Three of Ukraine’s four billionaires are Jewish

June 11, 2009

KIEV, Ukraine (JTA) -- Three of Ukraine's four billionaires are Jewish, according to the Ukrainian Korrespondent magazine's annual list.

Igor Kolomoysky, 47, a co-owner of the Privat business group and president of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, leads the Jewish billionaires on the list with $2.3 billion, down from $6.6 billion in 2008.

Victor Pinchuk, 48, is next at $2.2 billion, down from $8.8 billion, followed by Gennady Bogolyubov, 47, with $1.7 billion, down from $6.2 billion.

Heading the list is Rinat Akhmetov, who owns FC Shahtar Donetzk, with $9.6 billion -- a more than threefold drop from $31.1 billion in 2008.

Eduard Dolinsky, executive director of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, said the large number of Jews on the Korrespondent list creates a mixture of pride and anxiety within the country’s Jewish community. He said it could strengthen anti-Semitic stereotypes during financial crises in Ukraine, where Jews comprise approximately one half of 1 percent of the population of 46 million.

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Three of Ukraine’s four billionaires are Jewish

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