Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky won the hearts of the western world recently when, upon the recent invasion of his country by Russia, he refused an offer from the U.S. to help him evacuate from the capital city of Kyiv. “I need ammunition, not a ride,” he famously said.
As the war in Ukraine rages on, rumors abound online regarding Zelensky’s net worth, including assets such as homes and vehicles. Estimates have ranged from $1.5 million USD to half a billion dollars, all the way up to a staggering $1.5 billion. Some news sources speculate that tweets declaring the former comedian’s net worth at $1.5 billion were efforts to undermine support for Zelensky and Ukraine.
So how much is Zelensky really worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Zelensky is worth roughly $1.5 million — not $1.5 billion. The site says that the president’s financial disclosure from 2018 listed total assets worth 37 million hryvnias, the Ukrainian currency. At the time, that gave him a net worth of $1.5 million USD, although, due to foreign exchange rates, the amount fluctuates.
Zelensky earned most of his money as a Ukrainian entertainer, starring in Russian-language films including “Love in the Big City,” “Office Romance,” and “8 First Dates.” The tri-lingual president, who is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, also dubbed the Ukrainian voiceovers for “Paddington”and “Paddington 2.”
From 2015 to 2019, he starred in a political satire comedy series, “Servant of the People.” The oddly prophetic show, which aired for 51 episodes, chronicled the adventures of a high school teacher turned president of Ukraine. In 2019, Zelensky ran for office and was elected as president.
Although this marked Zelensky’s first foray into politics, he does have the education to back up his recent career change. He graduated from Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics with a law degree, but never practiced, according to ClutchPoints.
Zelensky’s current role as Ukrainian president earns him only 28,000 Hryvnias annually, or just $930 per month, per Celebrity Net Worth — which is an annual salary of roughly $11,200 per year.KEY POINTS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's career as a comedian started when he was just 17 years old
He played the role of the president of Ukraine in the TV series "Servant of the People"
The series ended in 2019, the same year he was elected as Ukraine's president
Comedian-turned-Ukrainian-President Volodymyr Zelensky has won widespread praise across the globe after proving to be an inspiring leader amid Russia's invasion of his country. Here's a look at his life, career and net worth.
Zelensky was born in 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, to Jewish parents Oleksandr and Rymma. He graduated from Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics with a law degree.
Zelensky's career as an actor and comedian started after he joined the KVN comedy competition and was invited to become part of the united Ukrainian team "Zaporizhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit" when he was just 17 years old.
In 2008, he starred in the film "Love in the Big City" and its sequel, "Love in the Big City 2." Zelensky continued his movie career with "Office Romance" and "Our Time" in 2011, "Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon" in 2012 and "Love in the Big City 3" in 2014. Zelensky also starred in the 2012 film "8 First Dates" and its sequels released in 2015 and 2016.
The trilingual president, who is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian and English, also dubbed the Ukrainian voiceovers for "Paddington" and "Paddington 2."
He launched his own production company Kvartal 95, which produced films, cartoons and TV shows, including his hit comedy series "Servant of the People," in which he played the role of the president of Ukraine.
From 2015 to 2019, Zelensky starred in the series as a high school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine.
The series ended after 51 episodes the same year Zelensky ran for office and was elected as president. He unseated incumbent President Petro Poroshenko.
As Ukraine's president, Zelensky earns a salary of 28,000 Hryvnias, or roughly $930, a month, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This means he has a salary of roughly $11,200 per year.
Zelensky has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million, Celebrity Net Worth reported. The website cited his official financial disclosure in 2018 that revealed he controlled assets worth 37 million hryvnias, roughly the equivalent of $1.5 million, at the time.
In 2021, Zelensky and his administration faced escalating geopolitical tensions with Russia, which culminated in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.
During his first public appearance in his Kyiv office since the start of Russia's invasion, the wartime leader pledged to beat back Russian forces and rebuild his country.
In the video message released earlier this month, Zelensky told his people that he will not hide and instead will stay in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city, amid Russia's alleged attempts to assassinate him.
Zelensky also turned down an offer from the U.S. of evacuation from Kyiv, CNN reported, citing the Ukraine embassy in the U.K.
"The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," Zelensky told the U.S., according to the embassy.Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's oligarch ex-president, may prove the most delicate case. A sweet-shop tycoon, he won in 2014 before losing in an acrimonious race to the newcomer Mr Zelensky five years later.
Since leaving office Mr Poroshenko has found himself facing a series of investigations and prosecutions. He dismisses the charges as politically motivated.
President Zelensky alleged this week that his predecessor had done "many serious and bad things" in office and was now facing "karma".
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What are his plans?
At President Zelensky's request, his National Security and Defence Council has drafted a list of 13 as yet unnamed oligarchs and a De-oligarchisation Bill is likely to be published in the next few weeks.
"There will be no influence on mass media, no influence on politics, no influence on officials," he said of the legislation.
"But if there is influence, then these people will get a ticket called 'oligarch'. They will be included in a special register, and then this big business may lose a great share of its assets."
What might that mean for former President Poroshenko?
With a net worth of $1bn, a political party and TV channels he's a certainty to be on any "oligarch register". The new legislation could also conceivably prevent him from taking on President Zelensky in an election re-match in 2024.
Is it 'just PR'?
There are plenty of people, some with close experience of Mr Zelensky who have their doubts about the methodology, whether it will actually work.
Oleksandr Danylyuk was a key member of the Zelensky 2019 campaign team and his first national security chief: "This is just PR. Going against oligarchs looks good for him. People like a president who's decisive and going after oligarchs and bandits."
A former minister of finance, Mr Danylyuk, says that any measures against the oligarchs' businesses will also damage Ukraine's economy. He's scathing in his assessment of President Zelensky's ability to deliver.
"He won't be successful because he doesn't know what he's doing," says Mr. Danylyuk. "He only knows how to destroy. He doesn't know how to build."
President Zelensky is known to monitor his public popularity closely and some doubt whether he can withstand what is certain to be a barrage of criticism from the TV channels that the oligarchs own and control.
But he is, at least in part, following an example set by Vladimir Putin who demanded early on his presidency that the country's billionaires either back him or surrender their wealth.
"Putin obviously made examples of a few oligarchs, like [Mikhail] Khodorkovsky and [Boris] Berezovsky, and the rest quickly fell into line," says Timothy Ash.
Profile: Mikhail Khodorkovsky
"Maybe this is what Zelensky is doing with Medvedchuk? Maybe he thinks he won't have to take them all on?"
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