US billionaires have become collectively richer by half a trillion dollars during the pandemic period, The Guardian reports, quoting a think-tank report.
The US-based Institute for Police Studies calculated that America's richest people got richer by over $565 billion during the 11 weeks from March 18, when the United States began to lock down in response to the pandemic.
Jeff Bezos of Amazon has gained the most, increasing his net worth by $36.2 billion. Close behind is Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, who has increased his net worth by $30.1 billion. Bill Gates, who has donated hugely to a number of vaccine projects, has also seen his wealth increase by $11.8 billion.