The battle between Elon Musk’s satellite network and Mukesh Ambani’s telecom empire is not about digital democracy, but who controls its infrastructure, captures its wealth, and decides whether it serves society or private capital
The global billionaire population reached a record 3,795 in 2025, with combined wealth rising 12.8 per cent to $15.1 trillion, according to Altrata. The AI boom and technology stocks drove much of the growth, while wealth concentration intensified
Ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, an Oxfam report warned that billionaire wealth hit a record USD 18.3 trillion in 2025, deepening economic and political inequality, with billionaires far more likely to hold power while global poverty, hunger and unrest intensify
Paris-based World Inequality Lab’s 2026 report paints a grim picture of highly skewed wealth distribution, urging nations to rethink their growth models
Zhao's projected fortune now is just below that of Oracle founder Larry Ellison and surpasses that of Mukesh Ambani, the Indian tycoon whose fortune has also soared over the last two years.
