FORTUNE LIST SNUBS BOSS

Yukos oil company founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky is no longer one of Fortune magazine's most powerful European business leaders.

He is Russia's richest man, with a reported $15bn-plus, but is currently in jail facing fraud and tax evasion charges.


But two other Russians make the US magazine's league of Europe's top 25 corporate chiefs.

Mikhail Fridman, whose Alfa Group has oil and banking investments, was rated number 10 and Roman Abramovitch, who controls the Sibneft oil company and bought Chelsea FC last year, came 21st.

For the first time, Fortune time has brought out lists of what it considers to be the most influential European and Asia business leaders.

Khodorkovsky, who was ranked 15th among non-US businesspeople last year, has failed to make the grade this time round.

He was arrested last October and Yukos faces bankruptcy and the forced sale of its prize oil production unit to pay tax claims.

This is widely seen as payback by the Kremlin for the tycoon's political ambitions and open defiance of President Vladimir Putin.


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