コロナ禍、超富裕層の総資産額は過去最高に　７月末で１０８０兆円

【チューリヒＡＦＰ＝時事】保有資産が10億ドル（約1060億円）を超える資産家、いわゆるビリオネア（超富裕層）の総資産額は今年、世界的な新型コロナウイルス危機をよそに、過去最高を記録した。スイス金融大手UBSと国際監査法人プライスウォーターハウスクーパース（PwC）が7日、報告した。（写真はイーロン・マスク氏）
　報告書によると、世界のビリオネアは７月末時点で２１８９人で、総資産額は約１０兆２０００億ドル（約１０８０兆円）。これまで最高額だった２０１７年の８兆９０００億ドル（約９４０兆円）を上回った。
　今年の特徴として、イーロン・マスク氏を代表格に、テクノロジー、ヘルスケア、製造といった業界の「イノベーター（革新者）やディスラプター（破壊者）」の超富裕層が増えており、エンターテインメントや不動産といった従来の超富裕層を数で上回りつつあると報告書は指摘している。この流れは、新型ウイルス危機によって加速しているという。
　しかし、パンデミック（世界的な大流行）による経済的困難に見舞われる人が多い中で、報告書の内容には激しい非難の声も上がった。
　英労働党のアンジェラ・レイナー副党首はツイッターに、「ビリオネアは新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ-１９）のパンデミックで大もうけしている。庶民が借金をし、企業が倒産し、失業率は急上昇し、人々が苦しみ大きな犠牲を払う一方で、世界の超富裕層はもうかりすぎて笑いが止まらない！」と投稿した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/10/09-11:55）

The wealth of the world's billionaires reached record heights this year despite the global coronavirus crisis, led by tech, health and industry innovators and disruptors like Elon Musk, said a report published Wednesday.
By the end of July, the cumulative wealth of billionaires stood at around $10.2 trillion, according to a study by Swiss bank UBS and accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.
That exceeded the previous peak of $8.9 trillion recorded in 2017.
The annual inventory of the super-rich's fortunes identified 2,189 dollar billionaires at the end of July -- 31 more than in 2017.
The report noted that the coronavirus crisis accelerated a trend in this select club that is seeing innovators and disruptors in the technology, healthcare and industry sectors edge out those in more traditional areas like entertainment or real estate.
But it gave rise to some sharp criticism at a time of pandemic-led economic hardship.
Billionaires doing very nicely out of the #Covid_19 pandemic, ordinary people left with debt, businesses collapsing, unemployment rocketing, people suffering and making huge sacrifices whilst the worlds richest laugh all the way to the bank!, tweeted Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Britain's Labour Party.
The report nevertheless said billionaires had given more than ever before in a space of a few months.
- 'Fortunes are polarising' -
According to the report, the pandemic initially had an impact on the world's billionaires.
Their wealth fell 6.6 percent in February and March as the world feared for economic growth.
A stock market crash in March saw some tumble out of the billionaires' club, before a sharp rebound in technology and health stocks began.
Soon, their wealth had bounced back by 27.5 percent between April and the end of July.
Fortunes are polarising as business innovators and disruptors deploy technology to be among the leaders of today's economic revolution, the report said.
The Covid-19 crisis just accentuated this divergence with other billionaires who are on the wrong side of economic, technological, societal and environmental trends and are becoming less wealthy.
The report pointed for instance to South African-born innovator Elon Musk, whose companies Tesla and SpaceX are respectively pioneering the mass-market electric car and private space travel.
According to Forbes, Musk briefly joined the very select group of $100-billion men in August -- coming in fifth -- as share prices in Tesla soared.
It also singled out China's Zhong Huijuan, a former chemistry professor who is worth $20.4 billion according to Forbes after her drug company Hansoh Pharmaceutical listed last year.
Across 2018, 2019 and the first seven months of 2020, the fortunes of four billionaires in the tech sector increased by 42.5 percent, putting their cumulative fortune at an estimated $1.8 trillion.
Health sector billionaires recorded an increase of 50.3 percent, with a cumulative fortune estimated at $658.6 billion.
These were boosted by a new age of drug discovery and innovations in diagnostics and medical technology, as well as latterly Covid-19 treatments and equipment, the report said.
By comparison, the net worth of billionaires in industries such as entertainment, real estate and financial services increased by no more than 10 percent.