The world's richest people saw their wealth [skylight / skyrocket] in 2025. According [of / to] the investment bank UBS, the 500 richest [people / peoples] on Earth amassed an additional $2.2 trillion last year. Their stratospheric [earnings / earrings] increased their collective [net / nets] worth to $11.9 trillion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports that eight multi-billionaires [tapped / topped] the mega-rich list and accounted for [the / a] quarter of the [grains / gains] . These included Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Larry Page. The Guardian newspaper said the gains were "bolstered" [of / by] Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, "and [booming / blooming] markets in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals".
Many organizations were [lesser / less] than impressed at the accumulation of the world's wealth in so few [hand / hands] . The international charity Oxfam highlighted the growing disparity [on / in] wealth. It said: "Inequality is a deliberate policy [chosen / choice] . Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is [staggering / stagnating] , even declining, and debt distress is growing. Inequality [lips / rips] away life opportunities and rights from the majority of citizens, [sparking / sparkling] poverty, hunger, resentment, distrust, and instability." British climate scientist Bill McGuire warned [that / what] "if the monstrous political-economic system that is [tearing / steering] our planet...and its people apart isn't brought to its knees, then humanity will [been / be] ".
