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Telegram Founder Makes Forbes' List of Russia's Richest Businessmen

Pavel Durov

Pavel Durov — the founder of Russia's most popular social network Vkontakte and mobile messaging app Telegram — has made his first appearance on a ranking of the 200 richest businessmen in the country compiled by the Russian version of the Forbes magazine.

Durov, whose wealth is estimated at $0.6 billion, has been placed 135th on the ranking published by Forbes on Thursday.

Another Russian businessman making his first appearance on the list is Kirill Shamalov, President Vladimir Putin's son-in-law, according to media reports. The wealth of Shamalov, a major shareholder of Russia's largest processor of petrochemicals, totals $1.2 billion, according to Forbes.

The ranking is topped by Leonid Mikhelson, a co-owner of Russian gas companies Novatek and Sibur. His fortune is estimated at $14.4 billion, according to Forbes.

Mikhail Fridman, the founder and co-owner of Alfa Group has been named the second-richest businessman in Russia, with a total wealth of $13.3 billion.

Fridman is followed by Alisher Usmanov, the owner of Russia's biggest iron ore producer Metalloinvest, with an estimated fortune worth $12.5 billion, according to Forbes.

The leader of last year's ranking metals magnate Vladimir Potanin has been pushed to the 4th place with $12.1 billion.

Other Russian businessmen that made it to the ranking are former shareholders of defunct oil company Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. Forbes estimated the wealth of each of them at $0.5 billion. Khodorkovsky has appeared on the ranking for the first time since 2005.

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