Oxfam: 8 men as rich as half of world

Associated Press

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND

The gap between the super-rich and the poorest half of the global population is starker than previously thought, with eight men, from Bill Gates to Michael Bloomberg, owning as much wealth as 3.6 billion people, according to an analysis by Oxfam released today.

Presenting its findings on the dawn of the annual gathering of the global political and business elites, anti-poverty organization Oxfam says the gap between the very rich and poor is far greater than just a year ago. It’s urging leaders to do more than pay lip-service to the problem.

If not, it warns, public anger against this kind of inequality will continue to grow and lead to more seismic political changes.