Forbes Russian version of the 100 richest. Leonid Mikhelson tops Forbes Russian billionaire ranking

Date of writing: 19.10.2023

Reading time: 27 minutes

The influential American publication Forbes published a rating on March 1. In total, the list included 1,810 influential individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion.

10. Charles Koch | Net worth: $39.6 billion

One of the most influential people in the United States are the brothers Charles and David Koch. They took 9th and 10th place in the ranking of the richest people in the world according to Forbes. They own the family diversified holding company Koch Industries, whose revenue is $115 billion annually. Koch Industries provides pipeline construction, produces construction materials, oil refining and other activities. is the chairman of the holding and oversees the active growth of the business. The brothers are engaged in charitable activities and have already donated about a billion for the development of education. Charles Koch's fortune is 39.6 billion - exactly the same as his brother's.

9. David Koch | Net worth: $39.6 billion

Charles's brother, as mentioned above, is a co-owner of the Koch Industries holding and its vice president. The businessman’s capital as of March 2016 amounted to $39.6 billion. The David Koch Charitable Foundation has donated over $1 billion to various causes. In 2014, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art named one of its plazas after the businessman, thereby showing its respect for one of the Kochs who donated money for its reconstruction. Compared to last year, the brothers suffered a loss in their personal wealth: each lost 3.3 billion US dollars.

8. Michael Bloomberg | Net worth: $40.5 billion

The American businessman, with a fortune of $40.5 billion, is ranked eighth among the richest people in the world. The former mayor of New York is the founder and owner of Bloomberg. The oligarch is considered one of the largest philanthropists, who has donated about 4 billion to charitable causes. The increase in Bloomberg's capital this year amounted to about 4.5 billion. In 2014, the multimillionaire became an honorary Knight Commander and was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

7. Larry Ellison | Net worth: $43.6 billion

An American with a capital of 43.6 billion US dollars ranks seventh among the world's largest oligarchs according to Forbes magazine. Currently, the businessman is a director of Oracle Corporation, a leading shareholder of NetSuite Inc and an initial investor in the American company Salesforce.com. Larry Ellison is the largest sponsor of specialized competitions in the United States. In addition, one of the richest people is actively involved in buying real estate. Compared to last year, the tycoon suffered impressive financial losses, which amounted to more than 10 billion.

6. Mark Zuckerberg | Net worth: $44.6 billion

The American founder of the social network Facebook and its leader is ranked sixth among the richest people in the world. The young oligarch's fortune is currently estimated at $44.6 billion. Over the past 12 months, the increase in the American's capital amounted to more than 11 billion. The billionaire is going to donate 99% of Facebook shares to charity.

5. Jeff Bezos | Net worth: $45.2 billion

With a net worth of $45.2 billion, the American ranks fifth among the world's wealthiest people today. The increase in the businessman’s assets this year amounted to more than 10 billion. He is the owner of the aerospace company Blue Origin, as well as the head of the online retailer Amazon. In addition, he owns the publishing house The Washington Post. A multimillionaire is one of the largest investors. Bezos prefers to invest in the development of Twitter, AirBNB, UBER, Rethink Robotics and other promising projects.

4. Carlos Slim Helu | Net worth 50 billion dollars

The Mexican took fourth place this year among the richest people in the world. The oligarch's personal fortune is about $50 billion. This year has brought the oligarch significant losses, which amounted to 27 billion. This fact is associated with the fall in the shares of the operator America Movil, which are considered the main asset of the billionaire. Carlos Slim Helu is one of the leading shareholders of The New York Times publishing house. In addition, the conglomerate Grupo Carso, Grupo Financiero Inbursa and the financial structure Ideal are under the control of the tycoon.

3. Warren Buffett | Net worth: $60.8 billion

Opens the top three largest oligarchs in the world according to Forbes for 2016. The American investor has a capital of 60.8 billion US dollars. This year, the businessman suffered significant losses, estimated at almost 12 billion. The tycoon’s investment portfolio is quite extensive, but the most basic areas in which he operates are oil, metallurgy and food. Last year, the American acquired the metallurgical holding Precision Castparts. This is one of the best deals in his business. Buffett is also actively buying shares of oil companies and investing money in Burger King and Tim Hortons chains.

2. Omancio Ortega | Net worth: $67 billion

The Spanish businessman, with a capital of $67 billion, currently ranks second in the Forbes ranking of the world's wealthiest people. He is the founder and owner of the Zara chain of stores, which are known for high-quality clothing at fairly low prices. It was this factor, according to experts, that helped the oligarch not only stay afloat, but also increase his income during the crisis. Today the company owns about 5 thousand stores in 77 countries around the world. Ortega is a major investor; he has invested most of his finances in real estate in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Florida, the gas industry, banks and tourism. In 2015, according to Forbes magazine, he was the richest person in the world with a fortune of $79 billion. Ortega is a recipient of the Order of Civil Merit.

