Net Worth: $223 million

Age: 40

Marital status: Married, two sons and a daughter

Last year: $1.6 billion

Industry: Mass media and metallurgy

Across the whole world, the financial crisis is provoking a political crisis, but for Valery Khoroshkovsky, it’s the other way round. As soon as the former head of the State Customs Service fell out of favor with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a psychological attack began on him and his business. Admittedly, his business is not simple, but golden. The TV channel Inter that belongs to him is not just a market instrument for drumming up profit, but also an information weapon in the hands of political forces that will be gunning for the presidency. BYuT is demanding an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Igor Pluzhnikov, the former owner of 71 percent of Inter. And BYuT also wants to check the legitimacy of the sale of a 61 percent share by the widow of the deceased to the new owners – Khoroshkovsky. It’s strange how since June 2005, when Pluzhnikov died, the mystery of his death and the sale of the channel didn’t worry anyone. However, the political revenge of the prime minister is unlikely to lead to Khoroshkovsky losing control of the main remote control in the country. Although never say never in a battle with Tymoshenko. Bigger castles have already fallen before her.