Finally: List of 80 People With as Much Money as 1/2 of Humanity

[KamaAina]

http://realitieswatch.com/finally-list-of-80-people-with-as-much-money-as-12-of-humanity/

Since the “financial repression,” the most powerful people have only gotten more powerful. A 2013 Oxfam report found that 80 people had as much wealth as 1/2 of humanity, and a few months later Forbes said the number had dropped to 67. Many of us asked who exactly these people are, and now the list has been released.

These are the same people, very likely, keeping the “filter” on our representative democracy. Do you feel uncomfortable about the fact that many of these people have seen their wealth increase drastically while at the same time the middle class shrinks and “austerity” is demanded almost globally outside of Sweden and Norway. It makes me feel uncomfortable that the political influence of these people have served to increase their wealth and weaken regulations, and I suggest we seek meaningful changes on a systemic level.

What Bernie Sanders had to say in his meme about wealth inequality is true, and it is most certainly not an accident.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Hillary Clinton will totally change this dynamic.

She's a people person, driving across America in a van.

And with her as our leader, Congress is sure to become more blue.

And everything.

[marym625]

2. haha!

[rhett o rick]

8. When she chooses Goldman-Sachs as her vp running mate the truth

will be known.

[onethatcares]

14. can we hook her up with

Willie Nelson? A week in his bus might just put a new perspective on things.

and what the hell are "extractives"? is that a method of taking money out of our pockets and putting it in theirs?

[rhett o rick]

31. A week in Willie's bong on wheels might just do it. nm

[JimDandy]

19. LOL ... and everything. n/t

[MissDeeds]

22. Good one!

And she's just a regular gal. She even ate at a Chipotle. I know because I read several threads about it on DU!

[marym625]

3. 8 of the top 10 are American

[NYC_SKP]

4. Most are RW, good thing that their money can't buy political campaigns, right?

I mean not in ways where we'd know who was giving what to whom...

Kind of hopeless, our system, and not many signs of a reversal.

That is why this year I will not settle.

[marym625]

5. absolutely with you!

[arcane1]

7. And quite a few were born into the list.

The Kochs and Waltons, for example. The New Royalty.

[marym625]

33. First time using this emoticon

[Auggie]

30. The Top Twenty

Rank / Name / Worth (billions) / Country / Business

01 / Bill Gates / $76 / USA / Tech

02 / Carlos Slim Helu / $72 Mexico / Telecom

03 / Amancio Ortega / $64 / Spain / Retail

04 / Warren Buffett / $58 / USA / Finance

05 / Larry Ellison / $48 / USA / Tech

06 / Charles Koch / $40 / USA / Diversified

07 / David Koch / $40 / USA / Diversified

08 / Sheldon Adelson / $38 / USA / Entertainment

09 / Christy Walton / $37 / USA / Retail

10 / Jim Walton / $35 / USA / Retail

11 / Liliane Bettencourt / $35 / France / Product

12 / Stefan Persson / $34 / Sweden / Retail

13 / Alice Walton / $34 / USA / Retail

14 / S. Robson Walton / $34 / USA / Retail

15 / Bernard Arnault / $34 / France / Luxury

16 / Michael Bloomberg / $33 / USA / Finance

17 / Larry Page / $32 / USA / Tech

18 / Jeff Bezos / $32 / USA / Retail

19 / Sergey Brin / $32 / USA / Tech

20 / Li Ka-shing / $31 / Hong Kong / Diversified

[marym625]

32. Just want to cry

Thank kind of money is beyond obscene. If I were born into that kind of wealth I would give almost all of it away. If I amassed that kind of money, I would fix whatever the hell was wrong with a system that allowed me to and give mmost of it away

[Hoyt]

6. What is really sad, if you took every penny from those 80 billionaires, you'd only have $634.33 to

give to each person in that one half of humanity (assume 6 Billion folks in this mess with us).

And that makes a big assumption, the paper assets those 80 billionaires own, don't drop like a rock.

Point is, simply taking from the rich ain't gonna get us where we want to be. On the other hand, not taking/taxing a fair share, makes the effort even harder.

[angrychair]

13. "taking every penny"

Really isnt the objective or point in this type of conversation and it is intellectually dishonest to suggest that it is.
The point is that the money is being used for purely personal gain and not enough is going back into the system to increase standards of living for the lower 50% of income earners or improve economic stability and performance or for technological research and development for improvements to our SoL, infrastructure and environment without a focus on profits.
The problem is about the utility of the money, not the quantity.
You may argue that many on that list have huge philanthropic foundations and give to charity but that is not the same thing. The intention should be to have as broad an impact as possible. A rising tide lifts all ships.

