Michael Bloomberg
Worth: $22 billion
The Connection: Mayor, New York City (2002-Present)
In January the longtime equal rights advocate joined with other mayors nationwide to launch Mayors for Freedom to Marry. In February he won plaudits from women’s rights groups for pledging to match $250,000 in donations to Planned Parenthood when the Susan G. Komen Foundation controversially and briefly cut funding.
Mikhail Prokhorov
Worth: $13.2 billion
The Connection: Leadership, Right Cause Party Congress (2011); Candidate for President of Russia (2012)
Prokhorov left Right Cause as the movement collapsed, calling the party a “farce.” He garnered 8% of the vote against Vladimir Putin in the race for president.
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Worth: $6.4 billion
The Connection: Candidate for Prime Minister of Georgia (Fall 2012)
Bidzina’s wealth is equal to half of Georgia’s GDP, and he’s used it to provide for the people living in his hometown of Chorvila — creating a modern feudal municipality.
Silvio Berlusconi
Worth: $5.9 billion
The Connection: Prime Minister, Italy (2008-2011)
Silvio Berlusconi is out of office and out of jail, at least for now. The former Italian Prime Minister resigned in November amid scandals, gaffes and a crumbling economy. This past February, the media and banking maven had corruption charges thrown out of Italian court thanks to a statute of limitations, but he still faces separate charges for sex with a minor and tax fraud. He denies all allegations. He started his career as a cruise ship crooner.
