Russian President Vladimir Putin once said that as a poorly paid politician, he worked “like a galley slave.” He refers to himself in public as “your humble servant” and he reported his official income last year was $187,000.
His official list of assets include a small apartment and three cheap cars. Clearly, Putin has more. But how much more?
Speculation about Putin’s net worth has long been one of the biggest parlor games in wealth and political circles. And now with Putin taking center stage in the crisis over Syria, his power and wealth have once again come under the spotlight.
Wealth in Russia is often held through shell companies, offshore accounts and frontmen. So despite efforts by many reporters over the years, no one has been able to pin a precise dollar number on Putin’s fortune.
Putin and his representatives have long denied rumors of his wealth, saying they are baseless. But Russian political insiders and opponents of Putin have claimed his wealth could be in the billions.
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