Posted on 01/21/2008 11:23:22 AM PST by hh007
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's likely future president, Dmitry Medvedev, does not have a car of his own and the only family transport is his wife's nine-year-old Volkswagen Golf, an official income declaration showed on Monday.
The modest means set out in the declaration submitted to election officials contrast sharply with the funds he controls: he is chairman of gas giant Gazprom which in 2006 notched up a net profit of about $13 billion.
President Vladimir Putin, who has to step down as president at the end of his second term in May, backed Medvedev last month as his favored candidate in the March 2 election. Putin's support makes Medvedev a near-certainty to win the election.
Medvedev took home about $71,000 in pay per year over the past four years, the election commission said in an official declaration on its www.cikrf.ru Web site.
But the only car in the Medvedev household is a 1999 Volkswagen Golf car owned by his wife, Svetlana, according to the declaration.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I call BS
“I call BS”
Agreed. I’m sure $71K in Russia goes a long way.
Well, Kucinich used to sleep in his car because he didn’t have a house. Maybe he can borrow one from Putin and his cronies, I’m sure they’re sitting on millions.
The rich are different...
The guy is probably chauffered everywhere in a Mercedes limo driven by KGB agents.
What doe he need a car for? He’s probably chauffeured around in a limo at company expense........
Over 4 years? I have no idea how much that is in working numbers of the conomic debacle that is Russia.
In my family, if one of the parents owns a car, then the family has a car. I just retired my 1989 Honda Civic two years ago and considered myself fortunate that I had had such a good car for so long.
“Medvedev took home about $71,000 in pay per year over the past four years”
It was per year, over four years. Not too shabby by American standards.
Like Ingvar Kamprad, owner of IKEA. He’s officially worth $33 billion, but he shields so much of his real worth (about another $36 billion) that he’s probably by far the richest person in the world. And he drives an old Volvo.
Ah. I mis-read. My mistake.
I still say the guy is full of dung that he can’t afford anything.
Why own when Gasprom provides a car, driver, jet and pilot.
Same thing with billionaire Paul Allen of the Microsoft and the Seahawks. he drives a beat up 1988 Toyota pick up truck.
And I'm sure he made more than $71K.
WastedYears typing
I also heard the owner of IKEA flies coach everywhere he goes. Doesn’t fly First Class, doesn’t have his own plane.
Money might go further in other regions of Russia; however, Moscow is a very, very expensive city.
According to the most recent ranking on the subject, Moscow has overtaken Tokyo for the distinction as the most expensive city in the world.
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