Commenting on the 2017 Forbes billionaires list, which revealed a record 233 new billionaires, Oxfam's Head of Inequality Policy Max Lawson said:
"A world where more new billionaires have been created in a year than ever before shows signs of economic sickness rather than health.
"Our warped economic model leads to more unequal societies that trap millions of people in poverty - it allows an elite group to accrue extreme wealth while one in nine people go to bed hungry every night.
"We need to build a more human economy, where the super-rich pay their fair share of tax, workers earn a living wage, and governments invest in decent healthcare and education to give everyone a good start in life."
Notes to editors
Forbes 2017 billionaires list: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2017/03/20/forbes-31st-annual-worlds-billionaires-issue/#408c8875408c
Contact information
Melanie Kramers: mkramers1@oxfam.org.uk +44 (0)7825 088894
For updates, please follow @Oxfam.
Forbes 2017 billionaires list: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2017/03/20/forbes-31st-annual-worlds-billionaires-issue/#408c8875408c
Melanie Kramers: mkramers1@oxfam.org.uk +44 (0)7825 088894
For updates, please follow @Oxfam.