A new Institute for Policy Studies report finds that private jets, used by a small fraction of Americans, receive significant taxpayer-funded subsidies and infrastructure support despite their outsized carbon footprint. The study argues that ordinary taxpayers effectively help cover the costs of a travel mode overwhelmingly used by the wealthy.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
A Nature commentary co-authored by economist Joseph Stiglitz and UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima proposes creating an International Panel on Inequality (IPI), a roughly 40-member expert body that would synthesize research on income and wealth gaps for policymakers. The proposal already has support from the UN, the African Union, and more than 700 scholars, with South Africa, Brazil, Spain and Norway backing it. The commentary cites data showing the richest 1% captured 41% of new wealth created between 2000 and 2024, versus just 1% for the poorest half of the world.
nature.com
· 2026-09-15
A new study finds that the wealthiest tier of billionaires—so-called 'super billionaires'—has seen its portion of global wealth grow roughly fourfold over the past ten years. The report also profiles the typical billionaire as a 71-year-old man whose fortune continues expanding even as overall billionaire numbers rise worldwide.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-09