The assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin are attracting unhealthy attention from the press and a number of scandalous politicians.
Putin's financial condition - 40 billion dollars?
Many politicians, experts and journalists gave their assessments of the financial condition of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In January 2016, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Adam Shubin told the BBC that Washington was aware of Putin's "corruption". According to the politician, the state of the Russian leader is allegedly estimated at $40 billion.
For some reason, the income statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin is of interest to many politicians
Directly the official representative of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov denied these accusations.
“Voicing such accusations by an agency like the US Treasury, without backing up with concrete evidence, casts a shadow on this very agency. We will not require proof from the US Treasury. If they leave such an official statement without evidence, then this again casts a shadow on the reputation of this department,” he stressed.
Putin's fortune according to Forbes
In 2017, the controversial entrepreneur and head of Hermitage Capital investment fund William Browder announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the richest man in the world, and his fortune is allegedly estimated at $ 200 billion.
William Browder considers Putin the richest man on the planet and accuses him of corruption
“This money is stored all over the world - in the banks of America and all over the world,” the businessman claimed.
Recall that in 2013, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison for tax evasion.
The real state of Putin - according to Putin
In 2016, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin earned about 8.86 million rubles. As stated in the declaration of the head of state, Putin owns a land plot (1.5 thousand square meters), two apartments, as well as a garage and a garage space.
Putin's salary is about 750 thousand rubles
The president's fleet consists of a rare Volga, a Niva SUV and a Skif trailer. Putin's monthly salary is about 750 thousand rubles.
Putin's pension
According to preliminary calculations by experts, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will be able to count on retiring after retiring in the amount of about 530 thousand rubles a year.
Putin's cars
Putino's wealth is well-documented
What does Putin own? The most notable are the following cars of the head of state:
- ZAZ-966. The first car of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was the Zaporozhets, which his parents won in the lottery.
- GAZ-21. In 2015, US President George W. Bush visited Russia. Vladimir Putin decided to surprise the guest by offering Bush a ride in the restored Volga.
- LADA 4×4. The most stylish car from Vladimir Putin's garage. It's about about the SUV "Jungle". In this car, he gave a ride to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Putin is not the poorest president in the world, nor is he the poorest
Palaces of Putin
Palaces of Russian President Vladimir Putin can be called several objects. The main residence of the head of state is Novo-Ogaryovo. On the territory of the estate there are a stable, greenhouses, a temple, a platform for helicopters, a poultry house and much more.
The President's summer residence is the Bocharov Ruchey dacha in the Krasnodar Territory. As noted by the guests who have been there, on the territory of the facility you can find two swimming pools, a heliport, a pier for a yacht, as well as a gazebo with a barbecue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Bocharov Ruchey residence
After Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, the construction of Bocharov Ruchey-2 began. The new complex stands out for its design and takes into account the needs of the media (press center, briefing room, business meeting room).
What is Putin's salary? This question worries many
Do not forget that Vladimir Putin periodically receives distinguished guests in the Konstantinovsky Palace, which is located in Strelna. It was there that in 2013 the summit of the so-called "Big Twenty" (G20) was held. At the same time, tourists can easily go on an excursion to the "castle" of President Putin.
Putin's opponents consider him an oligarch
The head of state can also use the Dolgie Beards - Valdai rest house and other residences that are under the jurisdiction of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos are put to shame - the three richest businessmen will be able to "catch up" with Putin only by clubbing. What can we say about the 45th President of the United States, with his $ 3 billion. He's just pathetic. No wonder he tried so hard to please the President of the Russian Federation.
Bill Gates, the world's richest businessman, whose colossal net worth further increased to $86 billion in 2017, not least because Microsoft (MSFT) shares gained +0.40%, has been at the top of the list of the most richest people in the world compiled by Forbes magazine. However, apparently, the business publication is mistaken, as it does not take into account the "world leaders" and dictators who acquire their wealth solely as a result of their position on the power Olympus.
