RussiaRussia’s richest people have lost $ 83 billion since the beginning of this year, with most of the losses since their country invaded Ukraine six days ago.
Joe Bidenin his address on the state of the union on tuesday night, he warned businessmen in the country that their financial situation would only get worse.
“Tonight I am telling Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have taken billions of dollars out of this violent regime: no more,” Biden said. – I mean.
“The US Department of Justice is assembling a special working group to monitor the crimes of Russian oligarchs.”
He said they would “find and seize their yachts, their apartments.”
Twenty-two Russians are currently participating Bloomberg’s list of billionaireswhich ranks the 500 richest people in the world.
The biggest losses were Vagit Alekperov, the 71-year-old president of Lukoil, the publicly traded producer of about 2 percent of world oil production.
Vagit Alekperov, Lukoil’s president, has lost 68 percent of his wealth a year as Russia’s economy collapses
Alekperov met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2016
Born in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, Alekperov followed his father into the oil industry and in 1990 became the youngest deputy energy minister in Soviet history.
Alekperov, who co-owns Spartak Moscow, now costs $ 7.19 billion, according to Bloomberg, down 68 percent year-on-year.
He is not currently subject to sanctions, but since January 2018 he has been on the Ministry of Finance’s list of wealthy Russian businessmen who he says are close to the Kremlin.
On Tuesday night, Alekperov’s 70-meter superyacht, the Galactica Super Nova – which features a six-meter glass-bottomed swimming pool and waterfall – sailed from Europe, leaving Barcelona for Montenegro.
Another elite, 68-year-old metal tycoon Alisher Usmanov, was sanctioned by the European Union on Monday and also moved his 512-foot superyacht Ona outside Europe as the ship headed for the Maldives, CNBC reported.
Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin, president of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of high-quality nickel, has lost $ 6 billion so far this year.
Vladimir Potanin, Russia’s richest man, was seen in March 2005 with Putin. Potanin has lost $ 6 billion so far this year
Potanin will play chess in December 2021 against Russian chess grandmaster Yan Nepomnyashchi
The 61-year-old man, who is known to be close to Putin, also faces what is expected to be one of the most expensive divorces in the world: his ex-wife Natalia Potanina is seeking 50 percent of the value of his share in the company, worth $ 7 billion in December, for their last court hearing in London.
Bloomberg currently estimates his fortune at $ 24.3 billion – a 21% decline on an annual basis.
Gennady Timchenko, one of the first to be sanctioned by the United Kingdom, lost almost half of his net worth this year to $ 10.6 billion.
The 69-year-old electrical engineer, who spends much of his time in Switzerland, has assets in the energy, transport, infrastructure, financial services and consumer sectors.
He was the head of Russia’s Continental Hockey League and regularly participated in Putin’s “Night Hockey League” – described by Radio Free Europe as “highly advertised games among elite members in which Putin tends to score the most goals.” .
Gennady Timchenko, 69, was sanctioned by the United Kingdom on Monday, making him the first to face British punishment since the start of the current conflict in Ukraine.
Gennady Timchenko was seen in December 2018 playing hockey – his favorite sport – on Red Square
Since 2014, Timchenko’s assets have been frozen by the US Treasury Department as part of a package of sanctions imposed after Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian territory in Crimea.
Among the most famous Russians who have suffered huge losses is Roman Abramovich, owner of the Chelsea football club.
Abramovich, 55, has a net worth of about $ 13 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after amassing his wealth from dividends and sales of privatized assets acquired by the former Soviet Union.
He has lost $ 4 billion so far this year, and on Saturday said he was stepping down from the club’s management and putting it in “management”.
On Tuesday, British MP Chris Bryant said Abramovich was “horrified” by sanctions from the British government over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was selling his property in London.
Roman Abramovich, 55, has spoken out against the war in Ukraine. He put his Chelsea football club in “management” amid criticism of his property
Abramovich, Putin and Alekperov met in July 2016 in Sochi
Abramovich was seen on February 22 in Abu Dhabi celebrating the World Cup
He spoke out against the war, and his spokesman said he was trying to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“I can confirm that the Ukrainian side has contacted Roman Abramovich for support in reaching a peaceful solution and that he has been trying to help ever since,” the spokesman said.
Abramovich vehemently challenged reports suggesting he was linked to Putin or that he had done something to deserve sanctions against him.
Russia’s assets fell free on Tuesday, with Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, falling to 21 cents a dollar from just under $ 9 before the invasion.
The rolls weakened by more than $ 100 against trade in Moscow and hit a record low of 117 in other markets on Tuesday, threatening the living standards of ordinary Russians as the country is hit by harsh Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Putin issued a decree banning the export of cash in foreign currency worth more than $ 10,000 on March 2nd.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also said the country would temporarily suspend foreign investors from selling Russian assets to ensure they make an informed decision, but gave no details.
Moscow’s move to impose capital controls means billions of dollars in securities held by foreigners in Russia are at risk of falling into a trap.
In a matter of weeks, Russia has turned from a lucrative bet on rising oil prices into an uninvestable market, with a central bank hampered by sanctions, major banks excluded from the global SWIFT payment system and capital controls stifled cash flows.
SWIFT said on Tuesday that it is waiting to see which banks want to be excluded from its financial communications system as sanctions are imposed.
Visa and Mastercard have blocked many Russian financial institutions from their networks.