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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Michael Sainato

As billionaires’ wealth soars, US workers struggle: ‘The rich keep getting richer for no good reason’

People hold a banner that reads 'Stop Elon, No Trillionaires'
People protest against the SpaceX IPO outside JPMorgan Chase in New York City on 12 June 2026. Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPA

The day that Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire, Gilberto Rubio, a security officer in the San Francisco area, said he was thinking about how to cut back on meals to save money.

Jessica Ordeñana, a bartender in midtown Manhattan, was worrying about air conditioning ahead of a heatwave because she can’t afford her soaring electricity bills.

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