MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s income doubled in 2014 but he still made a relatively modest 7.6 million rubles ($150,000), according to his income declaration published Wednesday.
The president also declared ownership of two vintage Volga sedans — one of which he let George W. Bush drive during the U.S president’s 2005 visit to Russia. Putin’s official assets include an 830-square-foot apartment, a garage, another car — a Soviet Niva four-wheel-drive — and a small tent trailer.
By comparison, President Barack Obama reported a family income of $447,000 in 2014. Putin, fresh from his divorce from Lyudmila Putina, did not have any immediate family members to disclose income for.
In 2013, the Russian president made 3.6 million rubles (about $100,000 at the time). That jumped after he more than doubled salaries for Kremlin staff in a probable bid to mitigate the impact of Russia's economic crisis, which has seen the ruble lose half its value against the U.S. dollar since December.
In addition to his income and personal assets, Putin also has access to dozens of official residences, state-provided transportation and catering staff.
Russian officials are not required to disclose the source of their incomes, which has been criticized by anti-corruption watchdogs such Transparency International.
Putin's salary paled in comparison to that of his richest minister, businessman-turned-Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin, who earned 280 million rubles ($5.5 million) in 2014, according to his income declaration.
The richest Russian senator, Viktor Pichugin of the oil-rich Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district, made 363 million rubles ($7.1 million), while the poorest — former school teacher Svetlana Solntseva — declared only 620,000 rubles ($12,200).
Various senators also reported vintage or luxury cars — including, in one case, three Bentleys — and real estate holdings in the U.S. and Europe.
