American Forbes on Monday, March 20 unveiled an annual, 31st ranking of world billionaires. The list included 96 representatives of Russia, 19 more than the year before. The Russian economy has stabilized, some sectors show a recovery. Oil prices over the year rose by 25%. Other commodity markets, important for Russia, also demonstrate positive dynamics. There's still no "thaw" in relations with the West,, but the election of the US president Donald Trump gives reason to look to the future with cautious optimism. The Russian part of the rating is headed, the second time in a row. by the co-owner of "Novatek" and "Sibur" Leonid Michelson. Read more about the ten richest Russians and three businessmen from Russia, who first entered the world ranking of billionaires Forbes, in our gallery.

Leonid Mikhelson

Wealth: $18.4 billion

Annual change: + $4 billion

Place in the world ranking: 46

Leonid Michelson is one of the major shareholders of OJSC "NOVATEK" (Russia's largest private gas company), controls almost 25% of the shares.

Michelson also heads the board of directors of "Sibur" chemical holding. Until the end of 2014 the entrepreneur was the controlling shareholder pf the holding, but in December 2015, Chinese state company Sinopec bought 10% of "Sibur" for $1.339 billion. After that Michelson's share dropped to 43%, and in December, another 10% of the company were sold to the Chinese Silk Road Fund, after which the share of billionaires dropped to 34%.

Leonid Michelson heads the Russian part of the global Forbes list for the second year in a row. In 2016, his fortune was estimated at $14.4 billion. Then he had the 60th place in the global ranking.

Alexey Mordashov

Wealth: $17.5 billion

Annual change: + $6.6 billion

Place in the world ranking: 51

Alexey Mordashov is the chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC "Severstal", the President and member of the "Consortium Russian Steel" Supervisory Board, Deputy Chairman of the World Steel Association, a non-executive director of Nord Gold N.V.

He owns Utkonos grocery online store and is the largest shareholder of TUI tour operator (now he owns about 30% of the company), and almost for a year has been a member of the Supervisory Board of the Group.

In 2016, Mordashov had the 91st place in the Forbes global ranking with a fortune of $10.9 billion. Thus, the year his wealth has increased by more than 60%.

Vladimir Lisin

Wealth: $16.1 billion

Annual change: + $6.8 billion

Place in the world ranking: 57

Vladimir Lisin is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and controlling shareholder of OJSC "Novolipetsk Steel", he also owns Universal Cargo Logistics Holding B.V.

Billionaire is the head of the supervisory board of the media holding "Rumedea", which include radio station Business FM assets.

In 2011, with a capital of $24 billion Lisin list headed the Russian Forbes list. In 2016, Lisin had the 116th place in the global ranking of Forbes billionaires with a fortune of $9.3 billion. Over the past year, his fortune grew by more than 73.1%.

Gennady Timchenko

Wealth: $16 billion

Annual change: + $4.6 billion

Place in the world ranking: 59

Gennady Timchenko owns Volga Group and LLC "Volga group", through which it owns stakes in "Novatek", "Sibur", "Colmar" mining company, "Stroytransgaz" and the group of railway operators' TRANSOIL ".

The businessman is also one of the founders of the Gunvor Group (Group ranks among the world's largest commodity traders). In March 2014, one day prior to inclusion in the US sanctions list, Timchenko sold a 43% stake in the company to his partner Gunvor partner, the Swede Torbjorn Tornqvist. In 2015, he sold shares in construction companies "SK MOST" and ARKS and the insurance holding company "SOGAZ".

In 2016, Timchenko had the 85th place in the Forbes global ranking with a fortune of $11.4 billion, over the year increased his capital by 40.4%.

Alisher Usmanov

Wealth: $15.2 billion

Change for the year: + $2.7 billion

Place in the world ranking: 66

Alisher Usmanov is the founder of USM Holdings, which owns the largest mining company in Russia and the CIS, Metalloinvest. The holding company also includes the Baikal Mining Company (the Udokan copper deposit is being developed, one of the largest in the world).

USM owns controlling stakes in Megafon, the Internet holding Mail.ru Group and the publishing house Kommersant. It also owns shares of Chinese companies Alibaba and Xiaomi.

In 2016, Alisher Usmanov lost his status as a tax resident of Russia. At the same time, 100% of shares of Metalloinvest in the past year were withdrawn from the offshore and transferred to the balance of the Russian company YueSEM Metalloinvest.

In 2016, the billionaire had the 73rd place in the world list of Forbes with a fortune of $ 12.5 billion, for a year his fortune increased by 21.6%.

Vagit Alakbarov

Wealth: $14.5 billion

Change for the year: +$ 5.6 billion

Place in the world ranking: 74

Vagit Alekperov is the President of NK "Lukoil", the second largest oil company in Russia. In 2007, on his initiative, the Foundation for Regional Social Programs "Our Future" was established, and in 2010 Alekperov joined the Council of the Skolkovo Foundation.

In 2016, the businessman had the 124th place in the Russian rating of Forbes, then his fortune was estimated at $8.9 billion. During the year his fortune increased by 62.9%.

