Russia’s presence on the 2026 Forbes World’s Billionaires List has reached a record 155 nationals, with a combined wealth of $696.5 billion, despite years of Western sanctions. A notable shift in the composition of this wealth is evident, as nine new Russian billionaires were added in the past year, eight of whom derived their fortunes from agriculture and food production.
This emerging cohort of “agro-billionaires” has benefited from Russia’s push for food self-sufficiency and expanded export flows to Asian, African, and Middle Eastern markets. Forbes reports that fifteen Russian billionaires now have agricultural origins, with eight being recent entrants. Among the newcomers is Aleksandr Tkachev, co-founder of Agrocomplex, with a net worth of $1.8 billion. Tkachev previously served as Russia’s agriculture minister. Another is Vadim Vikulov ($1.5 billion), who controls Aston, a major grain and vegetable oil exporter.
The wealthiest among the new agricultural billionaires is Vadim Moshkovich, worth $2.9 billion. He controls Rusagro, a top producer of pork and sugar, and has been a consistent figure on the list despite personal EU sanctions imposed in 2022, which prompted his resignation from the company board.
The ninth Russian newcomer to the 2026 list originates from a different sector. Mikhail Fedyaev, a former car factory mechanic, now holds controlling stakes in fertilizer and coal businesses, with an estimated fortune of $1.1 billion.
The upper echelons of the list remain dominated by long-established industrialists from energy, metals, and mining. For the first time, steel and gold magnate Alexey Mordashov tops the Russian rankings with $37 billion. He is followed by Norilsk Nickel’s Vladimir Potanin ($29.7 billion) and former Lukoil chief Vagit Alekperov ($29.5 billion).
This year’s list underscores a structural evolution in Russian wealth, where traditional sectors like energy continue to generate colossal fortunes while agriculture emerges as a significant new source of billionaire status, reshaping the profile of the country’s ultra-wealthy class.