[Hoyt]

35. Problem is,, if we took all that money, it wouldn't solve many problems.

We need to take a different approach.

[Demeter]

20. Taking from the Rich takes away their POWER

and THAT, my friend IS EVERYTHING!

If we got to that point, you would be amazed as peace broke out across the whole of Europe and Asia....and real wealth was redistributed where it would do some good, for once.

[JDPriestly]

25. True, but making their money work for everyone could

create greater wealth for all.

For example, if the children of the poorest of the poor in American could walk away from college with the same education debt as the son or daughter of one of the people on that list, we would have made some progress. The child of the poorest of the poor might be able to save some of the money he/she made after graduation and, who knows, start a family or a business.

So it isn't a matter of stealing from the rich. It is a matter of ensuring opportunity for all and using money that may now be filling the pockets of the already rich to rebuild our commons, fund free tuition at our state colleges and universities for qualified students, for example. That would make life better for all concerned. Who knows what great ideas are never explored and never become reality because the person blessed with the ideas is saddled with student loans and other barriers to his developing his/her ideas?

Other countries, European countries, provide more equal opportunity than we do. They tax wealth and distribute it. They don't steal. They invest that wealth.

Who said that a person should be able to pocket all the money earned, say, from oil and gas leases? Alaska, for example, charges high taxes on companies that exploit the oil in its state. All states should do that. And with the money, they should fund free college tuition for their students.

Why do the Kochs get more money than say, a classroom teacher? Because they grab more money. That's why.

It isn't because they are smarter or work harder. They inherited some wealth. They were smart enough and worked hard enough to increase that wealth. But they did not work hard enough and were not smart enough to justify the extent to which their wealth exceeds that of many other people. No one is that smart or works that hard.

No one. I used to work 60-70 hours a week at times. I remember pulling a 72-hour shift believe it or not. Did that make me as wealthy as the Kochs? No. It's not how hard you work that makes you wealthy. It's how hard you grab money that makes you wealthy. It's how little you pay your employees, how willing you are to exploit others that puts you in the category of wealth that those 80 people are in.

Wealth can be a good thing, but when you get into the wealth bracket those 80 are in, your money should be subject to high tax rates and no loopholes.

[Hoyt]

34. Don't disagree.. My point is that taking all that wealth won't do much for the masses.

We have to direct businesses toward social goals, or somehow find funding for government to do it. That's not an easy thing to do, because so few people will invest in things that don't line their pocket In the short run. Whatever, it's a long-term process. The rich don't have enough wealth to solve all our problems.

[progressoid]

9. But they are the job creators!

[olddots]

10. greed creates need

these parasites can't buy their way out of their sad existences

[appalachiablue]

28. +1

[WillyT]

11. K & R !!!

[hifiguy]

12. Let's start with the Kochs and the Waltons:

[3catwoman3]

15. What are...

...extractives?

[KamaAina]

16. Natural resources

mining, oil and gas drilling, etc.

[3catwoman3]

17. Thanks.

eom

[camelfan]

18. I'm no fan of Bill Gates...

but at least he seems to do some good with a portion of his money. And Buffett, too. But it doesn't ease that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that things are going to worsen. Yes, I want a Sanders/Warren ticket (or vice-versa), but wealth inequality seems to me like climate change--we're past the tipping point. It may simply be too late to make a difference. So I intend to go down swinging by continuing to support true progressives, which, I'm sorry to say, I think Hillary is not. I voted for her in the 2008 primary, but I think the 7 years since has made her more beholden to special interests and big $$$. I wonder how many American on this list she'll hit up for donations?

[Demeter]

21. Look closer at what they do

and you will find the scam. It's there.

[MissDeeds]

23. K&R

[durablend]

24. And for them...still nowhere near enough!

They don't want enough of it, they want ALL of it!

[zentrum]

26. Hillary Clinton is not

..the President for this situation.

She's interested in going down in history as the first. But she won't deal with wealth inequality.

Would love to eat my words, by 2017.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

27. two thoughts a. cant wait for the day when you can post this story and NOT have endless attacks

of the likely DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT.

b. that we continue to tolerate such wealth in the face of such poverty, is on us

[appalachiablue]

29. K & R. It's obscene, and the age old issue of mankind though it changed here for a while -