Putin earns more than Medvedev

Putin and Medvedev released their 2010 incomes on Monday – and guess who’s top dog?

Putin made $180,145 last year – up nearly 30 percent from 2009. Medvedev made just $120,500, according to the release, part of a government transparency initiative.

It also showed that Putin owned a share in a public garage and a 1,500 square meter plot of land, while Medvedev co-owns a Moscow apartment with his wife, weighing in at a paltry 367 square meters. He also owns a vintage Soviet-era Pobeda car and has $177,000 in savings (his wife has none).

Interestingly, Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin’s chief ideologist and one of its most powerful (if secretive) men, made 4.6 million rubles ($164,000) while his wife made 85 million rubles ($3 million) and owns a bunch of land.

Another rich man turned out to be Alexander Khloponin, the Medvedev appointee tasked with fixing the mess in the violent and poor North Caucasus region. He brought in 23.2 million rubles ($830,000) last year but his real prize is transport, counting a Mercedes, a Bentley and a Harley Davidson among his collection (both he and his wife also own a crazy amount of land in Russia).

Medvedev introduced the initiative in 2008, requiring all government ministers, as well as members of the Kremlin and governors, to release their income and holdings. It’s not gone so well in the past. Last year, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov – famous for his lavish home and personal zoo and fleet of fancy cars and golden gun and thoroughbred horses, said he earned 4 million rubles ($131,000) and that he owned no car.