The infamous eight

As the rich and powerful gather for their Davos conference, Oxfam released shocking new inequality statistics.

It showed that eight men are worth as much as the poorest 50 percent of the world—some 3.5 billion people.

It also showed that wealth is becoming more concentrated. Last year 62 people were worth the same amount as the poorest half of the world.

Among the infamous eight are Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of poverty-paying firm Amazon. He’s worth over £37 billion.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, is another. He’s worth over £60 billion.

They make Donald Trump’s fortune of some £3 billion look like small change.

Their empires are built on our backs and their wealth comes from our labour.

Attendees at Davos will take short breaks from guzzling caviar and quaffing champagne to nod at the figures and murmur platitudes. “Something must be done,” they’ll say.

But it’ll be drowned out by the tinkling of silverware and crystal glasses.

They are there to debate the way forward for the system which has created the obscene concentration of wealth Oxfam highlights.

These figures are a stupendous condemnation of those who claim that there’s “not enough to go around”—and an argument for socialism.