Over the course of the past decade, dozens of billionaires ran for public office in elections around the world. Netflix, which previously streamed the show between 2017 and 2021, snapped up the rights again in March. Zelensky's (alleged) billion dollar fortune The Ukrainian president, for much of the world, is an admired leader guiding the Ukrainian resistance in the fight against Russia. Check out this: [link to sketchy Tweet or meme].". Andrei Skoch at the Russian State Duma in 2016. Zelensky reportedly advised President Biden to hold off sanctioning Abramovich, whose net worth Forbes put at $13.6 billion, because he might prove helpful as a go-between with Russia to help broker an end to the invasion. He also starred in numerous films, including the "Love in the Big City" franchise. This is no different than when NBC pays a production company that might be partially owned by Steve Carell to license a show. We believe in Mariupol, we believe in Ukraine, said Akhmetov, the countrys richest person, whose holdings include the mining conglomerate headquartered there. The site says that the president's financial disclosure from 2018 listed total assets worth 37 million hryvnias, Ukrainian currency. His main asset: an estimated 25% stake in Kvartal 95, a group of companies that produce humorous shows, which he transferred to his partners after being elected president, though hell likely regain his shares after leaving office. The site says that the president's financial disclosure from . He apparently sold it during 2020 (it had shown up in his declarations for 2018 and 2019 but not 2020) along with a small plot of land and 5 hotel rooms in Georgia (popular upper-middle-class investments in Ukraine). Already, on Thursday, Russian stocks have plummeted. President Zelenskiy is absent from the list as well as Forbes Ukraines list of 100 richest Ukrainians in 2021 (here). I write about the worlds richest people and their businesses. And No, He's Not Richer Than Will Smith, Chris Rock And Dave Chappelle Combined But He Is Pretty Rich! Heck, it would be suspicious if the American Steve Carell, who has had an extraordinarily successful career in film and television globally, had somehow amassed a $1.4 billion fortune (he's worth about $80 million, FYI). The next day, civilian sites in Ukraine were also being attacked. We will do everything to prevent a humanitarian disaster.. Bucking the assumption that they vote and campaign with their pocketbooks, some billionaires have embraced left-wing politics. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky won the hearts of the western world recently when, upon the recent invasion of his country by Russia, he refused an offer from the U.S. to help him evacuate from the capital city of Kyiv. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! Volodymyr Zelensky gave details of his plan to go after the oligarchs on Thursday By Jonah Fisher BBC Kyiv correspondent Two years after becoming Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. As the Ukrainian president, Zelenskyy has been a notable champion of e-government. He graduated from Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics with a law degree, but never practiced, according to ClutchPoints. Get out of my forest! one trooper shouts as he returns fire with his AK-style assault rifle. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked President Joe Biden to delay imposing sanctions on the Russian billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich so he could act as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, though he does not appear to have yet been an effective middleman. U.K. Sanctions Roman Abramovich And Six Other Russian Oligarchs, Freezes Assets Including Chelsea F.C. Celebrity Net Worth reported that figures from Zelenskiy's 2018 disclosure indicated that he was. Dont be afraid of Putin. As tensions with Russia soared earlier this month, the billionaire former President Petro Poroshenko returned home to help his country. Not every billionaire sought the highest office in the land plenty of others were content with contesting a seat in parliament. One of the first oligarchs to push Ukraine in a pro-European direction, Kolomoyskyyan oil baron who first made his fortune in bankingreportedly spent millions funding and equipping volunteer military battalions to help stop Russian troops in 2014. Zelensky's (alleged) billion dollar fortune The Ukrainian president, for much of the world, is an admired leader guiding the Ukrainian resistance in the fight against Russia. As recently as late January, Novinsky had cast doubts on the prospect of a Russian takeover of Ukraine, including the veracity of a British intelligence report that cited a potential Russian coup that would replace Ukraines elected authorities with a government led by pro-Russia lawmaker Yevhen Murayev. But its fighting, and so far winning, a battle that might prove pivotal to the wider warand Zelenskys futureas Russia spends its last good forces for no real gain. Pinchuk has been organizing these big international conferences in Ukraine and hosting very high-profile guests from Europe and the U.S., said Harvards Channell-Justice. As of this writing, the above Tweet has 39,000 likes and 12,000 Retweets. $7.1 billion. Zelensky 's prior experience as an actor has. Hes sort of a persona non grata [in the West] at this point, said Harvards Channell-Justice. From 2015 to 2019, he starred in a political satire comedy series, Servant of the People. The oddly prophetic show, which aired for 51 episodes, chronicled the adventures of a high school teacher turned president of the Ukraine. