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Medvedev: I’m No Millionaire

EARNINGS

But where did he get that watch?

cheats/2009/04/06/medvedev-irsquom-no-millionaire/russian-president-dmitri-medvedev_m57xpl
Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP Photo

In an attempt to crack down on political corruption in Russia—ahem—President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have released their personal financial records and decreed that all public servants must release their own income and assets, as well as those of their families. Medvedev’s records reveal modest savings of about $85,000 and an annual salary of little more than a quarter of President Obama’s, while Putin reports savings of $111,000 and an annual salary of $60,000. Such modest earnings might possibly appear a bit fishy: Journalists have caught Medvedev sporting a Breguet watch and Putin flashing Breguet and Patek Philippe watches, luxury brands that sell for tens of thousands of dollars. The statesmen’s wives, known for loving designer brands, also reveal few assets and savings: Svetlana Medvedeva reports $4,045 in savings, a 10-year-old Volkswagen, and zero in earnings, though she has been photographed wearing a $20,000 watch of her own.

Read it at The Moscow Times