#45 Richest: Oleksandr Kardakov, 46

$276 million
Married with two sons
Interests: Internet technology, telecommunications, real estate development Until April, Oleksandr Kardakov was the hands-on manager of Oktava Capital, a group of companies working in information technology, distribution and real estate development.

Now he’s focusing more on party-building within Sergiy Tigipko’s Strong Ukraine party.

We’re proposing these social innovations which can be implemented with little financial resources."

- Oleksandr Kardakov.

As an information technology professional, Kardakov heads the party’s expert commission on innovation, putting his skills to use in proposing low-cost solutions to bring government closer to citizens.

His commission in September unveiled six national projects, which he said are ready for takeoff: a single online registry of social benefits, an electronic medical passport, distance learning, safety systems in schools, the “electronic city” and “safe city” projects.

“We’re proposing these social innovations which can be implemented with little financial resources. From a list of 50 innovations we chose six realistic ones that proved effective during pilot trials and have worked in other countries,” Kardakov said.

We especially like the “safe city” project, which aims to regulate traffic flows in cities.

While it does not take IT knowledge to buckle up, new and innovative approaches to road safety in Ukraine are always welcome.