Leonid Bershidsky, Columnist

Vladimir Putin, the Richest Man on Earth

Questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's personal wealth are beside the point. He doesn't need it.

September 17, 2013 at 1:49 PM UTC

Leonid Bershidsky, formerly Bloomberg Opinion’s Europe columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation Team. He recently published Russian translations of George Orwell’s “1984” and Franz Kafka’s “The Trial.”

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If you've ever wondered about the size of Russian President Vladimir Putin's private fortune, allow me to offer a clue: He doesn't need one.

From time to time, Western journalists and bloggers speculate about whether Putin is one of the world's richest men or just its wealthiest political leader. Look up "Putin's personal fortune" on Google, and you'll find estimates of between $40 billion and $70 billion.