Net worth: $15.8 billion Vladmir Potanin is a Russian billionaire, entrepreneur and oligarch. He acquired his wealth notably through the controversial loans-for-shares program in Russia in the early to mid-1990s. His long-term business partner was Mikhail Prokhorov until they decided to split in 2007. Subsequently, they put their mutual assets in a holding company, Folletina Trading, until their asset division was agreed upon. In January 2018, Potanin appeared on the US Treasury’s “Putin list” of 210 individuals closely associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin He is one of the wealthiest men in Russia

Education

Since the establishment of the Foundation in 1999 education has been one of its major spheres of activity and priority issue as the organisation aims in improving social involvement in philanthropy and the need to nurture and encourage future leaders and those who will be able later not only to improve their own skills and knowledge but also to change life and environment around them for the better. A positive example of this approach is the Vladimir Potanin Fellowship Program which focuses on master degree students and professors. This Program logically builds on and follows the Federal Scholarship Program which was launched back in 2000 and encouraged student-led projects aimed to improve student life and address community needs and which was logically followed by The Vladimir Potanin Fellowship Program combines three components: fellowship contest for master degree students, grant competition for university professors who teach courses for master degree students, and Foundation School based on the principle of learning by doing, self government and networking.