Ahead of the Davos forum, Oxfam have published some findings.

2,153 billionaires exist - owning 60% of all wealth.

Per capita - most live in Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and Cyprus.

Ireland is 5th though, with 17 billionaires.


Half of the world's population survives on less than €5 a day.

Why so many in Ireland?

Ireland (I think) offers major tax incentive schemes, not only to rich people - but to movie production companies, authors, artists etc.

Billionaires like Philip Green (Next, et al) live in Monaco - with many more than RoI, I thought: they pay virtually no tax in the Monte Carlo environs.

The only real restriction to this residency arrangement - for a UK individual - is that they can only reside here for 91(?) days a year. With being hit with large financial penalties.

Barney wrote:
most live in Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and Cyprus

Live - in this context, is for tax purposes.

Abramovich, wherever his tax domicile is, spends most of his time on his many yachts.

Worth c$12 billion, he has a mansion (or 10) in Israel.

In the past he lived in the Kremlin.

The whole of Ireland or ROI?

Ireland is the correct name (in English) for the country - to the south of the island, the republic.