There are now 2,043 dollar billionaires worldwide, while the 3.7 billion who make up the poorest half of the world saw no increase in their wealth last year, the report outlined. Irish billionairesTwo more Irish people – Limerick brothers John and Patrick Collison, who founded digital payments company Stripe – joined the Irish list of billionaires last year, boosting the club to eight members. The remaining six members of the Irish billionaires club are Indian construction magnate Pallonji Mistry, who holds Irish citizenship and is worth $14.3 billion (€11.7 billion), and US-born Lone Star Funds owner John Grayken, who obtained Irish citizenship in 1999, and is worth $6.6 billion (€5.4 billion), according to data published by Oxfam alongside its report. The eight Irish billionaires on the list have a combined wealth of €34.2 billion, the charity said. The Oxfam report outlines that investors and corporate bosses are seeing their wealth rise at the expense of workers’ rights, and as big business has an “excessive” influence over policy-making.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2018 06:01 UTC