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. "These small and unsophisticated investors are probably going to get hurt by this, one state securities regulator has warned, as some stocks begin to reverse gains. Current caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in office since 2016, was a longtime member of the billionaires list and worth an estimated $1.5 billion in 2018; he dropped off the list in 2019. This includes investments in Mariupol. He hosted a lot of off-record meetings with Western officials to persuade them to get more assistance to Ukraine," said Berezovets. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was born on January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, Soviet Ukraine to Jewish parents Oleksandr and Rymma. The battle for Bakhmut, which pits Russian regulars, DPR separatists and mercenaries from The Wagner Group against the Ukrainian forces holding the townincluding the 1st Presidential Brigademight be the most absurd of these isolated Russian offensive operations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky found himself dealing with a devastating crisis when Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022 that he was planning a "special military operation" in Ukraine that was "targeted toward multiple cities." Russia can confiscate any assets belonging to Ukrainian tycoons on its territory, Berezovets said. For Zelensky, a former comedian, to have accumulated a fortune of this size, there must be corruption involved. In a January 24 interview with Forbes Ukraine, Zelenskys minister of justice, Denys Maliuska, reiterated the governments commitment to the law, which forbids designated oligarchs from funding political parties and participating in the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Beginning on New Year's Eve in 2018, Zelenskyy led an almost entirely virtual presidential campaign. Volodymyr Zelenskyj byl jako prezident zastncem e-governmentu a jednoty mezi ukrajinsky . Ukraine is in danger, and when [the] country is in danger, Ukrainians have always united, he told Espresso TV before the meeting with Zelensky. The U.S., the U.K., Germany and several other Western countries temporarily relocated their embassies to Lviv, a city near the western border with Poland, over the past week. Some news sources speculate that tweets declaring the former comedians net worth at $1.5 billion were efforts to undermine support for Zelensky and the Ukraine. Jim Justice and former Tennessee Gov. (2022 Assets Income) Forbes, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Ezra Miller Net Worth $6 Million (Forbes 2022) Flash Arrest, Robbie Coltrane Net Worth $67 Million (Forbes 2022) Death Harry Potter, Pizza Cupcake Net Worth 2022 (Shark Tank) Walmart Sales, Genghis Khan Net Worth $130 Trillion (Richest Person History), Sara Lee Net Worth 2022 (WWE Husband Forbes) Salary Death, Greg Gutfeld Net Worth $105 Million (Fox News Salary 2022) Forbes, Blippi Net Worth $120 Million (Forbes 2022) Stevin John, Pete Hegseth Net Worth (Fox News Salary 2022) Forbes, Nancy Pelosi Net Worth $170 Million (Forbes 2022) Stock Portfolio Speaker, Liz Truss Net Worth $13 Million (Forbes 2022) Salary British Prime Minister. ver since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently shown his excellent communication skills. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Ukraine has completed its membership questionnaire in its early bid to join the European Union, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskys office said Sunday, after Zelensky asked the bloc to move swiftly to admit Ukraine as a member. In 2015, Zelensky became the star of the television series Servant of the People, where he played the role of the president of Ukraine. According to his official financial disclosure released in 2019 as he was running for President, at that time Volodymyr controlled liquid assets worth 37 million hryvnias. The native Russian who obtained Ukrainian citizenship in 2012 won reelection to Parliament in 2019 as a member of the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc party. Zelenskyy was born in 1978 to Jewish parents in Kryvyi Rih. March 16, 2022. Putin doesn't care. People want peace, a good life, they dont want to be at war. A spokesperson for Grammarly did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.6 billion, making him the richest elected national leader in the world, edging out Trumps $3.1 billion fortune. Among his accomplishments, he oversaw the elimination of legal immunity for members of Ukraine's parliament, and worked to curb corruption in government. Zelenskyy has also fought to end the war in Donbas while resolving that area's Russia-sponsored separatist movement. Kvartal 95, is valued at around $40 million. