Oxfam’s annual analysis reports a record combined wealth of $18.3 trillion among the world’s billionaires and documents the expanding political influence of the ultra‑rich. The charity argues the concentration of wealth has surged since 2020 and that political power tied to extreme fortunes undermines democratic accountability and public provision, worsening global inequality. Oxfam’s findings renew calls for stronger taxation, transparency and policy measures to curb the sway of concentrated capital and reorient resources toward poverty reduction and public services. The report fuels debate over how governments should respond to economic concentration and the role of regulation and redistribution in stabilising societies.