Who are they, Russian Billionaires?

Forbes magazine today introduced its fresh rating Forbes 400, which seems to be the most respected rating of the richest people of the planet. According to Forbes, this year's list broke records in size (1,210 billionaires) and total net worth ($4.5 trillion). The number of Chinese billionaires on the 
Forbes list doubled to 115; the number of Russians grew to 101, Indians to 55 and Brazilians to 30. USA is still the first with its 413 billionaires.
So Russia is now 3rd among other countries. Though Moscow now has more billionaires than any other city – 75 people (only 58 in New York). In other words, now every 12th billionaire in the world has Russian passport.

The richest Russian billionaire is Vladimir Lisin, Chairman of the board of directors Novolipetsk Steel. Lisin owns $24 billion wich puts him at 14 place in common rating. He is the only one Russian in the TOP-20 Forbes rating.
Lisin is a proletarian success story, Forbes says. First job was as a mechanic in a coal mine. Then from steelworker in Siberia he moved towards dominating Russia's aluminium and steel exports along with group of traders called Trans-World Group. That was in early 90-s. Lisin managed the factories, and when the partners went their separate ways in 2000, Lisin got majority stake in Russia's giant Novolipetsk steel mill as his share.

The second Russian billionaire is Alexey Mordashev, CEO Severstal (steelmaking). He owns $18,5 billion and took 29 place in overall rating. I personally saw Mr Mordashev a week ago at one forum in St-Petersbourg, he refused to talk. What a pity! Perhaps if Forbes had published its ranking by that time I could congratulate Mr. Mordashev and make his steel heart softer? :D

 

On the 3rd position amoung Russians (32nd in common ranking) comes Mikhail Prohorov, President at ONEXIM Group and owner of an American basketball team, the New Jersey Nets. His fortune reached $18 billion.
According to Forbes, With fellow billionaire Vladimir Potanin built holding company Interros by winning over the corporate customers of two huge Soviet-era banks in 1992. The group had interests in metals, engineering, agriculture and media. Soon after his highly publicized arrest on suspicion of trafficking prostitutes (and release without charges) in the French ski town of Courchevel in early 2007, he and Potanin announced they were dividing up their holdings in Interros.

I remember meeting Mr Prohorov about 2-3 years ago at St.Petersburg international economic forum. I must say I can understand those girls at Courchevel. Mr Prohorov is one of the most charming men I’ve ever met among political and business faces.

Ex-partner of Mr Prohorov, Vladimir Potanin ($17,8 bln) is on 34th place. He is now trying to regain full control in Norilsk Nickel (earlier some stakes were sold to Oleg Deripaska by former partner, Mikhail Prohorov).
He also owns the biggest private media holding in Russia, Prof-Media, which owns magazines, radio stations, movie theaters and broadcasts Russian versions of MTV and VH1. Has variously served as a deputy prime minister of the economy and as partner to George Soros in telecom monopoly Svyazinvest. 

Alisher Usmanov ($17,7 bln, 35th place). 
The co-owner of Metalloinvest, the biggest iron ore producer in Russia.  

He also owns a big stake in third biggest cell network operator Megafon and the biggest daily business newspaper Kommersant. This year he invested in internet assets: Facebook, Zynga and Groupon. Also owns large internet goup Mail.ru, which went public on the London stock exchange in 2010. 

 

Oleg Deripaska ($16,8 bln, 36th place) is the owner of aluminum giant Rusal and was battling with Vladimir Potanin over control of Norilsk Nickel, largest nickel producer.
Deripaska has serious plans in car building and real estate development, along with power sector (his EuroSibEnergo power company formed a joint venture with China's Yangtze Power; the new outfit will supply electricity to parts of Siberia and, later, northern China).

Mikhail Fridman ($15,1 bln, 43 place in ranking). 
His Alfa Group (in partnership with college buddies billionaires German Khan and Alexei Kuzmichev) is the biggest financial and industrial group in Russia.
Alfa has a large stake in TNK-BP, owns cell network operator Vimpelcom (which bought the telecom holding of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris this year).

Vagit Alikperov ($13.9 bln, 50 place in ranking). 

In 1991 took three large ministry controlled oil fields and set up Lukoil. Now Lukoil, which he still runs, is Russia's largest independent energy company. It is also developing the giant Western Qurna-2 oil field in Iraq, one of the largest deposits in the world.

Roman Abramovich with his $13 bln is only 53rd. Mr Abramovich, well known as the owner of UK's Chelsea soccer team. 

Once was the richest man in Russia (several years back he sold his stake in Russian Aluminum to Oleg Deripaska and a 73% stake in Sibneft to gas titan Gazprom for $13 billion).
This year his fortune is up more than $2 billion, Forbes says, as he increased his stake in steel giant Evraz and mining firm Highland Gold. Abramobich is reported to be the owner of the world's largest yacht, the 533-foot Eclipse, reported to have cost over $250 million. 

The last in top-10 Russian billionaires is Viktor Vekselberg with $13 bln (57th in overall ranking).
He co-owns Russia's third largest oil producer, TNK-BP. Vekselberg was tapped by Russian government to head project Skolkovo, seen as Russia's attempt to create a version of Silicon Valley.