Vladimir Putin is the most powerful man in the world. He has been the Prime minister and the 2nd and 4th President of Russia; from poverty and helplessness to fortune and power, he has seen it all. Great power attracts the attention of global media and thus, some secrets pop out. Here are some things you may not know about Putin
1. Putin may have a whopping net worth of $200 billion!
Yes, you read that right! Not a long time ago, the International Business times claimed that Putin could be the richest man in the world with a net worth of $200 billion. That’s 2.5 times the net worth of Bill Gates! When Forbes was asked that why Putin did not make into the list, this is what they said:
“We value individuals’ assets–including stakes in public and private companies, real estate, yachts, art and cash–and take into account estimates of debt. We also consult an array of outside experts in various fields, (Forbes wrote in 2015), but noted that some individuals cooperate while others don’t,” and added that the magazine excludes “Dictators who derive their fortunes entirely as a result of their position of power.”
2. Involvement of Putin in 1999 Apartment bombings
Some Russian reporters and investigators believe that Putin was involved in the 1999 house-apartment bombings in Moscow, Buinaksk and Volgodonsko. The bombings terrorized Russia. President Boris Yeltsin and his entire team were criticized for their role in this act of terror. Putin, the head of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau), had just been named Yeltsin’s Prime Minister and gained popularity in no time by solemnly promising revenge against those who had killed innocent civilians. He assumed the direction of the war just when the people wanted it and thus, with everybody’s support he was elected easily as Russia’s president.
3. Putin is also claimed for Assassinations
David Satter is well known for his books “Darkness at Dawn: The Rise of Russian Criminal State” and “The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep: Russia’s Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin”.
He has claimed that who ever tried to investigate the 1999 bombings has been killed off. He shared the following in an article on Aug 2016:
“On the night of April 17, 2003, I was working in my Moscow apartment when I received a call telling me that Sergei Yushenkov had been shot dead in front of the entrance to his apartment building. My book Darkness at Dawn, in which I argued that the FSB was responsible for the apartment bombings, was due out in the U.S. in May, and now Sergei, who held the same view, had been murdered.”
4. Putin put an end to his 30-year-old marriage for another woman
Wendi Deng is currently dating Russian President Vladimir Putin! The 47-year-old businesswoman is the ex-wife of CEO and News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch. They got divorced four years back in 2013. Putin, 63, split from his wife, Lyudmila Putina in 2014.They were married for 30 years!
5. Putin got more votes than voters!
In Russia’s recent presidential election, Putin won with an unbelievable support. Reporter Bill Neely noted it as follows:
“look at Precinct 451 in the capital Grozny, where Putin got 1,482 votes and (former Communist leader Gennady) Zyuganov got one. Terrific vote. Except that only 1,389 people were registered to vote in the precinct. That means the turnout was 107 percent.”
So, if you think what Putin may or may not have done is none of your concern then just remember he has a control over the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. I hope you sleep well today.