Who Are the Richest People in Ukraine?

Amidst the tension between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian oligarchs and wealthy businessmen are reportedly fleeing the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged them to return to demonstrate unity in the face of the threat of Russian invasion.

At least 20 private jets and chartered planes departed from Kyiv during the second week of February 2022. This is significantly more than in the previous six years.

According to ceoworld.biz, here are seven of Ukraine's wealthiest individuals, comprising oligarchs and entrepreneurs:

1. Rinat Akhmetov – US$7.6 billion (Rp 109.6 trillion)
2. Kostyantin Zhevago – US$2.6 billion (Rp 37.5 trillion)
3. Victor Pinchuk – US$2.5 billion (Rp 36.06 trillion)
4. Ihor Kolomoyskyy – US$1.8 billion (Rp 25.96 trillion)
5. Henadiy Boholyubov – US$1.7 billion (Rp 24.52 trillion)
6. Petro Poroshenko – US$1.6 billion (Rp 23.07 trillion)
7. Vadim Novinsky – US$1.4 billion (Rp 20.19 trillion)

Rinat Akhmetov tops the list of Ukraine's wealthiest individuals, with a fortune of Rp 109.6 trillion in 2021. He is a Ukrainian businessman and oligarch born in 1966. Akhmetov is the founder and president of System Capital Management (SCM) and owner of the Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk.

Despite being Ukraine's richest man, the origins of Akhmetov's wealth have been questioned by many Ukrainians. His initial millions are rumored to have stemmed from his connections to a criminal group led by Akhat Bragin, a Ukrainian mafia figure. There is a lack of clarity regarding how he amassed his fortune between 1985 and 1995, following the fall of communism and the emergence of a new Ukraine.

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