New Delhi: US Senator Bernie Sanders renewed his attack on wealth inequality Wednesday, stating that seven of the world’s wealthiest men became richer by $210 billion in less than 24 hours.
In a long post on X, Sanders contrasted the gains of a few billionaires with the millions of American families struggling to pay for rent, food, healthcare, childcare, and fuel.
“Yes. We are living in an oligarchy,” Sanders wrote.
The independent senator from Vermont, who has long campaigned against wealth concentration, said the combined fortunes of the seven billionaires had increased by more than $1.5 trillion since US President Donald Trump’s election victory on 5 November 2024, bringing their collective net worth to more than $2.8 trillion.
According to the figures cited by Sanders, the largest wealth gain was for Elon Musk, whose net worth rose by $164.8 billion in a single day to reach $1.4 trillion.
Other billionaires listed by Sanders include Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
On Wednesday, Sanders said, Page gained $7.61 billion, Brin $7.01 billion, Bezos $6.96 billion, Ellison $8.92 billion, Dell $5.86 billion, and Zuckerberg $9.16 billion.
“We have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any other wealthy nation, young adults have a lower standard of living than their parents and over 20% of our seniors are trying to survive on an annual income of $15,000 a year or less,” Sanders said.
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‘Fighting Oligarchy’
Sanders’ post came days after Musk became the world’s first trillionaire following SpaceX’s public market debut. According to the US senator, it’s not a milestone to celebrate.
“This is not just about wealth. It’s about power. Musk and his fellow Oligarchs want it all,” wrote Sanders.
The recent comments form part of Sanders’ broader “Fighting Oligarchy” campaign, launched in February 2025 following Trump’s re-election. Joined frequently by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Vermont senator has held rallies across the country, warning that billionaires wield excessive influence over the government and public policy.
Sanders concluded his post by citing Martin Luther King Jr.
“Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all of God’s children,” he wrote.
Preksha is a TPSJ alum currently interning with ThePrint.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)