If Forbes included these people in its ranking, then there would be a new "king of the hill" on this list, since, according to the latest data, the net worth of Vladimir Putin is at least $ 200 billion, writes MarketWatch. The publication cites an article in the International Business Times that sparked another round of speculation about the extent of Putin's wealth. One of the sources of the publication said, in particular, that his fortune is “only” about $ 40 billion, while another source estimates him at $ 70 billion.
While Bill Browder, a former investment fund manager in Russia, is convinced that these estimates are fundamentally wrong:
"I think [Putin is worth] $200 billion," he told CNN, adding that he owns a whopping "amount of money that could be spent on schools, roads and hospitals" hidden in Swiss bank accounts, stocks , hedge - funds that are managed in the interests of Putin and his henchmen.
Renowned comedian John Oliver devoted much of his HBO show, Last Week Tonight, to Putin's fortunes over the weekend.
The Konstantinovsky Palace on the shores of the Gulf of Finland is one of Putin's modest "dachas"
“Despite the fact that he stubbornly denies it, no one believes him anyway,” Oliver said, listing a list of luxuries that are clearly impossible to acquire, earning Putin a $100,000 salary. For example, previous reports suggest that Putin owns 58 planes and helicopters, as well as 20 palaces and country houses, including a colossal, worth a billion (!) Dollars estate on the Black Sea.
Black Sea residence of Putin in Gelendzhik
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They say that power and money are identical concepts. Vladimir Putin has been in power for 18 years - so how much money does he have? Both domestic economists and world-class financiers who make up the Forbes list are trying to answer this question.
Official income statement
During the election campaign, all candidates for the presidency published income declarations. Vladimir Putin's modest declaration attracted the most attention. According to the data released by the CEC, the president earned 38,528,817 rubles over 6 years. As sources of income are indicated: the salary of the head of state, interest from bank accounts, military pension. 13.8 million rubles are kept on 13 official presidential accounts.
Presidential real estate is represented by two apartments (in St. Petersburg and Moscow) and a garage. Moreover, the capital's apartment was transferred to Vladimir Putin for indefinite use by the Moscow authorities.
Also included in the declaration were two rare Volga cars, a Niva car, and a Skif trailer.
Many Russian political scientists and economists believe that this declaration does not reflect the real financial situation of Putin.
Assessment by Stanislav Belkovsky
When evaluating the personal finances of the President of Russia, the opinion of Stanislav Belkovsky, a former Kremlin adviser, is most often cited. In 2007 he gave an interview English edition The Guardian, in which he estimated Putin's fortune at $ 40 billion. He substantiated his conclusions with the information he had about the president's shares in large companies in the oil industry. According to Belkovsky, the president owns a 37% stake in Surgutneftegaz, he owns a 4.5% stake in Gazprom and a large stake in the international commodity trader Gunvor.
The US Treasury conducted its own investigation, and also noted Putin's connection to Gunvor: he invested in the company, and may have access to its funds. However, representatives of the Gunvor group deny the information that the President of Russia is their shareholder.
Belkovsky called the announced amount the minimum, emphasizing that no one knows the maximum and suggested that the president has a shadow business, which the expert is not aware of.
A few years later, in 2012, Stanislav Belkovsky gave a new assessment of the state of Vladimir Putin. This time the figure was 70 billion dollars. He came to this conclusion based on information from confidential sources close to the president.
Opinion of William Browder
A major American-born international financier, William Browder, headed investment company Hermitage Capital. This fund has been one of the leading participants in the Russian investment market for about 10 years. closely engaged securities Surgutneftegaz, Sberbank, Gazprom, RAO UES.
Browder is familiar with corruption and fraud in the Russian government. For attempting to expose him, he was expelled from the country. In an interview with the International Business Times, William Browder estimates Vladimir Putin's fortune for 2018 at $200 billion and calls him the richest man in the world.
Browder believes that these funds are placed in Swiss banks, offshore companies, hedge funds. These assets are managed by trusted people of the president.
Why is Putin not included in the Forbes rating?
Forbes magazine compiles a list of billionaires every year, but Vladimir Putin has never been included in this prestigious list. Even with the most "modest" of the announced amounts of $ 40 billion, he could enter the TOP 10 billionaires. And if we focus on the figure of $ 200 billion, then I would head the list by a wide margin. Jeff Bezos, who currently heads the Forbes rating, has a fortune of $ 105 billion.
