When he wants something, Vladimir Putin gets it done his way and one of his first moves as president was to make sure that he had as much power as he could.
He might just be the richest person alive. When you think Russia you think Vladimir Putin. This man has been the face of the country for a total of almost two decades and he has shaped not only his homeland but the rest of the world with his power, influence and of course money.
No one knows exactly how much Mr Putin is worth although some sources (unknown facts) claim $70 billion, others say he’s amassed a $200 billion fortune which would make him the wealthiest person on the planet.
It’s hard to think of Vladimir Putin as anything other than the president of Russia due to the fact that he has been in the news quite a bit over the past few years.
Born in 1952, Mr. Putin grew up in humble beginnings. His parents were working class with his father being a decorated war veteran and a factory worker. Being an only child, Putin spent his early life living in a Soviet Union style apartment (communal living).
He spent his early years living with two other families in the same apartment and as a young man, Putin enjoyed watching TV and reading spy novels.
In a telling move of where his interests truly lied, he went to the KGB security and intelligence agency with only one question on his mind; how could he join KGB?
Fastforward, the young Vladimir Putin enrolled in Leningrad State University. He worked hard and eventually went on to graduate and got a job as a mid level agent in the foreign intelligence division.
Unknown facts add that this is where Vladimir Putin’s life took a turning point. In 1989, an anti communist mob gathered outside the KGB officers and Mr Putin realized he couldn’t do anything about this mob without the approval of Moscow and Moscow didn’t say a word. He was not happy with this realization of the stagnant nature of the Russian government.
He later said the business of Moscow is silent and got the feeling that the country no longer existed but it had disappeared. It was clear that the union was ailing and that it had a terminal disease without a cure when Putin left the KGB in 1991.
He took this mindset with him and worked for the city’s first democratic mayor and made sure he was the main guy for any and all the mayor’s needs.
When election time came and his mayor lost, Putin said, “It’s better to be hanged for loyalty than to be rewarded for betrayal.”
The year was 1996 and Putin was the head of the FSB, an organization that replaced his former agency the KGB. Putin was then named Prime Minister of Russia by the then president Boris Yeltsin and when Yeltsin stepped down suddenly in 1999, Putin was named president.
He then struck a deal with the oligarchs and highly influential business leaders that had much political power and said that he would not interfere with their business as long as they in turn did not interfere with his.
There have been many photos of President Putin shirtless in the wilderness clearly looking as manly and rugged as possible, branding techniques that have gained him the reputation of an alpha male.
Vladimir Putin likes nice things only. In 2013 Robert Kraft, the head of the New England Patriots claimed that President Putin stole his Super Bowl ring which cost roughly $33,000.
Apparently, Putin took the ring from Kraft’s hand when he was showing off. Putin then put the ring in his pockets and walked off.Â
The Russian president claims he lives a modest life and lives in a small apartment with frugal spending and lives comfortably Small apartment with frugal spending and life comfortably off his $133,000 per year paycheck.
Putin just seemed to have a modest bank account of only $38.5 million rubles or $676,000 dollars that he has made from his time as president military pension and savings.
But the source adds that with just a little digging it starts to look like this is all just a cover for the truth that Mr Putin is a billionaire, a multi billionaire in fact he may be the richest man on the planet.
According to Bill Browder, an investor in Russia who was expelled from the country, said all you have to do is take a look at the president’s wrist to see the proof of his incredible secret fortune.
Putin’s visible watch collection is worth multiples of his official salary. The wealth came as a result of extortion and massive theft from state funds. He claims that Vladimir Putin is worth an incredible $200 billion dollars considering Jeff Bezos net worth is $150 million.
It is said that the Russian president has spread out the money between close friends and family members and these people have earned millions in deals that could only have occurred with the president’s patronage.
To demonstrate his outlandish spendings, Putin reportedly has over 20 palaces and villas at his disposal including one secret palace that was built using illegal state funds.
This massive mansion is supposedly valued at $1 billion and contains a private movie theater, a landing pad with room for three helicopters, an incredible walled art and bedrooms fit for a king.
Putin is also linked to owning multiple private jets, yachts and helicopters. One of his planes that can carry 186 passengers is reported to have a cabin that costs $1,000,000 which has been fitted by Jewelers and a toilet which cost $100,000.
But the spending doesn’t stop there according to the source. Mr Vladimir Putin is reported to have four yachts, one which went through a state of the art hub grade in 2005 that reportedly cost $1.2 billion. Another of these luxury liners can apparently house 14 guests in its 16 bedrooms.
President Putin is known to wear bespoke suits and Valentino ties. The cost of these suits considering they are custom made fitted and are crafted by one tailor. They cost a whopping $5500 each.
Apparently, the tags are removed from these suits so that journalists won’t be able to see exactly what brand Mr Putin is putting on! When working out Putin is known to throw on some casual sweatpants that cost $1425.
When you add in the matching top that brings this little workout get up to 3200 dollars. If that’s all still not enough to convince you that this is one of the richest man in the world check out this reported quote from Vladimir Putin:
“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.”
Whether you agree or disagree with his strict nationalist views and authoritarian government model you have to admit that Vladimir Putin is doing rather well for himself.
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