, Columnist
Who Wants to Be a Trillionaire?
Reaching a net worth of $1 trillion is a goal with little obvious personal benefit — and some political and reputational downsides.
Will anyone make it to a trillion?
Photo illustration by Christine Vanden Byllaardt
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When will the world have its first trillionaire? A recent report from Oxfam International predicts one within a decade, noting that the five wealthiest men in the world are 114% richer today than they were in 2020.
That timeline strikes me as unrealistic. The path to becoming a trillionaire is very difficult — for both individual and macroeconomic reasons. Unless there is a big wave of hyperinflation, significant obstacles stand in the way of anyone trying to reach a trillion dollars in net wealth.