Russia gained 28 new billionaires in the last year as the global financial crisis eased and the country's economy started recovering, Finans magazine said Wednesday.
The number of Russians worth at least $1 billion increased to 77, from 49 a year ago, the magazine said in a statement.
The combined wealth of the 10 richest Russians jumped 84 percent to $139.3 billion, Finans said. That compares with the $221 billion that the 10 richest were worth two years ago, when the billionaire list swelled to a record 101.
It took a fortune of $9.95 billion to join the top 10 this year. Only two men, Mikhail Prokhorov and Roman Abramovich, were worth more last year, with $14.1 billion and $13.9 billion, respectively.
Finans mentioned only one person by name in the statement, Abramovich, saying he remained among the three richest men. The magazine will publish its annual ranking of the 500 richest Russians on Feb. 15.
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