Russia’s Billionaires Back in Business
Finans Magazine has today published its annual survey of Russia’s richest people, which has seen the number of billionaires return to pre-crisis levels. NLMK owner Vladimir Lisin and Mikhail Prokhorov of Onexim have maintained their steely grip on the top two places, whilst the rest of the top ten is a chain wrought of gold, nickel and aluminum interests. A fact that, this analysis in the FT points out, is very much to do with resurgent demand from a China hungry for raw materials rather than a domestic recovery.
Oleg Deripaska is, as Charles Clover and Neil Buckley suggest, doing remarkably well in fourth place, given Rusal’s extraordinarystruggles with debt since the start of the crisis. Some other points of note are, according to the BBC,that Yelena Baturina has found herself in financial free fall since herhusband was ousted from his post as Mayor of Moscow, finding herself 47places lower then last year. Needless to say she remains the richestwoman in Russia. The other item that sparked the interest of the press is the rapid ascent of the former judo partner of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Arkady Rotenberg,and his younger brother, who have jumped 17 places. This clambering ofthe greasy pole is, it would seem, less likely the result of the common sportingpredilections with the PM, and more likely his interest in Nord Stream servicecompany Stroygazmontazh and his shares in Sochi-involvedconstruction group Mostotrest.
Reuters provides the top ten list and the top movers.
