Whisper "Mercy Boka"

Gennady Timchenko, a friend of President Vladimir Putin and the co -owner of the largest Gunvor oil trade company in Russia, awarded the highest state award of France, the Order of the Legion of Honor. This was reported on the website of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the economic council of which is headed by the oligarch.

The organization notes that Timchenko as a businessman made a great contribution to the development of Franco-Russian business projects, namely, to establish a strategic partnership with the Total oil and development of a gas condensate field in Yamal.

In addition, the report said, on the initiative of the oligarch, as well as a member of the economic council Andrei Filatov in the Louvre, the constant exposition of Russian art was opened in the Louvre, the Russian Museum received the support necessary to maintain cultural heritage, and the Alekhin International Chess Tournament was held in Russia and France.

"Thanks to such large and iconic events, modern Russia is opening through art and culture to the world, which ultimately contributes to the development of the foreign economic and foreign policy relations of Russia with the international community," the organization says.

As of the beginning of February, 60-year-old Timchenko, in addition to a share in Gunvor, also owned shares of gas-producing companies Novatek and Petromir, the coal mining company Kolmar, the Transnil railway companies, Avia Group Avia and Avia Group Nord, gas processing and petrochemical company Sybur Holding, and an insurance company, an insurance company Sogaz and a number of other companies in Russia, Germany and Sweden. Forbes in 2013 estimated the state of oligarch at $ 14.1 billion. Thus, Timchenko took 9th place in the ranking of the richest people in Russia and the 62nd-in the ranking of the richest people in the world. At the same time, in 2008, the oligarch, according to Forbes, had $ 2.5 billion, and in 2012 - 9.1 billion.