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. In other words, this is the exact type of person Zelenskyy vowed to fight after becoming President. Olivier Dassault and his wife Natacha Nikolajevic, Magdalena Martullo-Blocher at a roundtable with. Zelenskys net worth is estimated to be $610 million, as per many sources. However, there is no evidence that the Ukrainian leader is a billionaire, according to publicly available official figures and representatives of business publisher Forbes who spoke to Reuters. ", This is a BETA experience. (The list also included Akhmetov, Pinchuk, Poroshenko and another Ukrainian billionaire, Kostyantin Zhevago.). The U.S. Treasury Department initially prepared to impose penalties on Abramovich early in March, to be announced with sanctions from the United Kingdom and the European Union, but was told by the White House National Security Council to pause, the Journal reported. Jerry Brown. Jailed Opponent Freed. Mariupol sits on the Sea of Azov, inside the larger borders claimed by the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic. According to official figures and publicly declared assets, there is no evidence that Zelenskiy is a billionaire. President of Ukraine Ousted! The so-called "Pandora Papers" are a trove of nearly 12 million leaked documents that detail intimate offshore financial dealings of millionaires, billionaires, business leaders, celebrities and dictators around the world. I have already instructed my foundation to help with evacuation, medicines and everything necessary, if needed. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician and former comedian and actor who has a net worth of $25 million. In another pricey governors contest, the 2010 California race, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman lost to the incumbent Gov. For much of the last eight years, the argument for Ukraine remaining in Russias orbit was largely an economic one. As President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy earns a monthly salary of 28,000 Hryvnias. Technically, he transferred his stake in the business to is partners upon being elected President of Ukraine. Forbes estimates that there are currently seven billionaires with Ukrainian citizenship worth $11.9 billion, as documented in a report published on April 5, 2022, here. Below is a summary of the key findings of Zelenskyy's appearance in the Pandora Papers. Mariupol was under heavy shelling Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on Ukraine. Other videos that recently have circulated online depict Ukrainian drones dropping improvised bombs on Russian troops cowering in shallow dugouts outside Bakhmutand killing seemingly scores of them. Position: Member of the Russian State Duma (1999-present), Position: Prime Minister of Georgia (2012-13), Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2001-13), Source of wealth: real estate, investments, Ran for: Governor of Florida (2018; lost in the Democratic primary); Senator from Florida (2010; lost in the Democratic primary), Ran for: Governor of California (2010; lost in the general election), Position: Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (2017-present), Position: Governor of Illinois (2019-present), Position: Member of the Russian State Duma (2003-16), Position: President of the United States (2017-present), Position: President of Chile (2010-14, 2018-present); Senator of Chile (1990-98), Ran for: Mayor of New York City (2013; lost in the Republican primary), Position: Prime Minister of Lebanon (2005, 2011-14); Member of the Lebanese Parliament (2000-present), Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2006-14), Position: Member of the Tanzanian National Assembly (2005-15), Position: Governor of Tennessee (2011-19); Mayor of Knoxville (2003-11), Position: Member of the Australian Parliament (2013-16), Position: Member of the Nepalese Parliament (2008-12; 2017-present), Position: Governor of West Virginia (2017-present), Position: Member of the Russian State Duma (2012-13), Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2004-09), Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2008-13), Source of wealth: shipbuilding, industrial machines, Position: Member of the South Korean National Assembly (1988-2014), Ran for: Mayor of Seoul (2014; lost in the general election), Position: Governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (2014-15), Ran for: Vice President of Indonesia (2014; lost in the legislative election), Net worth (at time of death): $22.6 billion, Position: Senator of France (2004-17); Mayor of Corbeil-Essonnes (1995-2009), Source of wealth: construction, investments, Position: Prime Minister of Lebanon (2009-11, 2016-present); Member of the Lebanese Parliament (2005-present), Position: Member of the Austrian National Council (2013-14), Source of wealth: banking, IT, real estate, Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2006-13), Position: President of Ukraine (2014-19); Member of the Ukrainian Parliament (1998-2002; 2003-07; 2012-14), Source of wealth: auto import and dealerships, Position: Member of the Russian State Duma (2007-15), Position: Member of the Indian House of the People (2002-09, 2010-16), Position: Member of the Russian Federation Council (2005-10). You may opt-out by. Abramovich was in Belarus in late February when a round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place. Zelenskys current role as Ukrainian president earns him only 28,000 Hryvnias annually, or just $930 per month, per Celebrity Net Worth which is an annual salary of roughly $11,200 per year. As per earlier estimates, Zelensky has earned over $20 million through his television shows. This event led to the Trump-Ukraine scandal and the first impeach of Trump. And it also fights on the front. May 20 . Internet sleuths, or more likely Russian propagandists, have credited Zelensky with owning as many as five luxury yachts and three private jets, in addition to $60 million of shares in companies like Saudi Aramco, Meta and Tesla. So the 1st Presidential Brigades remit has, uh, somewhat expanded. Well, for those who did not know, immediately prior to being elected President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy was one of Ukraine's most famous comedic actors. The Ukrainian government recently vowed to crack down on corruptionand now, a billionaire who was once close with Zelensky appears to be in authorities crosshairs. More recently, Kolomoyskyy was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department in March 2021 for corruption under his watch at the Dnipro region, and the U.S. Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint against him and Boholyubov in January for alleged fraud and theft from PrivatBank. Novinsky came back immediately, Zalmayev said. Despite his past political involvement, Zhevago hasnt spoken out about the current situation. But the Ukrainian military is determined to deprive the Russians of any victory in Bakhmut, even a P.R. The 2010s marked the arrival of Americas first billionaire president and while its too early to predict what the next decade has in store, its likely that billionaires will continue to wield their wealth to run for office and gain political power. . Even though Forbes reports that Zelenskys net worth at just $20 million dollars, there are many conflicting reports about his actual net worth. There was a huge meeting of Ukrainian tycoons with President Zelensky [on February 23]. There was an indication that, at least for the time being, there was united support of the current government.. While President Trumps fate now lies with the Senate following his impeachment in the House of Representatives, there are two other countries with a billionaire at the helm. It turns out that having billions of dollars at your disposal doesnt always ensure victory: in Ukraine, the so-called chocolate king Petro Poroshenko won the presidency in 2014 when Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.3 billion but lost re-election this year to comedian Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he is not. Our common goal is a strong, peaceful, independent, united Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, he said in a statement to Interfax-Ukraine. Yatsenko lives in London, while Lytvyn and Shevchenko are both Canadian citizens. While many with ten-digit fortunes entered politics for the first time in the 2010s, some doubled down on their commitment to public office. Changing The Employment Landscape: What Push Will Lay-Offs Bring To The Market? According to the sources, Zelensky has millions in monthly income, offshore bank accounts, tens of real estate properties across Europe, and many other assets. Zelensky wont be making Forbes billionaires list anytime soon. Despite the apparent request, Abramovich has not been very effective at facilitating peace talks, the Journal said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Once seen as one of the most powerful figures in the nation, hes since been drawn into court cases in Ukraine, the U.S. and the U.K. over allegations of corruption while he was governor of Dnipro, as well as financial misconduct at PrivatBank, Ukraines largest bank, which he cofounded in the 1990s with fellow billionaire Henadiy Boholyubov. On February 22, as hundreds took to the streets of Mariupol to protest Russias actions, Akhmetov erased any doubt about his loyalty. In 2020, Ukrainian prosecutors opened more than 20 criminal cases against Poroshenko, alleging an array of charges ranging from treason to usurping power. He rejected the charges, calling them purely political. In December 2021, he was charged with high treason and aiding terrorist organizations for allegedly financing the Russan-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. He had earlier expressed similar sentiments in a January 18 interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. This post was updated on April 21, 2022 to add reference to additional real estate identified by Forbes. He has also been vocal in promoting unity between the Ukrainian- and Russia-speaking parts of his nation. In September, the Zelensky government passed a de-oligarchization law aimed at reducing the economic power of Ukraines richest people, and Kolomoyskyy was included on a list of oligarchs. Russias War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine, Wednesday, August 31. While he does own a flat in one of Ukraines most expensive apartment buildings in the center of Kyiv, its relatively modest by Western standards. While visiting Mariupol last week, the billionaire revealed he hadnt visited his hometown of Donetsk since it was taken by Russian-backed separatists in 2014. Journalism reveres, then history revises . Despite social media reports claiming hes a billionaire, Volodymyr Zelensky doesnt come close to making Forbes global wealth rankings. (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP via Getty Images). Since then, however, the net worth has grown tremendously. This is according to numerous outlets, including Celebrity Net Worth . March 13, 2022. Even before Donald Trumps victory in 2016 made him the first billionaire president in American history, members of the three-comma club were pouring resources into political campaigns in countries from Australia and Tanzania to South Korea and Nepal.