FACTS ABOUT BILLIONAIRES

Billionaires in the world: 1,226 (combined wealth: $4.6 Trillion).

Billionaires in the United States: 425 (most in the world).                                  

The top 400 alone have more wealth than the bottom half of the American population (about 150 million people).

Richest Billionaire in the World: Carlos Slim Helú of Mexico ($69B). Second is Bill Gates ($61B).

Source: Forbes: The World’s Billionaires

How much is One Billion dollars?

Earning one dollar per second, it would take 12 days to reach One Million dollars.

At the same rate, it would take 32 years to reach One Billion dollars.

 (If you wish to earn One Trillion Dollars, be patient. At that rate it will take 31,688 years.)

    Source: DefeatTheDebt

FACTS ABOUT NON-BILLIONAIRES

A billion people in the world lack enough food to eat, and 1.7 billion lack access to clean water(1.) According to the World Bank, there are over 1.3 billion poor people in developing countries who live on $1.25 a day or less (1). About 47 million Americans live in poverty, and about that same number are food insecure. 22% of American children are at risk of hunger (2). More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where income disparity is widening (3).

The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income, while the richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income (3).  Some Good News: global poverty rates have fallen in recent years (4).

Sources: (1) World Hunger & Poverty Facts  (2) Hunger in America (3) Global Issues (4) Borgen Project