The 2010 rich list is published by the Russian Finance Magazine. All 77 have a fortune worth at least USD one billion, mainly in shares. The magazine writes that Russia’s economy has started to recover from its deepest decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The list now published by the Russian Finance Magazine rivals the list annually published by Forbes magazine. The 2010 Forbes list of the richest Russians will be published in April.
According to Finance the combined fortune of the top ten richest Russians increased by 84 percent to a total of USD 139 billion in 2010.
On the top of the list is Vladimir Lisin, main shareholder of Novolipetsk Steel. Lisin is said to have a fortune estimated to be near USD 19 billion. Lisin is followed on the list by Mikhail Prokhorov who recently sold his shares in Norilsk Nickel. Prokhorov’s fortune is estimated to be USD 17 billion. Number three on the wealthy list is Roman Abramovich.
See the list of Russia’s 500 richest people.
Today’s main shareholder of Norilsk-Nickel, which operates the nickel- and copper mines and melters on the Kola Peninsula, Vladimir Potanin is number 10 on the list of Russia’s richest people. Vladimir Potanin has an estimated fortune of USD 9,95 billion.
Despite Potanin is a multi-billionaire, his factories in Norilsk in Siberia and in Monchegorsk, Zapolyarny and Nikel on the Kola Peninsula, are considered to be one of the most polluting enterprises in the world. The Nikel plant just some few kilometers from the border to Norway has been – and still is – a thorn in the Norwegian – Russian relations due to its large emissions of both sulphur dioxide and heavy metals to the vulnerable northern environment, as earlier reported by BarentsObserver.
Read also: Excludes Norilsk Nickel from investment portfolio
The Financial Times reported last week that Potanin intends to hand his entire fortune to charity in 10 years’ time, in an attempt to follow in the philanthropic footsteps of Bill Gates.
- There won’t be an inheritance of my fortune. My capital should work for the good of society and continue working for these social aims, Potanin said in the interview with Financial Times.
- I consider it a very correct step to hand over one’s fortune for the service of society and not for inheritance.
