Former oil chief is Romania’s richest man
BUCHAREST (AFP) – A former oil company chief, a one-time shepherd and an ex-tennis champion rank as Romania’s richest citizens, according to a list published Tuesday by the weekly magazine Capital. Dinu Patriciu, former head of Romania’s oil group Rompetrol, tops the rich list, with an estimated fortune of $3.1-3.3 billion (-2-2.2 billion). Patriciu, 57, sold a 75 percent stake in Rompetrol to Kazakh company KazMunayGaz in August for a reported $2 billion. Close behind Patriciu is Gigi Becali, head of Steaua Bucarest soccer club, with an estimated fortune of $2.8-3 billion, the magazine reported. Becali, 48, rose from herding sheep to making his fortune through real estate. Former tennis ace Ion Tiriac, now active in banking and insurance, ranks third and is worth around $2.3 billion, according to Capital. The magazine calculated the net worth of Romania’s 300 richest men has risen by 50 percent since last year, to around $33 billion.
