Since the beginning of 2022, 23 Russian billionaires have lost $45.475 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI). As of May 2, 2022, their total wealth was $328 billion. The BBI rating includes the 500 richest people in the world and is calculated based on the value of the shares of billionaires in companies, writes RBC.
Gennady Timchenko, the co-owner of NOVATEK and Sibur, lost the most: his fortune decreased by $6.98 billion. He is currently number 111 on the list. The businessman stepped down from the boards of directors of both companies after falling under Western sanctions. As of April 7, he owned a 14.45% stake in Sibur and a 23.5% stake in NOVATEK, which last disclosed shareholder data in 2018. The billionaire also owns 80% of the railway company Transoil and 52% of the Russian construction company Stroytransgaz, according to Bloomberg. At the moment, his fortune is 15.5 billion dollars. At the maximum on October 5, 2021, its size reached $24.6 billion.
The fortune of another NOVATEK shareholder Leonid Mikhelson in 2022 decreased by $6.48 billion, to $26 billion. He is ranked 47th. At the maximum on September 13, its size reached 34.5 billion dollars. As of March 21, 2022, Leonid Mikhelson owned a 25% stake in NOVATEK, he also owns a 30.6% stake in Sibur, Bloomberg indicates.
On February 28, Gennady Timchenko fell under EU sanctions, as did the head of Severstal Alexei Mordashov, the founder of Alfa Group Mikhail Fridman and the chairman of the board of directors of Alfa Bank Petr Aven, the founder of USM Holdings Alisher Usmanov and others. Later, Gennady Timchenko was included in the UK sanctions list. On April 6, Leonid Mikhelson was included in the sanctions lists of Great Britain and Canada.
Also among the leaders in terms of losses since the beginning of 2022 are Alexei Mordashov and Roman Abramovich.
The fortune of the head of Severstal and Severgupp, Alexei Mordashov, decreased by $5.33 billion to $23.5 billion. Roman Abramovich lost $5.05 billion, his fortune is estimated at $13 billion, while at the maximum on February 21, 2021 it was $19.6 billion. Roman Abramovich is the largest shareholder of Evraz, Russia’s second largest steelmaker. He owns shares in Norilsk Nickel and in the London football club Chelsea.
There are among the Russian businessmen included in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and those who have managed to get rich since the beginning of the year. Vladimir Potanin, since the beginning of the year, has increased his fortune by $645 million, to $31.5 billion, and is in 36th place in the ranking. Most of Vladimir Potanin’s fortune is connected with his stake in Norilsk Nickel, the businessman controls his shares through Interros, which owns a 36% stake in Norilsk Nickel as of October 14, 2021.
Andrey Melnichenko, a former member of the boards of directors of Eurochem and SUEK, added $853 million to his fortune, as of May 2, the amount was $18.3 billion.