1. Bill Gates | Net worth: $75 billion

The American tops the ranking of the richest people in the world as of March 1, 2016. His personal net worth is estimated at $75 billion, which is slightly less than last year. Over the past 12 months, the billionaire suffered losses of about 4 billion. The founder of Microsoft is one of the largest investors. Shareholder income is growing not only due to the activities of Microsoft. The oligarch receives the lion's share of the profit through investments in mechanical engineering, railways, waste processing, etc. Gates is one of the largest philanthropists. Over the entire existence of his philanthropic foundation, about $31.5 billion has been allocated to charitable needs.

Hello everyone, Vyacheslav Bulenkov is with you and in this issue, I will share the TOP 10 richest people in Russia in the Forbes world ranking for 2015. On March 2, the American Forbes published its traditional, 29th, global ranking of billionaires. This time, the list included 88 businessmen from Russia, 33 less than a year earlier, and Vladimir Potanin became the leader for the first time - he displaced Alisher Usmanov from the first “national” line. Russian participants in the rating have become noticeably “impoverished” over the year - the reason for this is the crisis in the country’s economy and Western sanctions due to the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and the war in Donbass. In terms of the number of dollar billionaires, Russia is now inferior not only to the United States and China, but also to Germany and India. 10. Mikhail Prokhorov Net worth: $9.9 billion Change over the year: -$1 billion Position in the world ranking: 125 Athlete, banker, metallurgist, playboy, investor, media mogul, politician and owner of the NBA club - all this is Mikhail Prokhorov. In 2012, he shocked all of Russia with his unexpected candidacy for the post of president of the country - and according to the election results he collected a quite respectable 8% of the vote. But since then the businessman’s political career has faded. His most notable American project is the construction of a new arena for the Nets. In December 2013, he acquired 27% in Uralkali, the world's largest producer of potash fertilizers. 9. Gennady Timchenko Net worth: $10.7 billion Change for the year: -$4.6 billion Position in the world ranking: 118 Gennady Timchenko owns shares in many companies in the gas, transport and construction industries. Among its assets are the largest gas producer Novatek, the petrochemical holding Sibur, the railway carrier Transoil and the insurance company Sogaz. Being one of the most influential people in the country, the billionaire, who is considered a close friend of Vladimir Putin, came under US sanctions in 2014. Among Timchenko’s non-business workload is the supervision of Russian hockey: he chairs the KHL board of directors and holds the post of president of the St. Petersburg club SKA. 8. Vladimir Lisin Net worth: $11.6 billion Change over the year: -$5 billion Position in the world ranking: 107 Vladimir Lisin made his fortune in metallurgy, rail transportation and logistics. Previously, he became a partner in the Trans-World Group, which over several years has grown into a leading Russian exporter of aluminum and steel. By that time, Lisin had accumulated a wealth of experience in managing metallurgical production, so that during the division of assets in 2000, he naturally received ownership of the industry giant, the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works. The billionaire also controls the logistics holding UCL, which owns the First Freight Company. 7. Leonid Mikhelson Net worth: $11.7 billion Change for the year: -$3.9 billion Position in the world ranking: 105 Leonid Mikhelson is the main owner of the gas producer Novatek, the chemical group Sibur and the First United Bank. In July 2014, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions against Novatek, putting pressure on Timchenko's business partner, who is considered a close friend of Putin in the West. The company remains the controlling shareholder of the Yamal LNG project, which is developing despite sanctions pressure. To support it, Novatek requested $2.3 billion in support from the National Welfare Fund. The total cost of the project is estimated at $27 billion, Chinese investors are ready to invest $10 billion. 6. Vagit Alekperov Net worth: $12.2 billion Change for the year: -$1.4 billion Position in the world ranking: 96 Vagit Alekperov heads Lukoil, the largest oil company in Russia, which, in particular, is developing the West Qurna 2 field in Iraq, possessing some of the richest deposits on the planet. The billionaire does not have a reputation as a businessman from the inner circle of President Vladimir Putin, which did not save Lukoil from US sanctions in September 2014. Having gone through all the career stages in the oil industry, at the end of the USSR the future billionaire even managed to work as an industry minister. In 1991, he privatized three large fields and founded Lukoil. Alekperov is the author of the book “Russian Oil: Past, Present and Future.” 5. Alexey Mordashov Net worth: $13 billion Change over the year: +$2.5 billion Position in the world ranking: 89 In mid-January 2015, Putin received Mordashov and made the metallurgical magnate promise not to allow unreasonable investments. Against the backdrop of bad market conditions for Russia, the billionaire got rid of all American assets - his company Severstal is now focusing on the national market. At the end of 2013, the businessman, together with entrepreneur Yuri Kovalchuk, close to Putin, bought a 50% stake in the fourth largest Russian mobile operator Tele2 Russia. Also, together with Kovalchuk, Mordashov is a shareholder of Rossiya Bank, which is under US and EU sanctions due to the “pro-presidential” reputation of its main shareholder. In 2011, the owner of Severstal increased his stake in the Power Machines holding company, purchasing 25% from Siemens. 4. Viktor Vekselberg Net worth: $14.2 billion Change over the year: -$3 billion Position in the world ranking: 73 Russian authorities chose Viktor Vekselberg to be the project supervisor for the national analogue of Silicon Valley - the Skolkovo innovation city - in 2010. Since then, three billionaire companies have already appeared among the project residents who received grants from the state. In 2013, the businessman, together with Mikhail Fridman and Leonard Blavatnik, sold a 50% stake in the oil company TNK-BP to the state-owned Rosneft for $28 billion. Vekselberg earned his first million from selling scrap metal. In the 1990s, he founded the holding company SUAL. In 2007, SUAL merged assets with the Rusal group and the mining company Glencore - this is how the world's largest aluminum producer UC Rusal was born. In addition, Vekselberg has stakes in petrochemical, consumer goods and telecommunications businesses. 3. Alisher Usmanov Net worth: $14.4 billion Change for the year: -$4.2 billion Position in the world ranking: 71 Alisher Usmanov lost his status as the richest man in Russia after three years of leadership, but continues to remain a key figure in several major sectors of the national economy. . Among his assets are the metallurgical giant Metalloinvest, the country's second largest mobile operator Megafon, the Internet holding Mail.ru Group and the Kommersant publishing house. The billionaire's most successful investments internationally are in the tech industry: He was an early investor in Facebook, but sold all of his shares in the social network in 2013 to invest in rising Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Chinese budget smartphone maker Xiaomi. Usmanov also remains a shareholder of the London football club Arsenal. 2. Mikhail Fridman Net worth: $14.6 billion Change over the year: -$3 billion Position in the world ranking: 68 Together with his friends from study, Mikhail Fridman controls Alfa Group, the largest private financial and industrial group in Russia. In 2011, Alfa-controlled mobile operator VimpelCom acquired the telecommunications holding of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris and became the sixth largest player in the global market. Fridman and partners also own the second largest chain of stores in Russia – X5 Retail Group. 1. Vladimir Potanin Net worth: $15.4 billion Change over the year: +$2.8 billion Position in the world ranking: 60 Vladimir Potanin, a former employee of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, met his future partner Mikhail Prokhorov in 1991. In 1993, the partners created Oneximbank, which lured IBES clients to serve them. Oneximbank became a platform for the construction of the Interros holding. With the support of the state, the billionaire became the largest private investor in the Winter Olympics in Sochi - he built the Rosa Khutor ski resort. And so, this was the TOP 10 richest people in Russia in the Forbes world ranking for 2015. Subscribe to the channel to receive new inspiring and useful episodes, write your opinion in the comments, and if you liked the episode, like and share this video with your friends. This will be the biggest support for me. And Vyacheslav Bulenkov was with you and see you again!

