The wealth of Russia’s richest businessmen has increased by $18.3 billion since the beginning of this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Report informs referring to TASS.

Since the beginning of the year, the founder of Lukoil, Vagit Alekperov, has earned $5.87 billion, his fortune has increased to $21.2 billion, while the fortune of Novatek CEO Leonid Mikhelson has increased by $2.35 billion, to $27 billion. The cash value of both Russians is based on an analysis of dividends, insider trading, taxes and market conditions. At the same time, the former vice-president of Lukoil, Leonid Fedun, earned $2.24 billion, his fortune is $8.1 billion.

At the same time, the fortune of Andrey Melnichenko, the former beneficiary of EuroChem, decreased by $1.53 billion, to $11.6 billion. He earned more than $800 million, based, in particular, on available information about sale of shares in these closed enterprises. Melnichenko also received more than $500 million from dividends and the sale of shares in public companies through December 2017, documents from the analyst firm and Bloomberg data show. The value of the billionaire’s cash investments and personal assets is partly based on local media reports and figures provided by his press representatives.