Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk: World’s richest people smashed wealth records this week

News Network
August 29, 2020

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It’s been one of the most lucrative weeks in history for some of the world’s wealthiest people.

The net worth of Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos topped the once-unfathomable amount of $200 billion. Entrepreneur, inventor, provocateur Elon Musk added the title of centibillionaire when his fortune soared past $100 billion fueled by Tesla Inc.’s ceaseless rally. And by Friday, the world’s 500 wealthiest people were $209 billion richer than a week ago.

Musk’s surging wealth expanded the rarefied club of centibillionaires to four members. Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, the world’s third-richest person, joined Bezos and Bill Gates among the ranks of those possessing 12-figure fortunes earlier this month. Together, their wealth totals $540 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

This week marked just the latest boon for the personal fortunes of the richest of the rich, whose red-hot growth has been largely driven by surging markets, particularly for tech shares. US stocks reached fresh highs on Friday as investors took confidence in the Federal Reserve’s new inflation approach.

Pay Package

Musk’s net worth has grown by $76.1 billion this year, propelled by Tesla’s stock price and a boosted valuation of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX. Also helpful: an audacious pay package -- the largest corporate pay deal ever struck between a CEO and a board of directors -- that could yield him more than $50 billion if all goals are met.

Still, Musk’s gain is second to that of Bezos, whose fortune has grown by $84.9 billion in 2020 as pandemic-induced lockdowns spur demand for Amazon deliveries. Bezos’s fortune has doubled since he crested the $100 billion mark in late 2017, even after ceding a quarter of his Amazon stake to ex-wife MacKenzie Scott in a divorce last year.

Scott is now $700 million shy of surpassing L’Oreal SA heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers as the world’s richest woman.

The heady pace of wealth accumulation is in stark contrast to the state of the global economy. Growth has slumped sharply since the pandemic began with companies laying off millions of workers and consumer demand cratering.

Income Inequality

The brunt of economic pain has been borne by young and lower-wage workers, whose jobs are typically more vulnerable to Covid-related layoffs.

“There is little doubt that the pandemic will exacerbate inequality in incomes and wealth, both in the short term and in the longer term,” said Miles Corak, an economics professor who studies income inequality at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

The world’s 500 richest people have collectively grown their fortunes by $871 billion this year, a 15% increase, according to the billionaires index.

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News Network
September 13,2024

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In a huge relief for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ahead of the Haryana elections, the Supreme Court has granted him bail in the Delhi excise policy case. The AAP chief will now be released from jail, six months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. He was subsequently arrested by the CBI in June.

Here are some of the Supreme Court's key quotes:

•    Perception also matters and CBI must dispel the notion of being a caged parrot and must show it is an uncaged parrot. CBI should be like Caesar's wife, above suspicion. 

•    "No impediment in arresting person already in custody. We have noted that CBI in their application recorded reasons as to why they deemed necessary. There is no violation of Section 41A (3) of Code of Criminal Procedure," said Justice Surya Kant.

•    Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, however, noted, "CBI did not feel the need to arrest him (Mr Kejriwal) even though he was interrogated in March 2023 and it was only after his ED arrest was stayed that CBI became active and sought custody of Mr Kejriwal, and thus felt no need of arrest for over 22 months. Such action by the CBI raises serious question on the timing of the arrest and such an arrest by CBI was only to frustrate the bail granted in ED case."

•    Submission of additional solicitor general cannot be accepted that appellant has to first approach trial court for grant of bail. Process of trial should not end up becoming a punishment. Belated arrest by CBI is not justified.

•    Regarding building a public narrative of a case... Arvind Kejriwal shall not make any public comments about this case and be present for all hearings before trial court unless exempted.

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News Network
September 9,2024

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Mangaluru: The Unicode Consortium has announced the inclusion of Tulu script in its latest version, Unicode 16. This update adds 80 characters to the Unicode Standard, marking a significant milestone for the Tulu-speaking community.

According to officials, the journey to this achievement began in 2001 when a member of the Unicode Consortium helped fix the Kannada script in Unicode and simultaneously advocated for the inclusion of Tulu.

Despite initial misunderstandings with the Tulu Academy in Mangaluru, the groundwork was laid for future developments. Initially, three Tulu experts had worked on the subject, including S A Krishnaiah, a Tulu scholar.

"In 2014, efforts to create a Tulu Wikipedia gained momentum, leading to its launch on August 6, 2016. By 2017, the Tulu Academy recognised the need for Tulu Unicode, forming a committee to finalise the characters with technical guidance. Concurrently, another proposal for the Tilari script was submitted," Krishnaiah said.

After extensive correspondence, the script was officially added to Unicode under the name Tulu-Tigalari. While there are minor differences between the Tulu Academy's list and the finalised Unicode version, most characters have been included. Notably, Tulu digits and some diacritic marks necessary for writing Sanskrit in Tulu script were added, he said.

According to him, the inclusion of the Tulu script in Unicode will have a significant positive impact on digital communication for Tulu speakers, including enhanced digital presence. Tulu speakers can now use their native script across various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and messaging apps, fostering a stronger online presence.

The availability of Tulu in Unicode will facilitate the creation of educational materials, such as textbooks and online courses, in the Tulu script, supporting language learning and literacy, he said.

The development of Unicode-encoded fonts, keyboard software, and converters will streamline the use of Tulu in digital communication, making it easier for users to type and share information in their native script, he said.

Being part of the Unicode Standard gives Tulu global recognition, encouraging more software and application developers to support the script, thereby increasing its usability and visibility, the Tulu scholar said.

Overall, this will empower Tulu speakers to communicate more effectively and confidently in their language, both locally and globally.

It is estimated that over 1.8 million people worldwide speak Tulu. Most Tulu speakers live in the coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala, India, in regions known as Tulu Nadu. There are also Tulu speakers in the Gulf countries and the United States, he said.

Tulu is a Dravidian language and is related to Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. Tulu has a rich oral tradition, but there isn't much written in the language. Tulu's script is similar to Malayalam and originated from the Grantha script.

A long-drawn fight is ongoing to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Dravidian University at Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh has a special Tulu chair, he added.

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News Network
September 20,2024

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Mandya: The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nagamangala town in Mandya district has been suspended for "negligence and dereliction of duty" in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.

This is the second suspension of a police officer over the clashes on September 11 following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension here.

The situation in the town has since returned to normalcy and most of the shops have started operating. However, adequate security forces continued to be stationed here as a precautionary measure, according to police.

Sumeeth A R, DySP (Nagamangala), was suspended on Thursday for negligence and dereliction of duty, Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.

"He (Sumeeth) was not present at the spot nor was he at the police headquarters when the incident occurred. He arrived late at the spot despite the sensitive nature of events," he said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Ashok Kumar posted at Nagamangala town police station was suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the violence.

A total of 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

The police had used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.

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