PUTIN'S FORTUNE

 Like many politicians around the world, including Barack Obama, Russian government regulations require that President Vladimir Putin list his official salary and net worth once a year. Earlier this week Putin released this information and something just isn't adding up. Many experts of Russian government and politics agree that Putin has used his last decade of absolute power to stash away a vast personal fortune estimated at $70 billion, for himself and his closest friends. This fortune that simply does not jibe with the humble financial portrait Putin paints of himself.

Vladimir Putin – $70 Billion Fortune

Vladimir Putin is currently serving his second term as the President of Russia. His first Presidential term lasted from 2000 – 2008. Putin was also Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 – 2000 and again from 2008 – 2012. Earlier this week, Putin listed his "official" Presidential salary at $187,000 (5.8 million rubles). And while this salary has gone up more than 50% since last year, it's still significantly lower than the $400,000 that Barack Obama earns annually to run America. Putin further claims to have a relatively meager net worth. His paltry personal assets include a bank account with $180,000, three Russian made cars, an apartment in Moscow with a garage and a 16,000 square foot plot of land in the Moscow suburbs. Putin also revealed that his wife Lyudmila controls bank accounts totaling $260,000 and pulled in a 2013 income of just $3900. By comparison, Obama's reported net worth has increased from $200,000 to nearly $12 million between 2000 and 2013 (the same time Putin has been in Power).