French Riviera

Abramovich has residences in London, in Cap D’Antibes on the French Riviera, on the Caribbean island of Saint-Barthelemy and in Aspen, Colorado. His 533-foot (162-meter) yacht, Eclipse, the second-longest in the world, was moored in New York for almost two months prior to the birth there of his seventh child on April 8, his second with partner Dasha Zhukova.

Eclipse, one of the three boats owned by Abramovich, was until recently the world’s largest privately owned yacht, and is equipped with two helipads, a mini-submarine and two swimming pools. The billionaire also owns a Boeing Co. 767.

World Cup

Putin, in 2010, said Abramovich should “dip into his pocket” to help finance stadium construction for soccer’s 2018 World Cup, now projected to cost $20 billion. Russian billionaires are often called upon to help finance projects the Kremlin deems of national importance, such as preparations for the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

Under Putin, Russia’s billionaires have also taken responsibility for maintaining a social safety net and spurring economic development in single-industry towns where their companies operate, a legacy of the Soviet system. Evraz Plc, the steelmaker partly owned by Abramovich, spent $164 million on social projects from 2010 through 2012, an amount that isn’t reflected in Abramovich’s total giving.

Usmanov, 59, through his OAO Metalloinvest Holding Co., the country’s largest iron-ore producer, spent $260 million in the same period, subsidizing local services and social programs in regions where the company works. That’s in addition to the $247 million of his personal wealth that he gave to charitable causes, including gifts to universities and museums.

Vekselberg, who in March sold a 12.5 percent stake in BP Plc’s Russian oil venture for about $7 billion, gave away $160 million, making him the country’s third most-charitable billionaire. Apart from repatriating cultural treasures such as the Danilov Monastery bells and Faberge eggs, the 56-year-old, along with Abramovich, helped fund a Jewish museum and tolerance center in Moscow.

Burdensome Wealth

Vladimir Potanin, the largest shareholder and chief executive officer of OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel, the world’s biggest producer of the metal, was the fourth-largest giver among Russian billionaires. The 52-year-old donated $110 million, mainly to educational and cultural institutions.