Sir Len Blavatnik’s massive increase in wealth during the pandemic – up by £7.2bn to £23bn – has made him Britain’s richest man once more, according to the Sunday Times rich list. But the original source of the Ukrainian billionaire’s wealth was energy and metals companies formed around the breakup of the Soviet Union. Blavatnik, 63, was born in Odessa, in Soviet Ukraine, emigrating to the US with his family in 1978 after studying in Moscow. Blavatnik had bought Warner in 2011 for $3.3bn, and the remaining Access stake is worth $13bn. Blavatnik is based in London, where he owns a mansion in Kensington Palace Gardens that has been valued at up to £200m.

Source: The Guardian May 21, 2021 13:57 UTC