Is Putin Secretly The Richest Man In The World? His Critics Seem To Think So

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for several days. There are constant attacks on Ukraine. Many experts are also seeing the Russo-Ukraine war as a sign of World War III. As the situation worsened in Ukraine after the Russian invasion, nearly 1,20,000 people have fled the country into Poland and other neighbouring countries.

Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia for more than 20 years, takes advantage of his status to modify the constitution in order to increase his power and remain president. Thus, the president will have spent almost 25 years in power when his current term ends in 2024. Currently, the whole world's eyes are on Putin at this time. Putin is also expressing his power in the world through the Russia-Ukraine war. Putin has been counted among the most powerful people in the world even before.

Reuters

California Democrat, Nancy Pelosi condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'tyrant' and said the Russian leader is 'probably the richest man in the world' and said President Joe Biden will continue to 'follow the money' if Kremlin troops do not immediately cease what the international community has called an invasion.

"Putin is probably the richest man in the world. He has these palatial residences --that's really what got people in trouble in Russia because they showed the arrogance of the wealth, with which he lived," Pelosi said

Also Read: International Judo Federation Kicks Out Putin As Honorary President Over Ukraine Invasion

69-year-old Putin's critics claim that he is the richest man in the world. The ¡®richest¡¯ is not known, but Putin is often in the headlines for his wealth. According to his political critics, Putin has four yachts including a $100 million superyacht, 43 planes, 700 cars, 15 helicopters including a luxury jet with a gold toilet.

Becoming the President of Russia

A former KGB agent, he first rose to a position of power in 1999 - eight years after the fall of the Soviet Union - when he became Russian prime minister, rising to the president the following year following the resignation of Boris Yeltsin. In 2008, not being able to assume a third term in the presidency, as this is not allowed in the Constitution, he would appoint the then prime minister Medvedev as his successor, who would later appoint him to that role. Four years later he would become president again, a role in which he remains to this day. Contrary to what happened in 2008, a constitutional reform passed in 2020 allowed him to serve a third consecutive term (fifth in total) in the presidency.

Secretly one of the richest people in the world?

AFP

Many media reports claim that he's the world's richest man with a secret ?160 billion (around $285 billion) fortune and lives like a king on his extraordinary wealth that's 60 times richer than former US President Donald Trump, however, he refused and said that his modest spending habits reportedly run only to driving a Lada, owning a bachelor flat and takes home a modest state salary of around ?100,000 (Around $178,000) a year.

Lavish houses

Putin owns 20 luxury homes and one of them is the $1.4 Billion Black Sea coastal palace, the residence called ¡°Putin¡¯s Country Cottage¡± but the Kremlin has always denied that the Russian leader owns the residence. It has a marble swimming pool, which is decorated with statues of Greek gods. A wine cellar, a theatre and a club-like place for pole dancing are also in this palace. However, Putin denied owning the palace himself. According to The Richest, Putin spends at least $2 million per year on a staff of 40 landscapers and gardeners.

Also Read: This Man Predicted Russia-Ukraine War In 2015: The West Is Leading Ukraine Down The Primrose Path

A tour of the first floor of the palace includes a music room, gym, dining room featuring $500,000 in Pozzoli, Italian luxury furniture and a $54,000 bar table. There are six bedrooms, also adorned with luxury Italian furniture.

Youtube/Alexei Navalny

A barroom contains more than $100,000 of wine and spirits and leads to a luxurious auditorium, spanning two floors in height.

It has also been claimed in media reports that he has 19 more houses. Along with this, Putin also has a collection of 58 aircraft and helicopters, 700 cars and dozens of expensive watches that value up to Rs 3 crore. He is also fond of keeping exotic pets, including a tiger named Boris, which he released into the wild on live TV in 2015.

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Speaking to The Washington Post, former Hermitage Capital Management CEO, Bill Browder estimated Putin's wealth to be around $200 billion. There are such facilities in his palace which are hardly available in any other house. However, the mystery remains about how much Putin's net worth actually is.

Many reports claim that In 2017, Putin had bought himself a lavish house with gold-plated tiles in the swimming pool just a few miles from Russia¡¯s border with the West.

Luxurious flying jet

When Putin is going somewhere while flying in the sky, he likes a special aircraft designed in the neoclassical style. According to news.com.au, this plane is worth $716 million. The Ilyushin Il-96-300PU has been named 'Flying Kremlin', which means 'Flying Office of the President of Russia'. The plane has a toilet made of gold, which alone is worth more than Rs 35 lakh.

Getty Image

This aircraft is a flying fort and can fly up to 900km/h. Apart from the gym, bar, and three bedrooms, it has all the facilities, with the help of which Putin can control the army while travelling. The jet is equipped with an advanced communication system that allows it to act as a management centre capable of commanding troops during combat.

Putin's Superyacht

Youtube

Putin is always in discussion about his luxury lifestyle. According to reports, the President of Russia has a superyacht named 'Graceful' worth $100 million. It has been designed by Sevmash, a nuclear submarine maker for the Russian Navy, and the interior exterior has been made by H2 Yachts Design. Facilities like a helipad, dining area, and cocktail bar are available on this superyacht. The superyacht has 400 bottles of the most luxurious wines from around the world In its cellar. It was parked in Germany for some time, but it had already left Germany in anticipation of sanctions after the attack.

Gold worth ?95 billion

As we all know that Russia is one of the advanced gold buyers in the world that helps them to face Western sanctions. According to Forbes, Russia had gold reserves of ?1.4 billion (Rs 152 billion) in 1995. But today Putin has gold reserves of ?95 billion (152 billion. This gold is kept under tight security at mysterious places, Hindustan News Hub reported.

Watch collection

Reuters

According to political critic Boris Nemtsov, Putin has a watch collection worth some ?500,000 (around $891,500) ¨C including one that is ?300,000 (around $535,000) alone. Putin bought multiple properties in recent years ¨C with some saying he now owns homes worth more than ?1 billion (A$1.78 billion).

Top agent of KGB

Not many know that before entering politics, Putin had been a top agent of the KGB, the notorious intelligence agency of the time of the Soviet Union and studied law at Leningrad State University, graduating in 1975. He has long military experience and has also carried out many secret missions. He also keeps on making his military prowess public every day. Earlier his pictures of piloting a submarine and diving into the depths of the ocean in the Gulf of Finland in the Sea-Explorer 3.11 submersible submarine. He was leading a search operation for the Soviet Shchuka-Class Submarine Shch-308 submarine that had sunk during World War II.

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According to celebritynetworth.com, Putin once told a journalist, "I am the wealthiest man, not just in Europe but in the whole world: I collect emotions. I am wealthy in that the people of Russia have twice entrusted me with the leadership of a great nation such as Russia. I believe that is my greatest wealth."

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