According to Forbes' World Billionaire Ranking 2026, Russia has added 14 new USD billionaires in the past year. Notably, half of them - 7 people - build assets from agriculture and food production.
The list released on March 10 shows a total of 155 Russian citizens in the global billionaire ranking, despite widespread Western sanctions since the conflict in Ukraine escalated in 2022. The group's total assets reached approximately 696.5 billion USD - a record high ever.
However, what is noteworthy is not just the numbers, but the change in the asset structure of the Russian super-rich.
For decades, the assets of Russian billionaires mainly came from oil and gas, metallurgy and mining - pillars of the post-Soviet economy. But now, these sectors are "sharing the field" with a new generation of entrepreneurs who are agricultural billionaires.
This change is associated with Russia's strategy of strengthening food self-sufficiency after being sanctioned by the West. Domestic production support policies, along with increased global food demand, have created conditions for many Russian agricultural businesses to expand strongly, especially in the Asian, African and Middle Eastern markets.
One of the new faces is Aleksandr Tkachev, who owns assets of about 1.8 billion USD. He is the co-founder and controlling shareholder of the agricultural group Agrocomplex - one of Russia's largest food producers. Previously, he served as Minister of Agriculture of Russia from 2015-2018.
Another billionaire is Vadim Vikulov, with an estimated fortune of 1.5 billion USD. He controls Aston - a major Russian agricultural exporter, strongly operating in the cereal and vegetable oil sectors.
In this group, the richest person is Vadim Moshkovich, with assets of about 2.9 billion USD. He controls Rusagro Group - one of the largest pork and sugar producers in Russia.
In addition to agriculture, Russia's new billionaires also come from many other fields such as fertilizers, coal, energy, pharmaceuticals and real estate.
Despite the emergence of a new class of billionaires, the ranking still shows that traditional industries continue to dominate the richest group.
Leading the list of Russian billionaires in 2026 is Alexey Mordashov, the steel and gold tycoon, with assets of about 37 billion USD. This is the first time Mordashov has led the list of Russian billionaires.
Ranked second is Vladimir Potanin, owner of the Norilsk Nickel mining group, with assets of about 29.7 billion USD.
Third place belongs to Vagit Alekperov, former leader of the oil and gas group Lukoil, with assets of about 29.5 billion USD.
The increase in "agricultural billionaires" reflects profound changes in the Russian economic structure in recent years. As energy exports are under pressure from sanctions, the agricultural sector has emerged as a new pillar.
Russia is currently one of the world's largest wheat exporters, while strongly expanding exports of processed foods and vegetable oils. Domestic agricultural enterprises are therefore playing an increasingly important role in the global food supply chain.