In March 2019, the famous Forbes magazine published its next annual ranking of the 200 richest people in Russia. For our readers, we have presented a list of the 10 wealthiest Russian oligarchs of our time.

10. Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich | $12.4 billion

Russian entrepreneur Roman Arkadievich Abramovich opens the top ten largest oligarchs in the country for this year. His personal fortune is estimated at $12.4 billion, up $1.6 billion from last year. In the Forbes world list, Abramovich took 128th position in the ranking. He is one of the leading businessmen and statesman.

9. Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov | $12.6 billion

In ninth place among financial tycoons at the end of 2019. The entrepreneur’s fortune at the beginning of 2019 was $12.6 billion. The Russian took 118th place in the world rankings. The billionaire's main assets are concentrated in the metallurgy and Internet industries. He owns the Metalloinvest holding and the mail.ru Group holding, which includes mail.ru, social networks Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, Moi Mir and other services. Usmanov also owns a number of television channels and radio stations, the Kommersant publishing house, and so on. Such extensive assets allow one of the leading rich men to remain in leading positions among the oligarchs for several years in a row. Alisher Burkhanovich actively takes part in the country's charitable activities and is the winner of many awards.

8. Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko | $13.8 billion

In seventh place among the richest people in the country in 2019 is Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko. His fortune today is estimated at $13.8 billion. In the world ranking according to Forbes Russian entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist ranks 111. Its main activity is the production of fertilizers at EuroChem and the coal and energy SUEK - the largest world-class companies.

7. Mikhail Maratovich Fridman | $15 billion

A major entrepreneur has been ranked seventh on the list of the richest people in Russia for the fourth year in a row. His capital is estimated at $15 billion. The billionaire managed to take 98th place in the world rankings. He is a co-owner and also the chairman of the Alfa Group consortium, which includes Alfa Bank, Alfa Capital, AlfaStrakhovanie, Alfa-Eco, etc. In addition, Fridman is a member of the supervisory board of VimpelCom Ltd, founder of the bureau of the presidium of the Russian Jewish Congress and a member of the Public Chamber of the 2006 convocation.

