1. Vladimir Putin
This is not quite a ‘gotcha’ moment but US authorities have long suspected that the Russian president Vladimir Putin has been hiding a massive fortune. Although the financial disclosures released by the Kremlin back in August 2019 claimed that Putin earned a total annual income of $135,000, many financial analysts saw this meager figure as laughable, as some estimate his fortune around the $200 billion mark.
And despite not actually being named in the leaked documents, many of Putin’s closest allies (and even a potential lover) featured in the Pandora papers. One noted member, now former as he has passed away, was Petr Kolbin, his best friend from childhood and someone who was long referred to by critics as ‘Putin’s wallet’ as many believed he bankrolled the Russian president and helped him build his considerable fortune.
