adminMOSCOW.
The ranks of Russia’s billionaires swelled yesterday to over 100 on the back of strong oil and commodity prices that saw Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich slip out of the top three.
The 2011 rich list compiled by Russia’s Finans magazine also showed gains by the friends and associates of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and a dramatic drop down the rankings by the billionaire wife of Moscow’s deposed mayor.
Finans put Abramovich’s wealth at US$17,1 billion — up only US$100 million in a strong year that underscored Russian industrialists’ ability to bounce back from the global financial crisis.
The title of Russia’s richest man for 2011 was awarded for the second year running to Vladimir Lisin.
The publicity-shy owner of the Novolipetsk Steel giant saw his fortune soar to $28,3 billion from US$18,8 billion in 2010.
The former foreman was followed by Onexim investment fund owner Mikhail Prokhorov — a man sometimes referred to as Russia’s most eligible bachelor — at US$22,7 billion
The richest man in Russia linked to the English Premier League was Alisher Usmanov, the part-owner of Arsenal Football Club whose wealth was estimated at US$19,9 billion.
Abramovich slipped to fifth behind Oleg Deripaska, the majority shareholder in steel maker UC Rusal whose empire was worth US$19 billion, Finans said.
Russia’s biggest tycoons — many of whom made their fortunes in the chaotic privatisations of the 1990s and then accrued major political influence — were hit hard by the global financial and economic slump. — AFP.
Online Reporter