Private islands. $200 million yachts. Designer rockets to space. While the rest of us read price tags in the grocery store more closely, the world’s richest are burning through their fortunes for fun. But behind the magazine covers and Met Gala appearances lies a darker truth: empires built on exploitation.  

From tech to fashion, luxury goods to fast delivery, some of the world’s richest people—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault, and Amancio Ortega—are linked to forced labor and human exploitation. Their extreme wealth means they could pay workers fairly. They could demand safe conditions. They could lead industry-wide change. 

But they don’t.  

Call them out

Right now, at least 27 million men, women, and children are being forced to work—under threat, in debt, or with no ability to walk away—generating over $236 billion in stolen profits every year. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to western China, from Bangladesh to the Amazon warehouse, modern slavery persists in part because it is profitable—and that profit often flows upward to the world’s wealthiest individuals. 

Take Loro Piana, the luxury cashmere label of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH): Italian investigators discovered undocumented workers sleeping inside factories, forced to work 90-hour weeks for as little as $5 an hour without contracts to produce coats retailing for up to $6,000.[1] The brand is now under court oversight. What has LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault said about it? Not one word.  

As you read this, children in the DRC are being forced to work in dangerous cobalt mines. The conditions are brutal: tunnel collapses are common and basic protective equipment is often absent. Many of these children don’t make it out. Tesla has been sued by Congolese families whose children died or were injured in cobalt mines.[2] When asked Tesla would do to prevent child labor, CEO Elon Musk giggled and said he might install a webcam at a mine.[3] 

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In China, a massive system of forced labor has been documented across sectors including cotton, electronics, foodstuff and solar panels. Despite this, brands like Zara—founded by billionaire Amancio Ortega—have been slow to cut ties with the center of this exploitation, the Uyghur Region or properly trace their supply chains. Zara has denied sourcing from the Uyghur Region, yet is under investigation in Canada [4] and facing a criminal complaint in France for “concealment of crimes against humanity” for links to Uyghur forced labor.[5] 

Founded by Jeff Bezos, Amazon has been repeatedly linked to vendors using Uyghur forced labor,[6] including suppliers of electronics, apparel, and packaging materials. Investigations have found that some Amazon-sold products originate from factories flagged for participation in China’s state-sponsored labor transfer programs where victims are shipped around the country. Despite this, Amazon’s disclosures remain limited and vague.  

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You and I do our best. We read labels, sign petitions, re-wear clothes in our closets, and spend a little more to support brands with better practices. But how can we compete with billionaires making sure exploitation stays profitable? 

These four men have a combined wealth larger than the GDP of 100 countries combined. They could enforce clean supply chains. Pay living wages. Back laws that protect workers instead of lobbying against them. Instead, all they offer are hollow company statements of “zero tolerance” for modern slavery. Because exploitation is more profitable. Because no one’s made them stop.   

That’s where we come in.  

Make them pay

Billionaires have spent years insulating themselves from consequence buying up the press and lobbying policymakers. But the facade is cracking. This Labor Day, nearly 1000 “Workers over Billionaires” protests rolled out across all fifty US states.[7] “Tesla Takedowns” have been happening around the world, from California, US to Sydney, Australia this year.[8] In Venice, locals staged a protest against Bezos’s $10 million wedding and forced him to change venues.[9] 

The more voices that speak up, the less room for them to hide. In 10 days, we’re taking to the streets of London alongside dozens of organizations and thousands of advocates to demand the UK Government hold the super-rich and corporations accountable. Are you with us?  

Join the movement

This is our chance to demand accountability at the top. Because no matter how much someone profits, they shouldn’t profit from human suffering.  Call them out today.

In solidarity, Krysta and the team supporting the Freedom United community.

Krysta Bisnauth Advocacy Manager, Freedom United