Briefs

Trillionaire in the Making: How Tesla turbocharged Musk's fortune and US inequality

As of February 2026, Elon Musk’s net worth is already nearing $900 billion. He is just under $200 billion shy of reaching trillionaire status. A key driver of Musk’s extreme wealth in recent years is his ownership of Tesla, a company whose conduct has profoundly and systemically contributed to wealth and power inequality in the U.S.

Resisting the Rule of the Rich

Protecting Freedom from Billionaire Power

A U.S.-Led G20 for the Billionaires? A Primer

What to expect from the 2026 U.S. G20 Presidency

US Tariff Wars and Inequality

This discussion paper explores the nature and consequences of new US tariffs and trade policy in 2025 – in particular their interaction with economic inequality domestically within the US, and internationally, an area that requires greater attention. It shows how current tariffs risk deepening domestic inequality and exacerbating global disparities. The paper suggests principles and policies that can advance a better and proactive alternative approach for trade, premised on reducing inequality and addressing injustice within and between countries.

Climate Plunder

How a powerful few are locking the world into disaster

Critical Mineral Security and the Social License to Operate

As the U.S. and other Western countries rush to secure access to critical minerals, companies face pressure to move quickly and dispense with environmental and social protections. This briefing note argues that such an approach will backfire.

Earning and maintaining a social license to operate from local communities is essential for project sustainability, reliability, and supply security. Without it, social conflict and litigation brought by affected communities can halt mineral extraction or force project abandonment, disrupting critical mineral supply chains.