Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo / AP Images
• Vladimir Putin — who is expected to win his fourth presidential term in Russia’s upcoming spring election — may be the wealthiest man in the world.
• Forbes won’t even estimate his net worth, because it can’t verify his financial assets, Newsweek reported.
• The Russian president does indulge in some displays of immense wealth, however.
• Putin is reported to own luxury watches, a fleet of yachts, and multiple expensive properties, including a $ 1 billion palace.
• American financier Bill Browder estimated that Putin had “accumulated $ 200 billion of ill-gotten gains,” according to the Atlantic.
Vladimir Putin very well may be the richest man in the world.
But it’s impossible to say for sure. According to the Kremlin, the Russian president earns around $ 133,000 a year and lives in a small apartment.
That description doesn’t jive with most accounts of Putin’s lifestyle. Former Russian government adviser Stanislav Belkovsky estimated his fortune is worth $ 70 billion. Hedge fund manager Bill Browder, a noted critic of Putin, claimed it was more like $ 200 billion. A fortune that enormous would propel him straight past Amazon founder and richest man in the world Jeff Bezos, who Forbes estimates has $ 125.6 to his name.
So why can’t we pin down Putin’s net worth with any certainty? The 2015 Panama Papers revealed that Putin may obscure and bolster his fortune through proxies.
We’ve put together a list of all the clues that indicate Putin is likely one of the richest people on the planet:
As President of Russia, Putin’s official residence is the Moscow Kremlin. However, he spends most of his time at a suburban government residence outside of the city called Novo-Ogaryovo.
Shutterstock/OlegDoroshin
Source: Business Insider
He reportedly has access to 20 different palaces and villas.
AP
Source: Up North
Official records published in 2016 by the Kremlin would have us believe that Putin has a very modest real estate portfolio. The report said he owned a small plot of land and an apartment with a garage.
Reuters
Source: Newsweek
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
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- We stayed at New York’s top 2 luxury hotels to see which was better — and the winner is clear
- ‘It feels like we’re in jail’: Japan spent $ 12 billion on seawalls after the devastating 2011 tsunami — and now locals are feeling like prisoners
SEE ALSO: 9 Vladimir Putin quotes that offer terrifying insights into his mind
DON’T MISS: Vladimir Putin’s hard-core daily routine includes hours of swimming, late nights, and no alcohol
DON’T FORGET: Trump and Putin’s morning routines contain a striking parallel