6. Vladimir Olegovich Potanin | $18.1 billion

The Russian oligarch and politician with a capital of $18.1 billion ranked sixth among the most influential people in Russia in 2019. Among all the rich people in the world, the Russian took 88th place. Compared to last year, the billionaire’s fortune decreased by 3.3 billion. He is the owner and president of one of the largest companies, Interros, a shareholder of the Rambler group, and is also the general director of MMC Norilsk Nickel.

Vladimir Olegovich actively takes part in the country’s social and charitable activities. This is one of the first entrepreneurs in Russia who joined the philanthropic campaign “Oath of Giving” and expressed a desire to donate half of his fortune to charity. Potanin has received many awards for services to the Fatherland.

5. Gennady Nikolaevich Timchenko | $20.1 billion

The Russian entrepreneur took fifth place this year among the richest people in the country. As of 2019, the tycoon's capital amounted to $20.1 billion. In 5 years he managed to increase his capital 5 times. Timchenko ranks 85th in the world rankings. He is the founder and main shareholder of the investment group Volga Group, which unites companies from the fields of energy, transport and infrastructure construction. Through the Volga Group, Gennady Nikolaevich owns a 23% stake in the gas production company Novatek.

4. Alexey Alexandrovich Mordashov | $20.5 billion

He is ranked fourth among the richest people in Russia and 71st in the world ranking compiled by Forbes in 2019. Its capital is estimated at 20.5 billion dollars. He is the owner of the metallurgical company Severstal, General Director of CJSC Severgroup and Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Power Machines. The billionaire owns a 23% stake in the travel company TUI Group. In 2014, the Russian was recognized as the best speaker in the global steel industry. Alexey Alexandrovich received many awards for services to the state.

3. Vagit Yusufovich Alikperov | $20.7 billion

In third place among the richest people in Russia in 2019 is. The oligarch’s personal capital today is $20.7 billion, which allows him to occupy 65th place in the world ranking. Back in 2015, with a fortune of 12.2 billion, the entrepreneur held his position in sixth place among the wealthiest Russians. He is the president and co-owner of one of the leading Russian oil companies, Lukoil. He has received many honorary awards for services to the country.

2. Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin | $21.3 billion

He took second place in the ranking of Russian financial magnates. The entrepreneur has a capital of 21.3 billion dollars and ranks 63rd in the world ranking compiled by Forbes. Among his main assets are shares of the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works and the transport and logistics holding Universal Cargo Logistics Holding.

1. Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson | $24 billion

The notorious crisis situation affected not only ordinary citizens. The sharks of Russian business also failed to escape unscathed: over the past year, the total income of the country's richest people decreased by more than $70 billion.

Representatives of the business publication Forbes at the beginning of 2016 23 dollar billionaires were missing this year.

Influential magazine counted 88 businessmen whose income in dollar terms is measured in amounts followed by nine zeros. But the crisis, falling oil prices, the introduction of economic sanctions and other troubles failed to harm the mastodons of domestic business. You are invited to familiarize yourself with the list of the richest Russian entrepreneurs.

The well-known Russian politician, who ran for the post of President of the Russian Federation in 2012, turned out to be more successful in his usual entrepreneurial field. The 50-year-old Moscow businessman, despite losing $1 billion, has strengthened his position on the list of Russian billionaires. His income is estimated at $9.9 billion, and Mikhail Dmitrievich earns his money by controlling the following assets:

Uralkali shares;
stake in UC Rusal;
insurance company "Soglasie";
stake in the investment company Renaissance Capital;
publishing group “Live!”;
RBC media group.

Mr. Prokhorov occupies the top lines not only of Russian ratings. Israeli " Forbes “compiled a list of the richest Jews in the world, where Mikhail Dmitrievich took an honorable 16th place.

A Russian entrepreneur permanently residing in Switzerland suffered significant losses amounting to $4.6 billion. But this did not prevent him from remaining one of the wealthiest people in Russia with an income of 10.7 billion. The 63-year-old native of the Armenian SSR owns the private investment company Volga Group, investing mainly in transport, infrastructure and energy assets.

Gennady Nikolaevich owns:

Aquanika production company, which produces drinking water;
89% shares of Sakhatrans;
63% shares of Stroytransgaz;
50% of the Hartwall Arena sports complex (Finland);
49.1% shares of the insurance company Sovag AG (Germany), etc.

Interesting fact: in 2014, the entrepreneur entered the TOP 3 of the “Kings of Government Contracts” rating compiled by Forbes. In total, the volume of government orders from companies owned by the businessman exceeds 40 billion rubles.

A businessman who set a kind of anti-record, suffering the maximum losses among the top ten billionaires. His losses over the past year exceeded $5 billion, and his current fortune is now estimated at $11.6 billion. During his long career, the 59-year-old native of Ivanovo has been both a simple electrical mechanic at Yuzhkuzbassugol and a member of the board of directors of the country’s largest metallurgical companies.

Lisin owns the following assets:

85.54% shares of NLMK;
100% shares of the UCL holding.

The transport company Universal Cargo Logistics is engaged in rail transportation. It also includes the VBTH division, which represents shipping and shipbuilding companies, and the UCL Port division, which provides stevedoring services. The holding's headquarters are located in the Netherlands. The total profit of the enterprise over the past year is 110 billion rubles, which is 25.6 billion less than in 2014.

