Bill Gates becomes the second person in the world worth $ 100 billion alongside Jeff Bezos

Bill Gates followed Jeff Bezos to become the second "billionaire" after his fortune reached the threshold of 100 billion dollars.

According to Bloomberg, who tracks the wealth of the richest people on the planet thanks to its billionaire index, Microsoft's co-founder has already earned $ 9.5 billion since the beginning of the year, pushing it to the limit. At the magic bar of 100 billion dollars.

Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, is the only other member of the ultra-exclusive $ 100 billion club. It became the first $ 100 billion in history in November 2017 and its value now reaches $ 146 billion.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (photo), became the second "billionaire" with a fortune of 100 billion dollars

Bezos, who launched the Amazon e-commerce market in 1994, has raised $ 20.7 billion since January 1.

Formerly the richest person in the world, Gates was overshadowed by Bezos in July 2017, but also donated more than $ 35 billion to charity through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

He said he intended to donate at least half of his wealth to programs aimed at reducing poverty, improving health care and developing education.

Jeff Bezos, meanwhile, may have to give some of his huge fortune to his 25-year-old wife, Mackenzie, during their imminent divorce.

The climbing of the fortunes of Gates and Bezos is indicative of the growing gap of wealth in America.

The middle clbad's share of the United States' total income and wealth is much smaller than it was 40 years ago – and it is losing ground to the richest of the rich, who have almost doubled their share of income. United States since 1980.

Gates joined the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos (pictured), in the hundred-billionaire club of which they are the only two members.

The richest 10% of Americans accounted for 44.9% of all income in 1980, with the richest 1% accounting for 10.7% of total revenues.

But in 2014, these 10% of rich accounted for 67.2% of all income and the richest 1%, 20.2% of all US income.

Indeed, the billionaire investor and the fourth richest man in the world, Warren Buffett, said last month that the rich – including himself – are not paying enough taxes.

"The rich are grossly under-taxed compared to the general population," CNBC Buffett, president of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., told CNBC television.

"The more we specialize, the more wealthy people will enrich," he continued.

"The question is this: how do you look after a guy who is a wonderful citizen whose father died in Normandy and just does not have the skills of the market?

"I think the income tax credit is the best way to solve this problem.

"It probably means more taxes for guys like me, and it suits me," he said.

After regaining control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections of 2018, some Democratic lawmakers also called for an increase in the taxes of the rich.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, has proposed a 70% marginal tax on incomes of more than $ 10 million to bridge the growing wealth gap between rich and poor.

According to Bloomberg, 145 people worldwide are referred to as "Deca-Billionaires" with a fortune of at least $ 10 billion and some 2,800 regular billionaires.