The fact is that the compilers of the rating exclude from the list members of royal families and politicians who received a fortune as a result of being in power. Representatives of the magazine were unable to obtain reliable confirmation that Vladimir Putin is the owner of personal assets in excess of $1 billion. Attorneys Russian government refused to answer a question whether expensive gifts, such as the yacht "Olympia" owned by the president or the state.
Sources of wealth for the Russian President
Russian businessman Sergei Kolesnikov, in an interview with the BBC, spoke about the current scheme. A group of Russia's leading oligarchs has created a special fund designed to bribe top government officials, including the president. Under this scheme, Putin has access not only to Russian corporate finances, but also to the personal fortunes of the country's richest people.
Thus, capital was formed, placed through nominees in offshore companies. One of these "custodians" of the presidential fortune is considered to be a cellist and best friend Putin Sergei Roldugin. His name comes up in the "Panama Papers" of Mossack Fonseca, an offshore management firm. Rodlugin, being a professional musician, manages billions in assets, owns shares in many Russian companies. At the same time, he emphasizes that he is not a businessman.
Through Sberbank, the team of the President of Russia withdraws state money to the United States, turning it into their private property along the way
In 1992, the St. Petersburg company Finzell was formed, which soon established the company CJSC Ilim Pulp Enterprise (IPE) ( registry number "AOL-1546, authorized capital in the amount of 1,000,000 rubles). Among the founders of CJSC Finzell, in addition to Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin and brothers Zingarevich included a St. Petersburg lawyer Dmitry Medvedev, now known as The president Russian Federation ". At the same time, ZAO Finzell Medvedev owned 50%, and Ilim Pulp Enterprise - 20% . This important fact in 2000 wasspecified Accounts Chamber in a special report on the raider seizures carried out by the Zingarevich brothers and the future president of the Russian Federation.
The estimated value of the Ilim holding reached $1.5 billion by 2005. Therefore, there is reason to believe that personal capital of Dmitry Anatolyevich even before the presidency was approaching a billion dollars.
This property is disguised, since Medvedev has been a civil servant for more than 11 years and cannot formally deal with commercial issues. Magazine "Profile" describes history of capital: Medvedev's business partners did not differ in particular cleanliness in doing business. In the autumn of 1999, realizing that the case was steadily heading towards an unpleasant trial, Medvedev hastily left the ranks of the Ilim leadership and left the founders of Finzell. Just at the moment when the state began checking the legality of a number of Ilim's privatization projects. As a result of which, for example, the illegality of the privatization of one of the largest enterprises of ZAO, the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill, was revealed. But this had nothing to do with Medvedev*. And by that time he no longer lived in St. Petersburg ... Already in November 1999 ... Medvedev was appointed to the position of deputy head of the government apparatus Dmitry Kozak. And in December he became deputy head of the Kremlin administration Alexandra Voloshina ».
Forbes in 2006 rated the company as 24th in the rating of non-public corporations. In the same year, it was the Ilim Pipe team that lobbied for the adoption of the forest code, after which came into force in 2007, Russian forests burned down in 2010.
Ilim enterprises produce 60% of Russian pulp and 25% of cardboard. In 2007, Ilim enterprisesproduced 1.6 million tons of market pulp, 755,700 tons of cardboard and 258,800 tons of paper . The volume of own timber harvesting for this period amounted to 7.1 million cubic meters. m. Total population personnel - over 20 thousand people. Group turnover in 2007 amounted to 19 billion rubles,net profit - 3 billion rubles. (according to RAS, taking into account the reorganization of the company from July 1, 2007). Revenue in 2007according to IFRS - $1.805 billion
At the end of October 2006, an agreement was announced that 50% of Swiss-registered Ilim Holding, which owned more than 75% plus 1 share of Ilim Pulp's pulp and paper assets, would be sold to the US timber company International Paper. Whereintimber processing assets of Ilim Pulp were not included in the deal . Later, in 2007, Ilim's timber processing assets were spun off into a separate company "Ilim Timber Industry ».
