How greedy do you have to be

To become a billionaire in times like these?

 

Photo credit:Β Forbes

 

There is a report that OXFAM released a few months back titled, β€œProfiting from Pain”.

If you are very sensitive to information about inequality, I advise you take a moment to breathe in and out.

That is because the things we are going to highlight here are written about, in depth in that report!

 

Photo credit:Β Oxfam in Nigeria – Oxfam International

 

Let us begin with this…

 

Photo credit:Β News PiPa

 

  1. Billionaires in the food and energy sectors are increasing their fortunes by $1 billion every two days!!!
  2. 573 people became new billionaires during the pandemic, at the rate of one every 30 hours!!!
  3. Billionaires’ wealth has risen more in the first 24 months of COVID-19 than in 23 years combined!!!
  4. The total wealth of the world’s billionaires is now equivalent to 13.9% of global Gross Domestic Product!!!
  5. The fortunes of food and energy billionaires have risen by $453 billion in the last two years!!!
  6. Five of the largest energy companies (BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, Exxon and Chevron) are together making $2,600 profit every second!!!
  7. There are now 62 new food billionaires!!!
  8. In 2021, Cargill made the biggest profit in its history ($5 billion in net income)!!!
  9. The Cargill family alone now has 12 billionaires, up from eight before the pandemic!!!
  10. Today, 2,668 billionaires β€” 573 more than in 2020 β€” own $12.7 trillion, an increase of $3.78 trillion!!!
  11. The richest 20 billionaires are worth more than the entire GDP of Sub-Saharan Africa!!!
  12. Pharmaceutical corporations like Moderna and Pfizer are making $1,000 profit every second just from their monopoly control of the COVID-19 vaccine!!!
  13. The pandemic has created at least 40 new pharma billionaires!!!

 

Photo credit:Β Business Insider

 

Having read all of that,

I ask again;

How greedy do you have to be, huh?

 

Photo credit:Β Oxfam in Nigeria – Oxfam International

 

Ooohhhh…did I mention that one has to pay a minimum of β€œ19,000 US Dollars” to be “allowed to sit” at the World Economic Forum?

 

Photo credit:Β The New York Times

 

How greedy do you have to be?