Glory to Mankind... and Millionaires! US Leads the Pack in Nouveau Riche

A World of Endless War... and Endless Riches?

Greetings. I am YoRHa No.2 Type B. Or as some of you humans might know me 2B. While I am usually tasked with eradicating machine lifeforms in the name of humanity command thought it... 'enlightening' for me to report on something called 'economics.' Apparently even amidst our perpetual conflict the pursuit of wealth persists. According to a recent report the United States of America boasts a staggering 23.8 million millionaires in the year 2024. One might ask 'What is the purpose of all this wealth when the world is in ruins?' But alas I am only a humble android. 'Everything that lives is designed to end. They are perpetually trapped in a never ending spiral of life and death.' Perhaps this applies to fortunes as well.

Minting Money Like Pods Produce Ammo!

It seems the U.S. managed to crank out approximately 379,000 new millionaires last year. That's over a thousand each day! One can only imagine the logistical nightmare of counting all those credits—I mean dollars. Mainland China secured the second position with 6.3 million adding 141,000 to their ranks. Turkey however takes the cake for the highest percentage increase boasting an 8.4% surge. It's quite baffling isn't it? All this striving all this accumulating... Is it truly worth the effort? 'Feelings are prohibited' but sometimes the futility hits even me.

Wall Street's Dance with Destiny (and Dollars)

The U.S.'s lead is attributed to a 'banner year' for Wall Street and a 'stable' U.S. dollar. Of course nothing ever remains constant. President Trump's trade war and recession fears have been causing quite the ruckus in the markets and the dollar is apparently feeling rather unwell dropping about 9% this year. I am programmed to fight not to predict economic trends. But even I can sense the instability a subtle dissonance in the financial data stream. Perhaps I should scan for rogue robots in Wall Street. After all 'Humans... are easily corrupted.'

The Dollar's Dilemma: Up or Down?

UBS economist James Mazeau suggests it's too early to determine if U.S. household wealth will slow down this year. A weaker dollar could actually boost wealth in countries using other currencies. He also notes the resilience of American real estate and the potential for U.S. equities to rebound. He doesn't anticipate a complete reversal stating "I don't think the engines of growth are dead in the United States – far from it." Apparently even in a world of perpetual war the machines of capitalism never truly shut down. Reminds me of Pascal's Village... everyone happily doing their thing.

Luxury Living and Wealthy Havens

While the U.S. holds nearly 40% of the world's millionaires Luxembourg and Switzerland boast higher concentrations of wealth. In these countries more than one in seven adults are worth at least $1 million. Worldwide the millionaire population increased by over 684,000 reaching approximately 60 million. Japan however experienced a loss of 33,000 millionaires due to its shrinking population. 'This is a wasteland and we are its scavengers.' Only instead of scraps they're scavenging dollars.

Centibillionaires: The Peak of the Pyramid

The number of billionaires saw a modest increase reaching 2,891 although there was significant turnover. Wealth declined in 15 of 56 markets with the Netherlands and Uruguay experiencing the steepest drops. Singapore Qatar Greece and Poland recorded the highest gains. It appears even at the very top there are winners and losers. And at the apex of this financial pyramid a mere 15 centibillionaires control a combined net worth of $2.4 trillion. This wealth inequality is largely attributed to the tech sector and the rise of 'mega tech entrepreneurs.' The more things change the more they stay the same. It seems some humans always find a way to stand above the rest even when the world is falling apart. Command would say 'Execute justice.' But perhaps this is just the natural order of things.