Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky is among the richest Ukrainians, according to Wprost, a Polish weekly. In the list of 100 richest people in Central and Eastern Europe, Chernovetskyi is ranked 85th and reportedly worth $950 million.
The richest Ukrainian man, according to the list, is System Capital Management (SCM) president, and Verkhovna Rada deputy of the Party of Regions Rinat Akhmetov.
According to the list, over the last year, Akhmetov’s wealth grew from $18.7 billion to $23 billion and made him the second place behind Russian Suleiman Kerimov whose assets total $24.5 billion.
Twenty-three Ukrainians received ranking in the survey, which the magazine has been conducting since 2002.
Also in the top ten, Ihor Kolomoisky, the co-owner of the group of companies affiliated with Pryvatbank, is ranked seventh with $11.3 billion (last year he was the 14th with $8.9 billion).
There are two Ukrainians among the top twenty. Viktor Pinchuk, the founder of Interpipe Corporation in Dnipropetrovsk (12th position, $8.9 billion against the last year’s 17th position and $7.5 billion) and Serhiy Taruta, chairman of the Industrial Union of Donbas in Donetsk (16th position, $6 billion against the last year’s 21st position and $5.2 billion).
They are followed by businessman Dmytro Firtash, who increased assets from $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion and retained his 27th place, and chairman of the Finance and Credit group and parliamentary deputy of the Bloc of Yulia (BYut), Tymoshenko Kostiantyn Zhyvaho, who increased capital from $3.1 billion to $3.8 billion and retained his 28th place.
Tariel Vasadze, president of UkrAvto Corporation and BYuT deputy of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, moved up from the 48th to 41st position his capital grew from $1.7 billion in 2007 to $2.3 billion.
The fortune of Illich metallurgical plant honorary president Volodymyr Boyko, a member of the Socialist Party faction in the Parliament, shrank from $2.3 billion to $2.1 billion, and fell to 44th place.
Eduar Shyfryn, the co-owner of Zaporizhstal and British Midland Resources Holdings, occupies the 50th line with assets of $1.8 billion against the last year’s $1.7 billion.
Banker Oleksandr Yaroslavsky with $1.6 billion took the 53rd place (he was 61st with $1.2 billion in 2007).
National Bank Council head Petro Poroshenko with $1.45 billion is on the 56th line (he was 86th with $750 million in 2007).
Banker and BYuT deputy Serhiy Buryak from Brokbiznesbank with $1.4 billion came in 57th.
Ex-minister of finance and chairman of the State Customs Service Valeriy Khorshkovsky with $1.4 billion came in 58th place.
The following businessmen have assets in excess of $ 1.3 billion, according to Wprost: management board chairman of Myronivsky Khliboprodukt company Yuriy Kosyuk (64), Enerho Concern shareholder Viktor Nusenkis (65), TAS group management board chairman Serhiy Tihipko (66), and Kremenchuk steel-making plant and Forum Bank co-owner Leonid Yarushev (67).
Of the four, Kosyuk grew his capital the fastest jumped 20 positions.
Last year Nusenkis, Tihipko and Yarushev had capital of $1.2 billion, $1.1 billion and $900 million, respectively.
Prominvestbank board chairman Volodymyr Matvienko fell from the 41st position to the 82nd, as his capital decreased by halft to $1 billion.
Parliamentary deputy Vasyl Khmelnytsky of the Party of Regions retained his wealth at $950 million, but his ranking fell from 73 to 84.
Banker Fedir Shpih built up his wealth from $850 million to $900 million, but slid in his position from 78 to 88.
Parliamentary deputy Andriy Klyuev of the Party of Regions took the 91st place with $860 million (he was the 83rd with $800 million in 2007).
Besides Chernovetsky, Khortytsya trademark owner Yevhen Chernyak (95) with $720 million also entered the rating for the first time.
Khreschatyk Bank supervisory board member Andriy Ivanov (88th line, $700 million in 2007), Party of Regions parliamentary deputy Borys Kolesnykov (90th line, $650 million in 2007) and Novokramatorsk machine-building plant director Heorhii Skudar (91st line, $650 million) fell our of the list this year.
Besides Ukrainians, on the Wprost list of 100 Richest People in Central and Eastern Europe there are 35 Russians (seven people less than in 2007), 15 Poles (one new person), 13 Romanians (five more), four Serbs (+1), three Czechs (+2) and three Bulgarians (+2), two Hungarians (+1), and for the first time an entrant from Croation.
24 Ukrainians entered the 2007 Wprost list of 100 Richest People in Central and Eastern Europe, nine more than in 2006.