Today, the official owners of Ilim are the Swiss company Ilim Holding, which is owned in equal shares, on the one hand, by the AmericanInternational Paper and, on the other hand, Russian shareholders (including Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, members of the Board of Directors Boris and Mikhail Zingarevichi, Leonid Erukhimovich). The CEO is an American Paul Herbert .
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin Leonid Erukhimovich Paul Herbert
It is definitely difficult to say which of them is specifically responsible for “a small share” of Dmitry Anatolyevich. Be that as it may, it was Mikhail Zingarevich, a member of the board of directors of the company, at a charity auction at the Christmas Fair in St. Petersburg in 2010 bought a photograph of the Tobolsk Kremlin taken by Dmitry Medvedev for 51 million rubles .
Recently, Ilim, as "Medvedev's personal wallet", is gradually withdrawing funds abroad. Moreover, the money is provided by the state-owned Sberbank, which finances the offshore investments of the President of Russia in the economy of the United States and other developed countries. Recently, Ilim Timber closed a deal to buy 100% of Tolleson Lumber Company, the newspaper reported.Vedomosti
. Tolleson is one of the largest independent companies in the US South. It is a family business founded in Georgia in 1919. Tolleson has two sawmills in Perry and Preston, producing 450,000 cubic meters each. m of lumber per year. Tolleson sawmills are large for their region, the average capacity of local enterprises does not exceed 150,000 cubic meters. m
Such an asset became the first "forest" investment Medvedev-Zingarevichi-Smushkina-Yerukhimov Icha in America, the deal will increase Timber's capacity by almost a quarter, to 3.9 million cubic meters. m of lumber per year. The parties do not disclose the cost of the purchase, but Tolleson may cost $50-65 million. It is assumed that markets for new assets, except for the United States, will be China and Japan, which will soon need a large amount of building materials to restore the destroyed infrastructure.
The situation when, through Sberbank and the Zingarevichs, the Russian budget is transferred to foreign businesses that are associated with Dmitry Medvedev is quite typical. As correspondents of the site wrote Fontanka.ru , in August 2010, with the support of Sberbank, the Zingarevichi closed a deal to acquire two factories in Germany. The enterprises, for which the ex-owners managed to earn about 100 million euros, in total capacity provide the new owners with about 2 million cubic meters of building materials per year. According to Ilim Timber, the factories mainly work for the markets of China and the Middle East.
In native Petersburg, the Zingarevich brothers, in addition toscandalouscharities are known for their development projects. Their interests include reconstruction on Vosstaniya Square and Konyushennaya Square. In addition, firms controlled by businessmen received a number of historical buildings from the city last year - Mr. and the Field of Mars, 1, letter A; Konyushennaya Square, 1, letter A; on Nevsky prospect, 7-9; embankment of the Moika River, 26, - for reconstruction for hotel accommodation.
From the same place grows Chief Executive Officer of the Skolkovo Innovation Center Michael (Yosef Michael ben Moshe) Moshiashvili, Managing Director of the Ilim Pulp Enterprise holding. 37 years old, native of Kutaisi. Georgian Jew, Jewish by religion. One of the leaders of the business club of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC). Former top manager of Deutsche Bank and Rosavia airline, chairman of the board of directors of the United Financial Group (UFG) investment bank, former employee of the World Bank, Vneshtorgbank of the Russian Federation and head of the treasury of the Yukos oil company. Fluent in Hebrew, English, German.
Momiashvili on the right, wearing glasses, is talking to a rabbi
Well, this whole story, as well as the transfer of the capital of the largest timber processor to the jurisdiction of the United States and the specificity in choosing partners, largely explains the close friendship of the Russian president with Washington and his zeal in eating hamburgers with the president Obama. The main thing in this business is not to choke.
Additional materials used rospres, thanks for the tip
What people, and under protection!
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is one of the creators of the largest corruption schemes, according to the Navalny Foundation. “We found all the residences in Russia and abroad, found all the vineyards and damn elusive yachts and established where and who swam on them,” the authors of a new FBK investigation published on March 2 say. And they conclude: "He is not Dimon for you. He is a serious corrupt uncle."
