Russia's media mogul, oil and automobile tycoon and former deputy secretary of the all-powered Russian Security Council Boris Berezovsky has, for the first time, publicly admitted that he is worth billions of dollars more than what he told the federal tax authorities.Last year, Berezovsky had declared that he earned $435,000 in 1996 and was worth only $38,521. Recently, the American magazine, Forbes, named Berezovsky as the first Russian in its annual list of the world's 100 richest persons. He occupied the 97th position on the Forbes list, with an estimated worth of $3 billion. In an interview to the German magazine Focus, Berezovsky said Forbes was right. ``Forbes magazine estimated (my assets) at $3 billion, and I think that is close to the truth,'' the newspaper quoted Berezovsky as saying.
``If you mean cars and homes, then I have practically nothing: I have one Moscow apartment and a dacha,'' he noted. ``I have no property abroad. But on the other hand, I have a largeamount of stock in various firms.'' On his tax return, Berezovsky said he held stock worth $28,500. His office termed the Forbes report as untrue.
Berezovsky is a mathematician with a Ph.D in sciences and is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As a businessman and politician, he heads the Logovaz Joint-Stock company, a privately-owned car dealership. The company has since branched out to include holdings in the Aeroflot and Russian oil giants Sibneft oil enterprise, which is in the process of merging with the Yukos oil company. He also controls the Obyedinenny Bank.
Apart from his business empire, Berezovsky has emerged as one of the leading media moguls of Russia. He owns 8 per cent shares in the state Public Russian Television and 26 per cent in the TV-6 Moscow channel. In the print media, Berezovsky owns several newspapers and magazines, including influential daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta and liberal Ogonyok weekly.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay)Ltd.
