Eight billionaires as rich as half the world

The world’s eight richest men own as much wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of the world’s population, a gap far greater than previously thought, according to Oxfam

World’s eight richest people (in order of net worth)

1 Bill Gates Microsoft co-founder $75bn

2 Amancio Ortega Zara fashion chain owner $67bn

3 Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway CEO $60.8bn

4 Carlos Slim Helu Grupo Carso owner $50bn


Population Reference Bureau states world population as 7.4 billion people

1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day


5 Jeff Bezos Amazon founder $45.2bn

6 Mark Zuckerberg Facebook co-founder $44.6bn

7 Larry Ellison Oracle co-founder $43.6bn

8 Michael Bloomberg Bloomberg owner/founder $40bn

Calculations based on Credit Suisse Global Wealth Data book and Forbes’ billionaires list, 2016

Source: Oxfam
Pictures: NASA, Associated Press, Getty Images