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05/20/2024 03:52:32 pm

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China, Hong Kong Multi-Billionaires on the List of World's Richest 62 People

China, Hong Kong Multi-Billionaires on List of World's Richest 62 People

(Photo : Reuters) Chinese and Hong Kong billionaires have made it to the list of the world's 62 richest people according to a report by the international charity organization, Oxfam.

Eight Chinese and Hong Kong multi-billionaires formed part of the world's richest 62 people whose wealth equal to that of half of the global population (3.5 billion people), according to a report by the international charity organization Oxfam.

Oxfam underscored the widening economic gap between the rich and poor given that the world's wealth distributed among a few.

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About half of the 62 ultra-rich individuals are from the United States, while five investors from the Chinese mainland and three tycoons from Hong Kong made it to the list of 62 world's wealthiest people.

Three of the China's five richest were technology investors such as Robin Li, founder of search engine Baidu, Ma Huateng, chief of the Tencent Holdings and Jack Ma, the founder of online shopping site, Alibaba.

The fact that the three technology investors made it to the list signifies the growing lucrative trend  of internet-related businesses in China.

The last two wealthy individuals from China on the list are Wang Jianlin, chairman of real estate and entertainment company Wanda Group and Li Hejun, chairman of energy corporation, the Hanergy Group.

Business tycoon Li Ka-shing and property moguls Lee Shau Kee and the Kwok brothers, Thomas and Raymond, all from Hong Kong, were also included on the list of the world's wealthiest people.

About 17 individuals from Europe also formed part of the list, while the remainder of the world's richest were spread out among Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and the Middle East.

The Oxfam report,  released ahead of the World Economic Forum's yearly meeting in Davos Switzerland, said the wealth of the 62 richest people in the world has risen from half a trillion dollars to $1.7 trillion, a significant 44 percent increase since 2010.

In contrast, the report said the the poor's wealth has plunged by $1 trillion, a staggering 60 percent dive since four years ago.

Oxfam's international director, Winnie Byanima, emphasized that the extreme wealth of the 62 world's richest is a sign of an 'ailing global economy.'

"The recent explosion in the wealth of the super-rich has come at the expense of the majority and particularly the poorest people," Byanima said.

Byanina called on all governments in the world to tackle inequality and provide public services to the poor such as education, healthcare, and other social services.

The Oxfam Director also said that governments should eliminate tax havens for the ultra-rich and conscientiously collect taxes from the wealthy and invest in pro-poor projects if they were really sincere in their pronouncements of lifting the poor out of extreme poverty by 2030.

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