A superyatch worth $700 million docked in Italy, believed to be owned by the Russian president, is grabbing eyeballs. He also reportedly has an opulent Black Sea mansion and a fleet of cars and jets
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly owns 700 cars. AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin is the world’s most infamous man right now. From who is his “lover” to how much is he worth, the speculation has only increased since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24 February. One month on, Putin remains largely isolated from the world and now there are those working with the Kremlin who want to distance themselves from him. If nothing, he continues to be surrounded by wealth. Just how much? We take a look.
On paper, the Kremlin claims that Putin earns an annual salary of $140,000. His disclosed assets include an 800-square foot apartment, a trailer, and all of three cars, according to a report in Fortune.
That sounds mighty humble for a man who has who loves all things luxurious – from mansions to superyatchs. And it’s far from the truth.
Some experts believe Putin has assets worth $200 billion, making him among the richest men in the world. We take a look at some assets that the Russian autocrat reportedly owns.
A superyatch worth $700 million
For months now, a 140-metre-long, six-floor superyatch has been docked in Marina di Carrara, a town on Italy’s Tuscan coast. Italian authorities suspect “The Scheherazade” is linked to Russians sanctioned by the West. However, activists working for jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny are confident that the yatch belongs to the Russian president.
“The Scheherazade” houses a spa, swimming pools, two helipads, a fireplace, and a pool table designed to tilt so as to reduce the impact of the waves, reports Guardian.
Black Sea mansion worth $1.4 billion
Putin reportedly owns a 17,691-square-metre secret palace, which he has been building since 2014, near Gelendzhik overlooking the Black Sea.
A viral video posted by Navalny’s team last year gave a sneak peek into a mansion filled with luxuries gifted to the Russian president by his wealthy friends.
The palace has security fences and comes with a port and a no-fly zone. The mansion has frescoed ceilings, a marble swimming pool lined with statues of Greek gods, a 27,000 square-foot guest house, spas, a musical parlour, dressing rooms, an amphitheatre, a state-of-the-art ice hockey rink, a Vegas-style casino, a nightclub equipped with stripper poles, a barroom showcasing more than $100,000 of wine and spirits, an underground tasting room overlooking the water, according to a Fortune report.
Putin reportedly has a majestic mansion that overlooks the Black Sea. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
The Black Sea mansion was designed by Italian architect Lanfranco Cirillo. Money for it was laundered through a 1.3-trillion-rouble programme that was introduced to “improve” healthcare in the state.
“It’s like a separate state inside of Russia,” Navalny had said in a statement last year. “And in this state, there is a single and irreplaceable czar: Putin.”
The president had labelled the allegations as “boring” and the viral video a “compilation and montage”.
A private jet worth $716 million
Putin has fleet of 700 cars and 58 aircraft and helicopters. He owns a luxury jet called “Flying Kremlin” worth $716 million and it comes fitted with a gold-plated toilet.
Among the luxurious trappings on board plane are a fully-stocked bar, bedrooms and a gym. The interior decor has a neoclassical style; the huge conference table is gold trimmed and surrounded by cream leather seats, reports The Sun.
Luxury watches worth $700,000
Putin has a penchant for watches. He reportedly has been pictured wearing Patek Philippe’s Perpetual Calendar watch worth $60,000 and allegedly owns a $500,000 A Lange & Sohne Toubograph, as well as other fancy designs.
In 2012, Russian opposition group Solidarity released a video which said that Putin’s pricey collection of wristwatches were worth nearly $700,000 – about six times his official annual salary, reported ABC.
That’s not all. The Panama Papers, a 2016 investigation, revealed a network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn with connections to Putin.
Putin, of course, denies all allegations levelled against him. He continues his pretence as saint and saviour of Russia.
With inputs from agencies
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