Published: 18 February, 2008, 08:28
Edited: 18 February, 2008, 08:28
The American Finance magazine has published its fifth annual list of Russia's richest men. You only have to meet one criteria to make the list – you must have over a billion US dollars.
For 40-year-old Oleg Deripaska it's his second year as number one. His $US40 BLN net worth is just $US16 BLN short of that of the world's richest person, Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Oleg Deripaska is Chairman of the Board of Basic Element, a private equity fund whose interests are concentrated in power generation, metals, engineering, financial services and construction sectors.
But he is possibly best known for being Chairman of the world's largest aluminium producer, Rusal, as well as for his close connection to the Kremlin.
With just over half as much in the bank is tabloid darling London-based Roman Abramovich.
The wealth of the governor of Chukotka and owner of Chelsea Football Club has recently been dented by his divorce which allegedly cost him $US 300 million. But he possibly got off lightly.
Besides his passion for football Abramovich is also renowned for being the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts and is said to be the owner of the world's largest and most expensive boats, a fleet known as Abramovich Navy.
A neighbour of Abramovich but only geographically is another tycoon Boris Berezovsky
Once a friend of the Kremlin but now an exiled oligarch, Berezovsky is known for his vocal opposition to Russia's current leadership, and has even publicly called for another revolution.
Last year alone 19 more Russians were added to the World's Richest List, according to the Forbes magazine. And more are expected to make it to the cash-chart in years to come.