BBI: Russian billionaires gain $37 bln in January–October

MOSCOW, Nov 1 (PRIME) -- The combined fortune of Russia’s billionaires increased by U.S. $37.12 billion in January–October, Bloomberg reported in its Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI) released on Friday.

The index is calculated basing on the share price of the companies, in which the billionaires have stakes. For some firms the calculation is done basing on a capitalization to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) ratio or a share price to earnings per share ratio. The rating comprises 500 wealthiest people of the world, including 23 Russians.

Vladimir Potanin, one of the core owners of metals giant Norilsk Nickel, ranked number one among the richest Russians with $26.3 billion, an increase of $6.72 billion.

CEO of independent gas producer Novatek Leonid Mikhelson remained in the second position with a $23.9 billion wealth, which has grown by $4.5 billion since the beginning of the year.

Lukoil co-owner Vagit Alekperov rose to the third position from the fifth with a $20.4 billion wealth, a $4.33 billion increase.

Steel producer NLMK Vladimir Lisin and steel company Severstal Alexei Mordashov occupied the fourth and fifth positions with a wealth of $19.2 billion, an increase of $1.33 billion, and $18.5 billion respectively, an increase of $1.05 billion. They both descended by one notch.

Alisher Usmanov, the owner of Metalloinvest, and MegaFon was the seventh with a wealth of $15.8 billion, an increase of $1.61 billion.

He is followed by Roman Abramovich, the owner of Evraz, whose fortune increased by $1.19 billion to $15.3 billion.

Andrei Melnichenko, the owner of Eurochem fertilizer firm and SUEK coal company, increased his wealth by $2.05 billion to $14.5 billion to become Russia’s ninth richest man.

The key owner of Renova holding company Viktor Vekselberg with a fortune of $14.2 billion, an increase of $1.13 billion, was the tenth.

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