11.9 trillion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports that eight billionaires topped the mega-rich list. They accounted for a quarter of the gains in earnings. These included Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. The Guardian newspaper said the gains were "bolstered" by Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, "and booming markets in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals".

Many organizations were alarmed at there being so much wealth in so few hands. The charity Oxfam highlighted the growing disparity in wealth. It said: "Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is stagnating, even declining....Inequality rips away life opportunities and rights from the majority of citizens, sparking poverty, hunger, resentment, distrust, and instability." A climate scientist warned that "if the economic system that is tearing our planet...and its people apart isn't brought to its knees, then humanity will be".