Can democracy survive the rise of extreme wealth?

The combined wealth of billionaires has exploded from less than 1 trillion dollars in 2000 to more than 20 trillion today. But alongside that rise in wealth comes a growing debate over power, influence and democracy.

PoliticsGlobal issues

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PoliticsGlobal issueshttps://p.dw.com/p/5JZA4

DW reporter Tomi Oladipo speaks with economist Professor Paul Segal, who argues that today’s ultra-wealthy have access to technologies, media platforms and political networks that give them unprecedented influence over society. He says growing inequality is reshaping economies and raising questions about who really benefits from economic growth. 

We also meet German entrepreneur Sebastian Klein, who gave away 90% of his personal fortune after concluding that extreme wealth concentration threatens democracy. As the fortunes of billionaires continue to grow and calls for higher wealth taxes gain momentum, the discussion explores whether extreme wealth and democratic equality can coexist, and what governments can do to address a widening gap between the richest citizens and everyone else.

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