MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (b. 26 June 1963) is a Russian businessman. As of 2004, Khodorkovsky is the wealthiest man in Russia, and the 16th wealthiest man in the world, due primarily to his holding in the Russian petroleum company, Yukos. He is considered one of Russia's most powerful oligarchs.
On October 25, 2003, Khodorkovsky was arrested at gunpoint on a Siberian airport runway by the Russian prosecutor general's office, on charges of tax evasion. Shortly thereafter, on October 31, the government further took the unprecedented step of freezing shares of Yukos due on tax charges. Khodorkovsky's supporters see the Kremlin's actions against him as retaliation for Khodorkovsky's support of political groups that oppose the government's policies, while opponents believe that he must answer for wrongdoing related to the privatization of state assets during the 1990.
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