Ten billionaires make a net profit of 730 billion USD in one year: Elon Musk, Sanders, and the century-long debate on wealth inequality

As 2025 comes to an end, the extreme concentration of global wealth has once again sparked political and social debates. According to Forbes, just ten billionaires increased their wealth by a total of $730 billion within a year. This staggering figure prompted Senator Bernie Sanders, who has long been concerned about income inequality, to issue a strong condemnation, stating that the United States is sliding toward “oligarchic rule.” On the other side, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, countered, insisting that this wealth comes from substantive innovation and production, criticizing politicians as “not creators, only takers.” This “creation vs. redistribution” debate has become one of the most representative economic issues of 2025.

Sanders Condemns: 10 Billionaires Earned $730 Billion in One Year, “Extremely Immoral”

In late December, Bernie Sanders posted on social platform X: “The biggest economic crisis of our time is the ongoing widening gap of income and wealth. While millions of Americans struggle with rent, food, and medical expenses, 10 billionaires have become even richer in 2025, adding a total of $730 billion in wealth. This situation is immoral and unsustainable. We must defeat the oligarchic system.”

This data comes from a December 2025 Forbes report, which listed the top wealthy individuals whose fortunes surged, including Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Their wealth mainly stems from the skyrocketing market value of their holdings, closely related to the overall recovery of the tech industry in 2025.

Musk Responds: My Wealth Comes from Production, Not Exploitation

Facing criticism, Musk did not remain silent. He emphasized on X that almost all his wealth comes from shares of Tesla and SpaceX, and the value of these stocks is based on actual production achievements.

“My wealth only increases when we deliver more cars and launch more satellites,” Musk wrote. “I am a maker, unlike those politicians who only collect taxes.”

He also cited economist Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of “creative destruction,” arguing that innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are the core drivers of social progress, not zero-sum wealth redistribution by the government.

Solana Founder Also Chimes In: Instead of Talking About Inequality, Talk About Who Can Build Society

Not only Musk spoke out, but Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko also shared his views on X. He pointed out that the value of tech stocks like Musk’s is not cash that can be used at any time, but “unrealized potential value,” which only becomes true wealth when these companies produce tangible products.

Yakovenko criticized that some left-wing politicians discussing wealth inequality often overlook the real issues: “Many times, they are unable to organize the workforce to create social infrastructure like housing, which instead leads to debt and inflation.”

He advocates focusing on improving productivity and organizational efficiency rather than relying solely on taxation to redistribute wealth.

Employees Also Earn Money? Tesla Workers Average $400,000 in Stock

Supporters of Musk argue that innovative companies like Tesla do not only benefit executives. According to industry observations, in 2025, the average stock holdings of Tesla employees were valued at up to $400,000, demonstrating that the company’s value increase can benefit employees through equity distribution. However, this data has not yet been confirmed by official financial reports, and the actual distribution and scope remain to be clarified.

This statement aims to counter the criticism from Sanders and others that “tech giants exploit workers,” emphasizing how stock incentives allow employees and companies to grow together.

Creation of Value or Wealth Plunder? The Two Sides Continue to Clash

This debate of “creation vs. plunder” and “innovation vs. taxation” reveals the fundamental contradictions of contemporary capitalism. On one side are free-market advocates who believe innovators deserve the wealth they generate; on the other are progressive politicians who argue that extreme wealth concentration could undermine democracy and require institutional checks.

2025 was a year of explosive wealth growth in Silicon Valley and Wall Street, as well as increasing pressure on the American middle class. As the 2026 election season approaches, policies on “billionaire taxes,” “UBI,” and “tech giant responsibilities” are expected to become hot topics.

This article “Ten Billionaires Earned $730 Billion in One Year: Musk, Sanders, and the Century-Long Debate on Wealth Inequality” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.