The Pope Says He's Concerned About How Much Money CEOs Like Elon Musk Make

The new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, has expressed concern over the growing income gap between workers and the wealthiest, particularly citing the case of Elon Musk's recently announced $1 trillion pay-package. Pope Leo stated that the income disparity, where CEOs now earn 600 times more than average workers, is a "very significant" issue. He questioned the implications of Musk potentially becoming the world's first trillionaire, stating that if this is the only thing that has value, "then we're in big trouble." The Pope's comments echo the concerns raised by his predecessor, Pope Francis, about the problems of growing income inequality and how it is leaving people behind. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West has also warned that income inequality in the US is "completely out of control" and that the country is moving towards an oligarchy, with wealthy individuals having significant influence on policy decisions. The issue of income inequality has also been highlighted in the context of the gaming industry, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's compensation of $79.1 million for the latest fiscal year being significantly higher than the median annual compensation of a Microsoft worker, which was $193,744.