A significant surge in wealth has been observed among Russia’s richest individuals, with their combined net worth increasing by $28 billion over the past year. According to the updated Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 22 Russian billionaires have been listed among the world’s richest people, with a collective worth of $317.7 billion.
The largest increase in wealth was seen by Vladimir Potanin, the owner of mining giant Norilsk Nickel, who remains Russia’s richest person. His wealth is estimated to have grown by $3.82 billion in the first five months of the year, reaching $31.7 billion. Potanin occupies the 58th spot globally on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Vagit Alekperov, the former boss of Russian energy giant Lukoil, holds the second position. He has added $561 million to his wealth this year and is now worth an estimated $25.9 billion. Vladimir Lisin, the chairman of NLMK, Russia’s largest steelmaker, ranks third. However, his net worth declined by $1.62 billion to $24.2 billion, causing him to slip down one place from Bloomberg’s October 2024 listing.
On the other hand, the biggest decline in wealth among Russia’s richest individuals was registered by Dmitry Rybolovlev, the former chairman of fertilizer giant Uralkali. His net worth decreased by $1.77 billion to $9.21 billion. Rybolovlev, who owns a $2 billion art collection, had previously attempted to sue top auction house Sotheby’s for fraud allegations, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
Other notable individuals featured on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index include Telegram founder and owner Pavel Durov, Russia’s richest woman Tatyana Kim, and the co-owner of gas producer Novatek, Leonid Mikhelson. The list also includes the chairman of steel giant Severstal, Aleksey Mordashov, and the founder of Eurochem and SUEK, Andrey Melnichenko.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which ranks the world’s 500 richest individuals, is calculated based on the share prices of the companies in which those listed hold equity. The surge in wealth among Russia’s richest individuals is a significant trend, with their collective net worth now standing at $317.7 billion. As the global economy continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the wealth of these individuals changes in the coming months and years.