The businessman, awarded the Order of “Badge of Honor” and “For Services to the Fatherland”, 2nd degree, lost $3.9 billion last year, and his fortune is estimated at 11.7 billion. The native of Kaspiysk’s income comes from the post of chairman of the board of the company “ Novatek is a Russian gas production company with headquarters in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Tarko-Sale). OJSC Novatek ranks 2nd in terms of gas production volumes in Russia.

Mikhelson's second source of income is the Sibur company, which is the largest petrochemical holding in the country. The company is registered in Tobolsk, but its headquarters are located in the capital. The main activity is the processing of associated petroleum gas. Divisions have also been created in the field of rubber and polymer production.

The permanent president of Lukoil does not lose his grip. In the Forbes rating, he managed to improve his position by 1 line, despite losses incurred that exceeded $1.4 billion. The businessman’s current wealth is more than 12.2 billion. Vagit Yusufovich has held leadership positions more than once during his long career, such as:

General Director of Kogalymneftegaz;
Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas Industry of the USSR;
first Deputy Director of Bashneft;
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Imperial.

Alekperov's business extends beyond Russia. In the Republic of Belarus, he owns one of the largest private gas filling networks, a joint production venture with the Naftan company (Novopolotsk). Mr. Alekperov is the owner of a dozen state awards, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II – IV degrees.

Alexey Mordashov, a 50-year-old father with many children, is one of the few entrepreneurs who managed to increase their income during the crisis. The businessman’s fortune increased by 2.5 billion dollars and amounted to 12 billion. Alexey Alexandrovich’s income comes from the following assets:

79% shares of OJSC Severstal;
100% shares of OJSC Power Machines;
88% shares of Nord Gold;
14% shares of TUI (European tourism concern);
grocery store "Platypus";
mobile operator "Tele2".

Alexey Mordashov is a member of the Council on Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness under the Government of Russia. He also heads the WTO and trade policy committee of the Russian Union of Entrepreneurs. Mordashov owns half of the sanctioned bank " Russia ", which receives the salary of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Viktor Feliksovich is one of the most significant figures in Russian business. He is a member of the board of directors of the Russian Union of Industrialists and is the president of the Skolkovo Foundation. The Renova group of companies, which owns the following assets, helps him increase his wealth:

57% of the Akado telecommunications holding;
44.4% of the mechanical engineering company Oerlikon (Switzerland);
40.5% of the metallurgical concern Schmolz+Bickenbach AG (Germany);
30.2% of industrial equipment manufacturer Sulzer AG (Germany);
5.7% shares of the world's largest producer of primary aluminum, Rusal.

Vekselberg previously owned a large stake in TNK-BP, but sold it in 2013 for $7 billion. Despite the 3 billion losses, at the end of last year his fortune is estimated at 14.2 billion dollars.

The founder of USM Holdings lost more than $4.2 billion in 2015 and ceased to be the richest man in Russia. The businessman’s fortune is estimated at 14.4 billion, and a native of the Uzbek SSR earns his capital by owning the following assets:

64.6% Mail.Ru Group;
56% of Megafon company;
39.9% of the social network “VKontakte”, etc.

The businessman owns the Kommersant publishing house, TV channels Yu, MuzTV and others that are part of UTV-Holding. The Metalloinvest enterprise, which is also owned by the businessman, is the country's largest supplier of iron ore raw materials. Almost a third of the British football club Arsenal is owned by a Russian businessman.

Mikhail Maratovich firmly holds his position. With losses of 3 billion, he retained second place in the prestigious Forbes ranking, which estimated his fortune at $14.6 billion. A Russian businessman originally from Lvov (Ukraine) is a co-owner of the country's largest financial and industrial group - Alfa Group. It controls the following assets:

"Alfa Bank";
"Alfa Insurance";
"Rosvodokanal";
stake in X5-Retail Group (Perekrestok, Karusel, Pyaterochka chains, etc.);
stake in the Turkish mobile operator Turkcell;
49.5% of the car dealer holding "Independence".

Israeli citizen permanently residing in London.

The 54-year-old Russian businessman and politician, whose fortune is estimated at $15.4 billion, can easily be called an entrepreneur from God. Indeed, during the crisis, he managed to increase his fortune by 2.8 billion, “soaring” 7 lines up in the Forbes list. Vladimir Olegovich owns one of the country's largest investment companies, Interros, which brings him such impressive income.

The company manages the following assets:

shares of Norilsk Nickel;
media holding "ProfMedia" (TV channels "TV-3", "2x2", "Friday");
ski resort "Rosa Khutor" (Krasnaya Polyana, Krasnodar region).

Mr. Potanin is the General Director of Norilsk Nickel and is included in the TOP 500 most influential people on the planet according to Foreign Policy magazine (USA). Vladimir Olegovich received his Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree, for his active participation in ensuring the victory of Sochi’s bid to host the XXII Olympic Games. People , far from business (mainly undergraduates and teachers of 75 domestic universities), know about Potanin thanks to the scholarship program he established.

