Putin Releases Pre-Election Asset Declaration

President Vladimir Putin has released an asset declaration in the run-up to Russia’s March 18th presidential election. Russia experts have long suspected that Putin may be among the richest men in the world, so his official declaration looks a tad suspicious.

In the last six years, Putin claims to have earned 38,528,817 rubles (roughly $674,000) from his presidential salary, bank deposits, and his military pension. He also has 13,824,389,84 rubles (roughly $24.2 million) in thirteen different bank accounts and 230 shares in the Bank Sankt-Peterburg.

Putin's  2009 VAZ-2121 Lada Niva would look something like this. Photo credit: Youtube / Megaretr

Additionally, Putin has usage of a 153.7-square-meter apartment in Moscow, provided by the city government, and an 18-square-meter garage in St. Petersburg, due to his membership in the All-Russian Society of Automobilists.

But Putin’s personal real estate holdings and vehicles appear the most suspicious. The Russian President reportedly owns just one 77-square-meter apartment and an 18-square-meter garage in St. Petersburg.

This is what a 1965 GAZ 21M Volga looks like. Photo credit: Wikipedia

He also owns three automobiles: a 1960 GAZ 21M Volga, a 1965 GAZ 21M Volga, and 2009 VAZ-2121 Lada Niva — plus a 1987 Skif trailer.

And this is what a 1987 Skif trailer looks like. Photo credit: auto.ria.com

Before the 2012 election, Putin indicated that he had earned 17,734,755 rubles in the last four years. He also listed the same apartments and vehicles. However, since then, Putin appears to have sold a 1,500-square meter land plot in the Moscow region.

/By Matthew Kupfer