Is Putin Richer than Bill Gates?


Russian President, Vladimir Putin might be the richest man in the world. The Kremlin refuses to release official statistics, or any other information in connection to Putin’s reported wealth. Yet, the latest reports from Russian insiders are revealing the Russian President to be far richer than anyone has ever before even speculated. Russian fund manage and writer, Bill Browder is reporting that Putin has used his position of power to amass a fortune of staggering proportions.

“Browder claimed that “after 14 years in power of Russia, and the amount of money that the country has made, and the amount of money that hasn’t been spent on schools and roads and hospitals and so on, all [Putin’s] money is in property, bank – Swiss bank accounts – shares, hedge funds, managed for [the Russian president] and his cronies.”

Furthermore, this number if proven would make him by far the single, most richest man in the world.

“The current “Wealthiest Person in the World,” according to Forbes‘ latest calculations (revealed Feb. 18), is Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) founder Bill Gates, whose net worth clocks in at $75 billion. That’s a lot of money for the renowned creator of the Microsoft dynasty, but still a noticeable $125 billion less than what Putin purportedly holds.”

Although it’s interesting to speculate if Putin has indeed been able to utilize the Russian political system to create a personal fortune, it is only a report and can not be proven. The Kremlin has no motive for releasing official statements regarding Putin’s wealth. It would open up the Russian government to international condemnation and damage the people’s trust in Putin as their leader. Nonetheless, it is quite likely that the Kremlin and Putin do not mind these rumors of great Russian wealth despite being vehemently opposed to releasing supporting documentation proving these claims.

 

Source: Money Morning 

Image: OnInnovation



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