Report: Wealth Of World’s 85 Richest Equals Bottom Half Of Population

The combined fortune of the world’s 85 richest individuals is equivalent to the total wealth held by the bottom half of the population, according to a report released by Oxfam.  These 85 individuals control as much wealth as 3.5 billion people worldwide.

The report also found, “Almost half of the world’s wealth is now owned by just one percent of the population.”

Oxfam, an international confederation dedicated to finding solutions to poverty, claims extreme economic inequality like this “can and must be reversed quickly.”  The organization recommends stronger regulation of markets and curbing the political influence of the rich.

By: Emily Judd

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