Russian oil billionaires

One can only wonder what the likes of Lenin and Trotsky would say; almost 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's vast natural resources have seen the country's industrial sector soar. As a result, several individuals have seen their fortunes swell with assets in the billions. But instead of a nation where the wealth is equally divided by the populous as Lenin had hoped, a wealthy oil aristocracy has emerged - the oligarchs.

These tycoons are estimated to control more than 60 percent of Russia's economy as well as exercising a lot of political clout both in Russia and abroad due to their supply of oil exports to a multitude of countries. What has always been controversial about the oligarchs, is that many made their billions from less than honest methods. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, dozens of state-owned companies were sold by means of insider deals at ridiculously low prices. This form of 'corrupt privatisation' has seen Russia become home to the fourth highest number of billionaires in the world.

Below are six of Russia's wealthiest oil billionaires, four of whom are among the Top 100 Richest Men in the World.

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