Russian Billionaire (and NJ Nets Owner) Mikhail Prokhorov Now to Challenge Putin

Reaganite Republican ^ | December 12, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

If he's not wearing a Kevlar suit and riding in the back of an 

APC... Mr. Prokhorov may be well-advised to campaign for 

next March's Russian presidential election from the States... 

or a bunker (or both)

Riding a fortune started in the metals industry, 

Mikhail Prokhorov is one of Russia's richest men...

With the largest Russian political protests in years rattling the Kremlin and activists humiliating current president/Putin lickspittle Dmitri Medvedev online, now a young (46) Russian billionaire says he will challenge Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in next March's presidential election.

Saturday's huge demonstration -the largest since the early 90s- called for fresh parliamentary polls over alleged voting fraud- and even Gorbavchev said they should throw-out the results of an obviously tainted vote count.

Putin's United Russia barely scraped a majority in the elections held earlier this month... and most assume they never would have got even that without widespread ballet stuffing and voter intimidation.

The NJ Nets owner said earlier today "I have made the most serious decision of my life. I am running for president," Mr Prokhorov said at a news conference that -perhaps wisely- he will  not build his presidential campaign on criticism of Mr Putin.- a move his security detail will likely be glad to hear, at least. 

"I would like to focus on the things I would do," he said.

In fact earlier this year, he had briefly challenged United Russia in the election that's now considered stolen by the Putin, yet he resigned from his own party 'Right Cause' after internal disputes he claims were orchestrated by the Kremlin. In the wake of a recent reshuffle at Right Cause, he's ready to run for President- offering a pretty decent looking alternative to the current regime from  almost anybody's angle.

Prokhorov is ranked by Forbes as Russia's 3rd richest man with a net worth of 18 billion dollars...

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NYT   The Telegraph (UK)   h/t Drudge Wikipedia   Russia Today   BBC

[G Larry]

Are there any “Russian Billionaires” who aren’t part of the Russian Mafia?

i.e. There aren’t any benevolent leaders in Russia!!

[mmichaels1970]

Renewed employment possibilities for “royal tasters”, I’d assume.

[Reaganite Republican]

U R correct, sir... you don’t get anything done big over there without the mafia

[PGR88]

OK, so how is he going to be killed?

Shooting? Poison? Auto-wreck?

Or, will he simply be arrested and jailed, never to be heard from again after his show trial?

[GonzoGOP]

OK, so how is he going to be killed? Shooting? Poison? Auto-wreck?

There is always the other option that Putin is being shown the door in the same way as Nikita Khrushchev. Mikhail Prokhorov is the 2012 version of Alexei Kosygin. He will take down Putin, then step aside for the real leader.

Putin has become the issue bringing people into the street, and that is not allowed. It is like when a mafia don gets in the papers too much. He is drawing too much attention to the operation. If it is a choice between the don and the Cosa Nostra, the don has to go.

Like another poster said you don't become a millionaire in Russia without being connected. Mikhail Prokhorov undoubtedly has people who are just as dangerous as Putins. They may not have the style of Spetsnaz commandos, but they will cut you throat just as quickly.

[SumProVita]

According to his bio on Russiapedia, he does not exactly live a moral lifestyle.

I am not in favor of Putin....but am not sure this guy would be all that much better.