Vladimir Gusinsky, 53, used to be one of Russia’s most powerful media magnates, but he lost almost everything and is now more minigarch than oligarch. Like several others on this list, his story shows how dependant oligarchs are on the Kremlin‘s goodwill. Gusinsky flourished under President Boris Yeltsin but saw his empire collapse when Vladimir Putin came to power. In the 1990s the flamboyant former theatre director appeared to have the Midas touch, founding Media Most, a company that included newspaper Segodnya, independent TV station NTV, and a banking and property empire. But NTV became a thorn in the Kremlin’s side with its highly critical coverage of the war in Chechnya. In 2000 Gusinsky was accused of embezzlement and money laundering and was forced into exile. He denies wrongdoing to this day but resides in Israel. His fortune is estimated to have dwindled to £187m, a figure not high enough for him to make it into Russia’s “Golden 100″. He is married with three children.