Summarizing

Roman Abramovich, who did not suffer any financial losses over the past year, did not make it into the TOP 10 richest people in Russia. However, he also failed to increase his capital, and with a fortune of $9 billion, he occupies only 12th place on the list. In total, 200 names appear in the 12th annual ranking of the influential magazine. The “poorest” entrepreneur turned out to be 51-year-old Eduard Chukhlebov with a modest income of $400 million. He is the general director of the UMMC Trading House.

American Forbes on Tuesday, March 1, published its annual, 30th anniversary, ranking of the world's billionaires. The list included 77 representatives of Russia, 11 less than a year earlier: large businesses continue to suffer losses due to the economic crisis, the collapse of oil prices and the sanctions war with the West. The Russian part of the rating was headed - for the first time in history - by the co-owner of Novatek and Sibur, Leonid Mikhelson. Read more about the ten richest Russians and four newcomers from Russia on the list below.

1. Leonid Mikhelson
Net worth: $14.4 billion
Change for the year: + $2.7 billion
World ranking: 60

Leonid Mikhelson is the main shareholder of the largest independent gas producer in Russia Novatek and the petrochemical holding Sibur. He also owns a minority stake in Promsvyazbank. Mikhelson's partner at Novatek and Sibur is Gennady Timchenko. Another co-owner of the petrochemical holding is Kirill Shamalov, whom the media call the alleged husband of Katerina Tikhonova, the alleged daughter of Vladimir Putin. Shamalov acquired a stake in Sibur from Timchenko after American sanctions were imposed against a longtime acquaintance of the Russian president. At the end of 2015, the Chinese Sinopec bought 10% of Sibur for $1.3 billion. Mikhelson enthusiastically collects art and sponsors exhibitions in Russia and the USA. His father was the director of the Kuibyshevtruboprovodstroy construction trust, the largest in the system of the Ministry of Construction of the Oil and Gas Industry of the USSR.

2. Mikhail Fridman
Net worth: $13.3 billion
Change for the year: - $1.3 billion
World ranking: 63

Together with his long-time business partners from his student days, German Khan and Alexey Kuzmichev, he controls Alfa Group, Russia's largest financial and industrial investment group. In 2013, the state-owned Rosneft for $28 billion bought from Mikhail Fridman, Viktor Vekselberg and Leonard Blavatnik 50% of the oil company TNK-BP, which the billionaires owned on a parity basis with the British BP. Friedman gained $5.1 billion from the deal. In 2013, this money was partially used to launch a new Alpha structure - LetterOne Holdings S.A. (L1), on whose balance sheet the foreign assets of the investment group appeared and who was entrusted with control over M&A transactions abroad. In particular, L1 acquired the German oil and gas company Dea RWE for $5.7 billion in 2015. Among Alpha’s largest projects are the second largest Russian retailer X5, shares in the telecommunications holdings VimpelCom and Turkcell. A native of Ukraine, Friedman moved to Moscow in his youth to attend university. In 1989, together with Khan and Kuzmichev, he founded the Alfa-Eco company, which marked the beginning of the construction of one of the main business empires in Russia. Two years later, the partners created Alfa Bank, now the largest private bank in the country.

3. Alisher Usmanov
Net worth: $12.5 billion
Change for the year: – $1.9 billion
World ranking: 73

Alisher Usmanov, who has topped the Russian Forbes list for several years in a row, runs one of the most extensive business empires in the country. Among his assets are the metallurgical holding Metalloinvest, the second largest mobile operator in Russia Megafon and the publishing house Kommersant. In 2014, the billionaire sold 12% of the USM Holdings management holding to his long-time junior business partners and key top managers. Usmanov is a member of a number of important lobbying organizations, including the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree. One of the early investors in Facebook, three years ago the businessman sold off all shares of the social network and focused on Chinese assets - he has a stake in the online retailer Alibaba, Usmanov invested $500 million in the smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. The billionaire is also a co-owner of the London football club Arsenal. In 2015, Usmanov made headlines more often in connection with his social initiatives: he lent 1 billion rubles to the Russian Football Union to help the organization pay off Italian coach Fabio Capello.

4. Vladimir Potanin
Net worth: $12.1 billion
Change for the year: – $3.3 billion
World ranking: 78

Last year's leader of the Russian Forbes list, Vladimir Potanin, a former employee of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, in 1991 met his future partner Mikhail Prokhorov, at that time the head of the department of the Soviet International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC). In 1993, the partners created Oneximbank, which lured IBES clients to serve them. Oneximbank became a platform for the construction of the Interros holding. At the loans-for-shares auctions, the tandem of billionaires gained control over the metallurgical giant MMC Norilsk Nickel and the oil company Sidanco. In 2007, Potanin and Prokhorov decided to divide the business. Potanin, a former deputy prime minister in the government of Viktor Chernomyrdin and a partner of George Soros in investing in Svyazinvest, concentrated his assets in Interros. With the support of the state, the billionaire became the largest private investor in the Winter Olympics in Sochi - he built the Rosa Khutor ski resort. In May 2014, Potanin divorced his wife Natalia and married a subordinate named Ekaterina for the second time; the couple already had a child. Natalia filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband - she demands 50% of the billionaire's assets. In the fall of 2015, the Moscow City Court rejected the claim; Natalia challenged this decision on appeal. The litigation continues.

