Is Vladimir Putin the richest person alive?

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It’s really, really hard to come to an accurate figure for just how much resources a head of state has personally at his whim, because he has the beck and call of the entire nation at his disposal, so he’s free to pass laws or otherwise influence the populace in ways that will personally enrich him.

The only way you’re going to know just how well Putin has done for himself as head of state of Russia is to come up with your measurements after he leaves office.

But here’s the thing about a head of state. The really successful ones eventually get to a point where it’s not about money anymore. You don’t care anymore about being the richest, if indeed you ever did. Money is just a means to an end, the use and acquisition of which must be weighed against other means to ends that you could be chasing.

To be a head of state of a ‘normal’ nation, i.e. not one with strong executive power limits like the United States of America, is to eventually reach a point where your personal goals align with those of the nation. Your will is the will of the nation.

Putin is well past that point. You can’t even measure his wealth against mere businessmen. He makes or breaks businessmen that are way wealthier than even the vaunted Bill Gates.