Washington DC - Just 12 people in the US control a combined $2 trillion in wealth, as the divide between rich and poor in America widens.

The collective net wealth of these billionaires has increased by $1.3 trillion – or 193% – since April 2020, Inequality.org reported.

The top 12 billionaires in the US, according to the analysis, are:

• Elon Musk ($334 billion)
  
• Jeff Bezos ($228 billion)
  
• Larry Ellison ($225 billion)
  
• Mark Zuckerberg ($212 billion)
  
• Warren Buffett ($147 billion)
• Larry Paige ($142 billion)
• Sergey Brin ($136 billion)
• Steve Balmer ($127 billion)
• Jensen Huang ($122 billion)
• Rob Walton ($112 billion)
• Jim Walton ($111 billion)
• Bill Gates ($107 billion)

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The extreme concentration of wealth in the hands of a few has significant political impacts, as the ultrarich use their enormous means to influence lawmakers and the media.

For example, the super PAC of Musk – the world's richest man, who in 2022 bought up the social media platform Twitter (now X) – reportedly spent $200 million toward Donald Trump's 2024 election win.

The 12 billionaires are also contributing toward global climate collapse, as each is either an owner or controlling shareholder in a business investing huge sums in artificial intelligence. Experts warn that the power demand driven by the rise of AI and cloud computing is propelling a surge in the use of planet-warming fossil fuels and delaying the green energy transition.

Meanwhile, an estimated 36.8 million Americans – or 11.1% of the population – are living in poverty. Poor and marginalized communities are at greater risk of extreme weather events and are disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution.