Billionaire wealth surged at three times its recent pace last year to reach its highest level on record, deepening economic and political divides that threaten democratic stability, according to anti-poverty group Oxfam.⁣ ⁣ In a report released to coincide with the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the charity said the fortunes of global billionaires jumped 16% in 2025 to $18.3 trillion, extending an 81% rise since 2020.⁣ ⁣ The gains happened even as one in four people worldwide struggle to eat regularly and nearly half the global population live in poverty.⁣ ⁣ Oxfam’s study, which draws on academic research and data sources ranging from the World Inequality Database to Forbes' rich list, argues the wealth boom is being matched by a dramatic concentration of political clout, with billionaires 4,000 times more likely than ordinary citizens to hold political office.⁣ ⁣ The group links the latest wealth surge to policies under US President Donald Trump, whose second administra...