A new book has suggested that the world could soon be dominated by a Trillionaires’ Club of ‘wealth elite’, each boasting fortunes with ’12 zeros’. Kamal Ahmed, an investigator and former editorial director at BBC News, predicts that Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, Tesla, X and xAI, will become the world’s first trillionaire in 2027.
Ahmed anticipates that there could be at least seven ultra-wealthy individuals by 2030, and this number could rise to 30 by 2050. In his upcoming book, The Trillionaires: Power and Influence in the New Era of Hyper-Wealth, Ahmed suggests that these multi-billionaires will be able to exert power on a global scale as democracies falter.
He stated: “A trillion is a number so big it almost defies explanation and when someone can say in all honesty that they are ‘worth a trillion’ it is time to sit up and take notice. “We need a fresh understanding of the role of hyper-wealth – good and bad – in the world around us and how it is affecting the rules under which so many millions of us live,” as reported by the Daily Star.
His book delves into the ‘growing political influence of the ’12 zeros’ club’. According to industry publication The Bookseller, Ahmed ‘investigates how the new ‘wealth elite’ wields power in a world in which today’s billionaires throw wedding parties so opulent they distort national economies, their ‘best day ever’ might include an excursion into space and they can direct government policy simply by placing a phone call to the president’.
The report continues: “Ahmed predicts that within a few years we will see history’s first trillionaire – likely to be Elon Musk in 2027.”, reports the Mirror US.
“By 2030, there could be at least seven – by 2050, 30. Hyper-wealth now commands power on a global scale as democratic institutions weaken.”
Rowan Cope, representing Profile Books which secured the publishing rights, remarked: “It is extraordinary to contemplate that the world’s richest individuals are poised to become wealthier than some Western nation states.”
“Kamal, with his prestigious background in political and economic journalism, is the perfect writer to tackle the deepening influence of wealth on our democracies. “Profile is hugely proud and excited to publish The Trillionaires.”
According to Forbes, which publishes its own wealth rankings, Musk currently boasts a net worth of £376bn.
In contrast, his wealth was recorded as a relatively modest £1.5bn back in 2012.
The South African-born tycoon disclosed his 2021 tax bill reached an estimated £9bn following his sale of Tesla shares.
He has held the title of world’s wealthiest individual for the last four years and served as US President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting advisor between January and May.