Mikhail Fridman

Wealth: $14.4 billion

Change for the year: + $1.1 billion

Place in the world ranking: 75

Mikhail Fridman is the co-owner and chairman of the supervisory board of the Alfa Group Consortium, a member of the Supervisory Board of VimpelCom Ltd. The businessman is a member of the board of directors of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

In 2013, the businessman founded LetterOne Holdings S.A. (L1), co-owners of the project were billionaires Herman Khan and Alexey Kuzmichev. The key direction for LetterOne investments are foreign projects in the oil and gas sector. The volume of planned investments is about $5 billion. In July 2016, the company launched the investment business L1 Health, through which it will invest $3 billion in medicine for three years.

In 2016, Mikhail Fridman had the second place among the Russian part of the global Forbes rating with a wealth of $13.3 billion. Since then, the assessment of his fortune has increased by 8.3%.

Vladimir Potanin

Wealth: $14.3 billion

Change for the year: + $2.2 billion

Place in the world ranking: 77

Vladimir Potanin is the main owner of the management company Interros, which owns packages in Norilsk Nickel (about 30%, the foundation of the Potanin state), ProfEstate, ProfMedia and the ski resort Rosa Khutor, built for the Olympics in Sochi.

Along with Potanin, the founder of Interros was billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. However, in 2007, entrepreneurs decided to split the business. The "divorce" was accompanied by numerous scandals.

In 2016, Potanin had the 78th place in the global ranking of Forbes with a fortune of $12.1 billion. Over the past year, it grew by 18.2%.

Andrey Melnichenko

Wealth: $13.2 billion

Change for the year: + $5 billion

Place in the world ranking: 89

Andrey Melnichenko is the main shareholder of the coal company SUEK (92.2%), the chemical concern Evrokhim (90%), the Siberian Generation Company (92.2%).

Melnichenko is one of the founders of MDM Bank, on the basis of which in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with billionaire Sergey Popov, a real industrial empire was built. Later, Melnichenko and Popov divided the assets.

In 2016, Melnychenko ranked 139th in the global ranking of Forbes with a fortune of $8.2 billion, for the year it increased by 61%.

Viktor Vekselberg

Condition: $12.4 billion

Change for the year: + $1.9 billion

Place in the world ranking: 89

Viktor Vekselberg is the president of the Skolkovo Foundation, chairman of the board of directors of the Renova group of companies, co-founded by billionaire Leonid Blavatnik.

Vekselberg owns 5.66% of the shares of UC Rusal, 38.3% of Switzerland's Oerlikon and 57.1% of Sulzer.

Until March 2013, the businessman owned 12.5% of TNK-BP, one of the largest private oil companies in the world. When the company was sold to the state-owned Rosneft, Vekselberg raised about $7 billion for his stake.

In 2016, Vekselberg was 98th in the world ranking of Forbes with a fortune of $10.5 billion. During the year, the valuation of its capital increased by $1.9 billion.

Roman Trotsenko

Condition: $1.6 billion

Change for the year: first entered the rating

Place in the world ranking: 1290

Roman Trotsenko controls 50% of the Novaport holding, which includes 13 regional airports, the Moscow River Shipping Company, the Southern River Port, the Volgograd River Port, and development projects in Moscow.

Trotsenko holds the post of presidential advisor to the state company Rosneft, where he oversees the company's offshore projects.

In 2017, Roman Trotsenko first entered the global rating of Forbes, before that his fortune was estimated at $750 million.

Sergey Gordeev

Condition: $1.5 billion

Change for the year: first entered the rating

Place in the world ranking: 1376

Sergey Gordeev is the main shareholder of the PIK group (in it he owns 29.9% of the shares). In 2016, he acquired the company Morton, Russia's largest developer. This means that now the developer can annually build 1.8 million square meters of housing.

In 2005, Gordeev created the company Horus-Capital, which deals with development projects. In 2010, it was sold to O1 owned by Boris Mints. In 2015, Gordeev invested $10 million in Elon Musk's Hyperloop.

In 2016, the Russian Forbes recognized Sergey Gordeyev as "the businessman of the year."

In 2017, the entrepreneur first entered the global rating of Forbes, before that his fortune was estimated at $900 million.

Alexander Klyachin

Wealth: $1.3 billion

Change for the year: first entered the rating

Place in the world ranking: 1567

Alexander Klyachin is the founder and owner of the Azimut Hotels network and the owner of the Metropol hotel.

In 2001, the entrepreneur created a development company KR Properties, which owns a number of large commercial real estate in Moscow: the business quarter "Red Rose", "Danilovskaya Manufactory", BC "Rassvet", etc.

In 2016, Klyachin had the 9th place in the ranking of Forbes "Kings of Russian real estate." In the same year, together with businessman Alexander Svetakov, he applied for a tender for the construction of a new gambling and entertainment resort in Cyprus worth €300 million.

In 2017, the businessman first entered the global rating of Forbes, before that his fortune was estimated at $700 million.