RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE LOSES $1.5-B IN ONE DAY AFTER SPILL AT NORILSK

Vladimir Potanin, head and beneficiary of Norilsk Nickel, lost $ 1.5 billion on June 4 after the price of the company’s shares dropped following the accident at the Norilsk Thermal Power Plant, according to Forbes Real Time, reducing his fortune to $25 billion, the Russian TASS news agency reported.

"With such losses, Vladimir Potanin entered the top three billionaires who got most impoverished in a day. Since the beginning of the day, Chinese businessman Qin Yinlin is the one who lost most (-$ 7.5 billion), while Mark Zuckerberg ranks third (-$926 million)," according to Forbes. Nevertheless, the head of Norilsk Nickel remains the richest Russian businessman on the Forbes list despite the fuel spill.

As of 5:45 Moscow time, the shares of Norilsk Nickel on the Moscow Exchange fell 8.18% to 20,038 rubles per share. As of 6:05 pm Moscow time, the shares of Norilsk Nickel are losing 8%, falling to 20,100 rubles per share.

The loss of containment of the diesel fuel tank occurred on the territory of the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk, Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region, on May 29. A motor vehicle entered the fuel spill then, causing the fire outbreak. More than 210,000 tons of fuel spilled in the process.