5. Gennady Timchenko
Net worth: $11.4 billion
Change for the year: + $0.7 billion
World ranking: 85

The co-founder of Gunvor Group, one of the world's largest commodity traders, Gennady Timchenko sold 43% of the company's shares to another of its founders, Torbjorn Tornqvist, in March 2014, the day before he was included in the American sanctions list - according to US authorities, the billionaire is included in the near Vladimir Putin's circle. Timchenko, in response to Washington’s actions, only stated that “you have to pay for everything in this life, including friendship with the president.” In 2015, he continued the sale of assets, including shares in the construction companies SK Most and ARKS and the insurance holding Sogaz. Timchenko's assets today are shares in the petrochemical holding Sibur, the railway operator Transoil and the construction group Stroytransgaz. The businessman also chairs the board of directors of the Kontinental Hockey League and serves as president of the St. Petersburg hockey club SKA, winner of the 2015 Gagarin Cup.

6. Alexey Mordashov
Net worth: $10.9 billion
Change for the year: – $2.1 billion
World ranking: 93

Alexey Mordashov, the main owner of the metallurgical giant Severstal, left his post as CEO of the company in 2015, having been at the helm for 19 years. He also guaranteed Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would abandon short-sighted investments (amid the sale of Severstal's North American assets). In addition to the steel industry, Mordashov’s business empire extends to tourism (operator TUI), gold mining (Nordgold), and heavy engineering (Power Machines). A hereditary metallurgist, he literally grew up at the enterprise, quickly built a career and became financial director, and then bought shares and himself became the main owner of Severstal. Mordashov is on the boards of trustees of the Bolshoi Theater, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Valaam Monastery and the National Chess Federation. He speaks fluent German and is interested in poetry, art and winter sports.

7. Viktor Vekselberg
Net worth: $10.5 billion
Change for the year: – $3.7 billion
World ranking: 98

The Russian authorities entrusted Viktor Vekselberg with one of the most ambitious projects - the Skolkovo innovation city: the billionaire heads the fund of the same name, which oversees the development of the national analogue of Silicon Valley. Since 2010, the fund has issued grants, including to Vekselberg’s structures, including $13 million for the innovative energy company Hevel. In 2013, the businessman, together with his billionaire partners Mikhail Fridman and Leonard Blavatnik, sold a 50% stake in TNK-BP to the state-owned Rosneft for $28 billion and received $7 billion from the deal. He spent part of the funds on purchasing a 25% stake in the Swiss metallurgical company Schmolz +Bickenbach. In 2014, the entrepreneur also acquired Octo Telematics, an Italian manufacturer of software for insurers. Vekselberg has a 6.2 percent stake in Bank of Cyprus. Its industrial conglomerate Renova is a strategic investor in the Swiss market. Among the main assets are shares in the industrial groups Oerlikon and Sulzer. In 2015, Vekselberg spent almost $1 billion to double his stake in Sulzer, to 63%. A native of Ukraine, the future billionaire made his first money selling scrap metal. In the 1990s, he founded the holding company SUAL. In 2007, SUAL merged assets with the Rusal group and mining company Glencore - this is how the world's largest aluminum producer UC Rusal was born, where the billionaire retains a minority stake. In addition, Vekselberg has stakes in petrochemical, consumer goods and telecommunications businesses. He owns a large art collection, including nine Faberge Easter eggs, which the billionaire bought from the Forbes family for $100 million. In November 2013, Vekselberg opened a private museum in St. Petersburg, where he exhibited his treasures. In February 2014, the businessman donated a three-room apartment in the Azimut hotel in Sochi to Olympic figure skating champions Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov. Athletes will need their own housing in the capital of the 2014 Games to realize their dream of creating a children's school, the philanthropist reasoned. In 2015, Renova transferred Azimut to the All-Russian Children's Center.

8. Vladimir Lisin
Net worth: $9.3 billion
Change for the year: – $2.3 billion
World ranking: 116

Vladimir Lisin made his fortune in steel and shipping. He began his career as an electrical mechanic at the Yuzhkuzbassugol association. After graduating from the institute, he worked at metallurgical enterprises, rising from an assistant steelmaker to deputy general director of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant. In 1991, together with his leader, who became the Minister of Metallurgy, the future billionaire moved to Moscow. He soon became a partner in the Trans-World Group, which within a few years had grown into a leading Russian exporter of aluminum and steel. By that time, Lisin had accumulated a wealth of experience in managing metallurgical production, so that during the division of assets in 2000, he naturally received ownership of the industry giant, the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works. The billionaire also controls the logistics holding UCL, which owns the First Freight Company. His most famous hobby outside of business is shooting: Lisin built the largest shooting complex in Europe, “Fox Hole,” in the Moscow region. In January 2016, the billionaire criticized the Russian defense complex for its incompetence in the production of sporting firearms.

