Vladimir Putin claims his annual salary is $140,000 ( ₹1.18 crore), but the Russian President’s declared assets paint a vastly different picture.
His alleged wealth is estimated to be a staggering $200 billion, originating from claims made by Bill Browder, a major investor in Russia during the 1990s. Browder testified before the US Senate in 2017 and said that he believes Putin’s net worth would make him among the wealthiest people on the planet.
Putin’s official assets include an 800-square-foot apartment, a trailer, and three cars. However, reports suggest a more extravagant reality. The Black Sea mansion, dubbed “Putin’s Country Cottage,” is a symbol of his alleged wealth. The property boasts luxurious features such as a marble swimming pool with Greek god statues, an amphitheater, an ice hockey rink, a casino, and a nightclub.
The mansion’s interior is equally impressive, with dining room furniture valued at $500,000 and bathrooms featuring Italian toilet brushes priced at $850. Maintaining this grandeur requires an annual expenditure of $2 million by a 40-person staff.
Reports also suggest Putin owns 19 other houses, 700 cars, 58 aircraft and helicopters, and a $716 million plane nicknamed “The Flying Kremlin.” Additionally, he allegedly owns a mega yacht named Scheherazade, worth $700 million.
Putin’s luxury watch collection, including the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar and the A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph, adds to the speculation surrounding his wealth. These watches alone cost six times his officially declared annual salary.
While these claims are circulating, it’s essential to note that no definitive proof of Putin’s hidden wealth exists, and his official assets remain modest.
Russia-Ukraine war continues
Putin made headlines again on Saturday as North Korea deployed its troops to help Russia against Ukraine. Around 1,500 North Korean soldiers have already arrived in Russia, with an estimated total of 12,000 to come, reported South Korean media.
The Russia-Ukraine war is believed to have killed tens of thousands of soldiers on each side, though there are no official or independently collated figures.
The fighting has continued unabated while world leaders debate their next steps.
Russia launched 135 Shahed drones, as well as some other unidentified drones, at various parts of Ukraine on Thursday night, the Ukrainian Air Force said, in what was one of the biggest single drone barrages of the war.
