Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, former Senegalese Prime Minister Aminata Touré, and economists Joseph Stiglitz, Jayati Ghosh and Gabriel Zucman today delivered a powerful and unequivocal message at the Vatican: the global oligarchy must be challenged through fair taxation of the super-rich. In response, Oxfam International’s Tax Lead, Susana Ruiz, said:
“The wealth of the super-rich is exploding at a terrifying pace, driving inequality to extremes that threaten democracy, justice, and the survival of life on Earth. We are watching, in real-time, as the super-rich tighten their grip on power and hold entire societies hostage to their greed.
“2025 is not just another year —it is a last-ditch opportunity to stop runaway inequality. With South Africa chairing the G20, Brazil hosting COP30, and Spain driving the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the world has a rare, historic chance to shatter the grip of billionaire power.
“This is a battle against extreme inequality. Either we allow the super-rich to continue hoarding wealth and power and writing rules to serve themselves, or we fight back by taxing them, breaking their stronghold on power, and dismantling their monopolies to reclaim our societies from the forces of oligarchic rule."
Notes to editors
Download quotes from event participants, including President Lula and Prime Minister Sánchez.
Oxfam International’s Tax Lead, Susana Ruiz, is at the Vatican and available for interviews.
The high-level event, “Tax Justice and Solidarity: Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Common Home,” was convened by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) and the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT).
Oxfam’s report “Takers not Makers” revealed that billionaire wealth grew by $2 trillion in 2024 alone, equivalent to roughly $5.7 billion a day, at a rate three times faster than the year before. Oxfam predicts there will be at least five trillionaires a decade from now.
Contact information
Julia Manresa in Belgium| julia.manresa@oxfam.org | +32 473 87 44 26
Annie Thériault in Peru | annie.theriault@oxfam.org | +51 936 307 990
For real-time updates, follow us on X and Bluesky, and join our WhatsApp channel tailored specifically for journalists and media professionals.
Download quotes from event participants, including President Lula and Prime Minister Sánchez.
Oxfam International’s Tax Lead, Susana Ruiz, is at the Vatican and available for interviews.
The high-level event, “Tax Justice and Solidarity: Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Common Home,” was convened by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) and the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT).
Oxfam’s report “Takers not Makers” revealed that billionaire wealth grew by $2 trillion in 2024 alone, equivalent to roughly $5.7 billion a day, at a rate three times faster than the year before. Oxfam predicts there will be at least five trillionaires a decade from now.
Julia Manresa in Belgium| julia.manresa@oxfam.org | +32 473 87 44 26
Annie Thériault in Peru | annie.theriault@oxfam.org | +51 936 307 990
For real-time updates, follow us on X and Bluesky, and join our WhatsApp channel tailored specifically for journalists and media professionals.