To understand how the distribution of the wealth of the main billionaires would affect their poor compatriots, Bloomberg even compiled a new index – the Robin Hood index. It shows how the total 'value' of the richest citizen of a particular country relates to the welfare of their compatriots.
According to Expert Online, the ranking includes 42 very different countries, both with very different economies and very different demographic situations. Interestingly, in only four countries are the richest citizens women: the Netherlands, France, Australia and Chile. Bloomberg economists divided the wealth of the main rich people by the number of poor compatriots. All statistical information is taken from the Bloomberg Billionaire Index and the CIA World Factbook.
If Bill Gates were to donate his entire fortune, it would enrich each poor American, who make up 15% of the total US population, by $1,736. Such a payout would hardly allow poor Americans to significantly raise their standard of living.
The situation for poor Indians is many times worse. If the richest Indian, Mukesh Ambani, decided to distribute all of his $19.2 billion to poor compatriots, who make up 30% of India's population, each would receive only $59 – a sum insignificant even for that country. This money is enough, for example, to buy a modest lunch of rice and vegetables costing 35 rupees ($0.50) for 4 months. That is why India ranks last in the Bloomberg ranking.
The poor of Cyprus and Sweden would benefit the most from altruistic billionaires, each receiving $45,987 and $33,149 respectively. This is explained not so much by the size of the wealth of the richest Cypriot and Swede, but by the high standard of living in these countries and, consequently, the low percentage of poor people.