World's richest 26 billionaires now earn SAME amount as the poorest 3.8 BILLION

The world's richest 26 people own the same amount as half the global population, a shocking new report has revealed.  The startling gap between the rich and poor was highlighted in Oxfam's Public Good or Private Wealth? study.  It showed that billionaires saw their wealth rocket by £700bn in 2018 while 3.8 billion people were forced to survive on less £4.27 a day each.  The world’s richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, could fund Ethiopia’s health budget with 1% of his estimated £108.7billion fortune.  The increased fortunes of the wealthy is underlined by the fact in 2017 the world's richest 43 earned the same amount as the poorest half - it is now just 26.  In the UK the study added that the poorest 10% of people in Britain now pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the richest 10%. Read More Wealth of the elite rockets by £2bn A DAY - as billions of others survive on £4.27    Meanwhile, the poorest 10% of people in Britain now pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the richest 10%, the study added.  Matthew Spencer, Oxfam’s director of campaigns and policy, said: “The way our economies are organised means wealth is increasingly and unfairly concentrated among a few while millions are barely subsisting.”  Oxfam has urged governments to pump cash into public services and overhaul tax policy. Who are the richest people in the world?  According to Forbes magazine, the richest people in the world in 2018 were:  1. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, $112bn  2. Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, $90bn  3. Warren Buffett, Investor, $84bn  4. Bernard Arnault & family, Chairman of  luxury good company LVMH, $72bn  5. , Facebook founder, $71bn  6. Amancio Ortega, former Inditex chairman, $70bn  7. Carlos Slim Helu & family, Mexican business magnate, $67bn  8. Charles Koch, Koch Industries, $60bn  9. David Koch, Koch Industries, $60bn  10. Larry Ellison, cofounder of Oracle, $58.5bn  Recommendations include universal free healthcare, an end to “under-taxation” and policies to halt gender inequality.  The charity claims forcing the top 1% to pay an extra 0.5% tax would raise an estimated £324.6billion per year worldwide to achieve the aims.  Mr Spencer added: “Women are dying for lack of decent maternity care and children are being denied an education that could be their route out of poverty. Read More Why millions of drivers will be charged £12.50 A DAY - or forced to buy new cars  “No one should be condemned to an earlier grave or a life of illiteracy because they were born poor. There is enough wealth to give everyone a fair chance in life.  “Governments should ensure taxes raised from wealth and businesses paying their fair share are used to fund free, quality public services.”  Oxfam says governments are “exacerbating” inequality by failing to put enough cash into public services.  An estimated 10,000 die daily due to a lack of healthcare, while 262 million kids miss out on school.  Oxfam warns failing to tackle iss

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