9. Vagit Alekperov
Net worth: $8.9 billion
Change for the year: – $3.3 billion
World ranking: 124

Vagit Alekperov heads Lukoil, Russia's largest independent oil producer, which is exploring the West Qurna-2 field in Iraq, one of the most promising in the world. In 2016, the company plans to invest $1.5 billion in the development of its projects. Alekperov is not considered a close associate of Vladimir Putin, but this did not save Lukoil from American sanctions - restrictions against the company were introduced in September 2014. The main owner of the company plans to inherit the share to his son Yusuf - on the condition that he does not sell the asset and the family remains the largest co-owner of the oil giant. Having gone through all the career stages in the oil industry, at the end of the USSR the future billionaire even managed to work as an industry minister. In 1991, he privatized three large fields and created Lukoil. Alekperov is the author of the book “Russian Oil: Past, Present and Future” and the founder of the “Our Future” foundation for regional social programs, which actively supports social entrepreneurship.

10. German Khan
Net worth: $8.7 billion
Change for the year: + $0.8 billion
World ranking: 128

German Khan, together with Mikhail Fridman and Alexey Kuzmichev, owns Alfa Group, the largest private financial and industrial group in Russia. He worked for a long time as the executive director of the oil company TNK-BP, which he left in March 2013, after the 50% share of Alfa and its partners was bought by the state-owned Rosneft for $28 billion. Khan earned $3.3 billion from the deal. In 2013, together with other Alfa members, he used part of the funds to create the company LetterOne Holdings S.A. (L1), specializing in investments in foreign assets (for example, the German oil and gas company DEA was acquired for €5.1 billion). Khan joined the board of directors of L1. The company's head office is located in London, where the billionaire bought a mansion worth $91 million in 2010. A native of Kyiv, he moved to Moscow after enrolling in university. Together with Friedman and Kuzmichev, Khan founded the Alfa-Eco trader in 1989. Two years later, the partners created Alfa Bank, now the largest private bank in Russia. In the late 1990s, Alpha gained control of TNK and created a joint venture with British BP. Other assets of the group include mobile operator VimpelCom and retailer X5 Retail Group.

Newcomer: Mikail Shishkhanov
Net worth: $1.6 billion
World ranking: 1110

In 1992, while a student at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Mikail Shishkhanov began working for the BIN Group, founded by his uncle, billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev. Since 1994 he has been working at B&N Bank, and today he holds the status of its director. He also oversees the group's construction assets. Under Shishkhanov's leadership, BIN completed a series of transactions in the financial sector in 2015, including the purchase of MDM Bank from billionaire Sergei Popov and a non-state pension fund from Raiffeisenbank.

Newcomer: Sait-Salam Gutseriev

In 1999-2008, State Duma deputy, Sait-Salam Gutseriev, since 1993, has been working in leadership positions in the BIN Group, founded by his older brother Mikhail Gutseriev. He is the junior business partner in the group. Sait-Salam oversees BIN's development projects, in particular managing the National and Sheraton hotels in the center of Moscow. The group's rental income in 2015 was $430 million.

Newcomer: Leonid Boguslavsky
Net worth: $1.2 billion

Leonid Boguslavsky has been involved in business in the IT field since the mid-1980s. In the early 1990s, he managed to be a partner of Boris Berezovsky in the LogoVAZ company and a Russian representative of the Oracle software corporation. In 1992, the businessman exchanged his stake in LogoVAZ for a subsidiary of the company, system integrator LVS. Four years later, Boguslavsky sold LVS to the auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers for $10 million. The entrepreneur made the bulk of his fortune through successful venture investments, the most successful of which - in the Russian search giant Yandex - was made in the early 2000s. Boguslavsky invests through the ru-Net and RTP Ventures funds. Among his latest investments are the German Delivery Hero, the American DataDog, and the Indian SnapDeal and FreeCharge.

Newcomer: Kirill Shamalov
Net worth: $1.2 billion
World ranking: 1466

Kirill Shamalov is the youngest son of Nikolai Shamalov, a longtime acquaintance of Vladimir Putin, co-owner of Rossiya Bank. According to media reports, he is allegedly the husband of Katerina Tikhonova, the alleged daughter of the Russian President. Shamalov Jr. is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University. At the age of 26, he became vice president of the Sibur petrochemical holding. In 2014, the entrepreneur acquired 17% of Sibur from another longtime acquaintance of Putin, billionaire Gennady Timchenko. In total, today Kirill Shamalov owns 21.3% of the holding - he is the second co-owner of Sibur after Leonid Mikhelson. In December 2015, the Chinese state-owned company Sinopec acquired 10% of Sibur for $1.339 billion.