What cases are of interest to justice
The investigations of the Anti-Corruption Foundation could worsen the statistics of crimes in Russia. The site fbk.info published, allegedly, fraudulent schemes of theft from the treasury, documents on the illegal acquisition of land plots, on the construction of summer cottages in protected areas and expensive purchases senior officials. But Russian justice is busy trying cases against Navalny himself.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
For abuse of power
In just 11 months of 2016, 28.4 thousand corruption-related crimes were detected in Russia, according to the Prosecutor General's Office. Of these, more than 10 thousand - receiving and giving bribes. The sums of extortions and abuses are sometimes measured in millions of dollars. 15,000 corruption cases were brought to court over the entire past year, which is almost 3,000 more than in 2013.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
Case for 2 million
The head of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, Alexei Ulyukaev, was caught red-handed on the night of November 15, 2016. He was accused of extortion and taking a $2 million bribe from representatives of Rosneft. According to Investigative Committee, the minister demanded money for assistance in the purchase by Rosneft of a stake in Bashneft, owned by the state (50.8%). Ulyukaev does not admit his guilt.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
General with a billion
General Federal Service guards in the Caucasus Gennady Lopyrev was detained in November 2016 on charges of accepting bribes on an especially large scale. The media reported that Lopyrev's arrest was connected with fraudulent public procurement, with the distribution of sites for the construction of Olympic facilities, and that 1 billion rubles were found in Lopyrev's apartment. Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov is a witness in the case.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
real colonel
Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, deputy head of department "T" of the anti-corruption head office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, turned out to be the owner of the currency for a total of 8.5 billion rubles. In September 2016, another 300 million euros were discovered in his family's foreign accounts. At the same time, Zakharchenko's official income over the past few years has not exceeded 3 million rubles. Origin of large Money Colonel finds out the investigation.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
Case of the watch collector
On Sakhalin, there is a trial in the case of ex-governor Alexander Khoroshavin, accused of taking bribes for 500 million rubles and creating a criminal group that extorted money from entrepreneurs. In Khoroshavin's home collection, investigators found 190 watches worth 600 million rubles, jewelry and 700 million rubles. 6 cars, 4 apartments, a house and land ex-governor.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
Need more steal?
In August 2015, ex-official of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Yevgenia Vasilyeva, sentenced to 5 years, was released from the colony. Three months earlier, the court found her guilty of fraud with the agency's assets. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov lost his post, but his case was closed. And in October 2016, he joined the board of Rostec. It is not for nothing that they say in Russia, "in order not to sit, you need to steal more."
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
What did the Panama Papers say?
People close to Vladimir Putin were among the clients of the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca, which registers offshore companies. These are financier Yuri Kovalchuk, who is called the personal banker of the president, a friend of the president, cellist Sergei Roldugin, and dozens of officials - owners of foreign firms. The "Panama Papers" showed the scale of the shadow activities of politicians from 50 countries.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
The situation with corruption does not change
At the end of 2016, Russia was next to Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Nepal - in 131st out of 176 places in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) rating prepared by Transparency International. The Russian Federation, as in 2015, received 29 points out of 100. 1st place and the lowest level of corruption - in Denmark and New Zealand, Germany - in 10th place. At the end of the list are South Sudan and Somalia.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
"Dash Hunt"
Transparency International calls the fight against corruption in the Russian Federation a hunt that only looks like a real one: "This is shooting from a prepared gun at pre-placed targets." Suspicions are caused by criminal cases that resemble the elimination of competitors. For example, the case of Minister Ulyukaev or the former head of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh, who was detained in June 2016 while transferring 400 thousand dollars to him.
Corruption in Russia - the most high-profile cases
Rampant embezzlement is not forgiven
Opinion polls show that many Russians consider high-profile cases to be demonstration actions rather than a real fight against corruption. 26% of those polled by the Levada Center blamed Vladimir Putin "in full measure" for corruption, 33% - "to a large extent." So the high rating of the Russian president does not mean that citizens forgive him rampant bribery and embezzlement.
