World's 80 Richest People Have Same Wealth As Poorest 50%

A large portion of the world's financial resources is being controlled by a small and wealthy elite. The scale of inequality across the globe is simply staggering - the wealthiest 1 percent will soon own more than the rest of the world's population, according to a report from Oxfam.

The report also states that the world's 80 richest individuals have the same wealth as that owned by the bottom 50 percent of the global population - some 3.5 billion people. Between 2009 and 2014, the wealth of the planet's 80 richest has more than doubled in nominal terms while the wealth of the bottom 50 percent was lower in 2014 than it was in 2009.