Richest People in Russia 2014 | Top 10
The richest people in Russia are the people who rule the country!
Obviously, you know who #1 is. But what about the other 9? Not to worry! This article covers it all.
Russia is a wonderful country which has deposits of metals and sources of energy in abundance.
Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that most of these billionaire Russians have made their fortune in businesses of gas, oil, mining, and metal.
Let’s get straight to business and see who are the richest people who run Russia!
10German Khan – Net worth – $11.3 billion
We begin our top list with the Russian businessman of Ukrainian Jewish descent, German Khan.
Born on October 24, 1961, the 52-year old billionaire has an estimated net worth of $11.3 billion.
He makes large contribution to the world of the European Jewish Fund, which is a non-profit organization promoting reconciliation on the continent.
Along with Mikhail Fridman and Alexei Kuzmichev, German Borisovich Khan owns the biggest financial and industrial investment group in Russia, called Alfa Group.
Alfa Group also has business in cellular company VimpelCom and also owns Russia’s second-biggest retailer, X5.
Several years ago, the businessman has worked as Executive Director of TNK-BP, Alfa Group’s oil business.
With his billionaire friends he started commodities trading outfit Alfa-Eco and later launched Alfa-Bank, which is the biggest private bank in Russia.
Source of wealth: oil, banking, telecom
9Vagit Alekperov – Net worth – $14 billion
Born on September 1, 1950, Vagit Alekperov is an Azerbaijani and Russian businessman and currently a President of the Russia’s largest independent oil company, LUKOIL.
Last year, 21% of LUKOIL went to his son, Yusuf. Same year, Vagit started to sell his financial assets to Financial Corporation Otkrytie, which is owned by Vadim Belyaev.
A former Caspian Sea oil rig worker, Vagit Alekperov became a deputy minister in the Soviet oil industry.
He bought shares of ExxonMobil using borrowed money, but when the price went up, he sold 3% and earned $350 million. A pretty amount!
Source of wealth: LUKOIL
8Gennady Timchenko – Net worth – $14.5 billion
Gennady Timchenko has an estimated net worth of $14.5 billion.
The 61-year-old businessman and public figure is the owner of the private investment group, Volga Group, as well as the Chairman of the Economic Council of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce.
Previously, Timchenko was a co-owner of Gunvor Group.
Gennady Timchenko, whose full name is Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko, holds interest in gas, transport and construction entities.
Did you know that Gennady Timnchenko and President Vladimir Putin are friends? Their relations were confirmed in an interview with Forbes Russia: ‘We’ve known each other for years, and we do meet from time to time.’.
Source of wealth: oil, gas.
7Vladimir Potanin – Net worth – $14.8 billion
#7 is Vladimir Olegovich Potanin, with an estimated net worth of $14.8 billion.
Born on January 3, 1961, the Russian magnate and entrepreneur had a long-term partnership with Mikhail Prokhorov and built Interros (one of Russia’s largest private investment companies), until they split in 2008.
But before that, the duo took control of Norilsk Nickel and oil company Sidanco.
In 2013, Vladimir Potanin became the first Russian billionaire to join the Warren Buffett-Bill Gates Giving Pledge, promising to give away at least half of his fortune.
Source of wealth: metals
6Leonid Mikhelson – Net worth – $14.8 billion
Leonid Mikhelson is the Russian CEO, Chairman and major shareholder of the gas company Novatek.
Also, he is the biggest shareholder of chemical holding company Sibur and a small bank called Pervy Obydinenny.
Guess who is his partner in Novatek and Sibur? None other than the billionaire Gennady Timchenko.
Novatek became the main sponsor of the Russian Football Union, and this year, Sibur announced it would partner with the NBA to promote basketball in Russia. We wish them to succeed!
Source of wealth: gas, chemicals.
5Vladimir Lisin – Net worth – $15.2 billion
The 58-year-old Russian steel tycoon has an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion.
Best known as the Chairman of Novolipetsk, Vladimir Lisin is a leading authority on metallurgical processes and has published over 100 articles on metallurgy and economics.
Lisin’s first job was as a mechanic in a coal mine.
In 1992 the joined Trans-World Group, managing the factories and received a majority stake in Novolipetsk, after the partners split in 2000.
3 years ago, Vladimir Lisin paid $5.8 billion for 100% of First Cargo, the state-owned railway operator.
Not to mention, he build one of Europe’s largest shooting-range complexes near Moscow, in Lisya Nora.
Source of wealth: steel, transport
4Viktor Vekselberg – Net worth – $16.8 billion
Viktor Vekselberg, whose full name is Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg, is a Ukrainian-born Russian businessman, and the owner and president of Renova Group, a large Russian conglomerate.
With an estimated net worth of $16.8 billion, the 57-year-old billionaire opened last year a private museum to exhibit his Faberge collection, as well as several pieces of Russian art.
This year, in February, he announced he will offer a 3-room apartment in his Azimut Hotel in Sochi to Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, the pair who won the gold medal in the winter Olympic games. Nice gesture!
Source of wealth: oil, metals
3Mikhail Fridman – Net worth – $17.6 billion
On #3 we have Mikhail Fridman, whose full name is Mikhail Maratovich Fridman. The Russian businessman of Ukrainian Jewish descent is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group. And if you remember, we talked about Alfa Group.
In 1989, along with German Khan and Alexei Kuzmichev, he started Alfa-Eco, a commodities trading outfit.
And 2 years later, they established Alfa-Bank, which you already know, is now the biggest private bank in Russia.
Last year, Mikhail Fridman, Viktor Vekselberd and Leonard Blavatnik sold a 50% stake in TNK-BP to Rosneft, a state-owned oil company, for $28 billion. And Fridman got $5.1 in the deal.
Source of wealth: oil, banking, telecom
2Alisher Usmanov – Net worth – $19.2 billion
With an estimated net worth of $19.2 billion, Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov is the second richest businessman in Russia.
The Uzbek-born Russian magnate has businesses ranging from telecommunications such as Megaphone (Russia’s second mobile phone operator), to media such as Kommersant (Russia’s largest business daily).
Born on September 9, 1953, Alisher Usmanov also owns a stake in FC Arsenal, the British soccer team.
Last year, he finished forming USM Holdings. His partners sold all the shares in Facebook. They bought and then sold a stake in Apple.
Source of wealth: steel, telecom, investments
1Vladimir Putin – Net worth – $70 billion
Who else was going to be the richest man in Russia if not the most powerful man in Russia?
With a net worth of a whopping $70 billion, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has been the President of Russia since May 7, 2012.
Also, he served as President from 2000 to 2008, and as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012.
His net worth makes Putin the richest president in the world, as well as the richest politician of them all.
And for more information, check out our article Vladimir Putin Net Worth.
They are the Richest People in Russia!
We hope you enjoyed our article and we will like to know your opinion about this top 10 list, so make sure you leave it in the comment section below!
For more interesting articles check out Richest People in Germany, Richest People in China and Richest People in Netherlands.
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