Euro weekly reveals its annual list of the richest Czechs and Slovaks

Czech publication Euro weekly has once again compiled a ranking of the richest Czechs and Slovaks. PPF heiress Renáta Kellnerová heads the list with a worth of CZK 265 billion.

"The hundred richest Czechs and Slovaks have had a very successful year. In total, they became richer by CZK 395 billion or 23 percent. They were helped by the recovery of the economy after the end of restrictive measures due to Covid-19 and by the courage to invest and expand abroad," Euro writes. The publication said that few entrants saw decreased wealth.

Kellnerová topped the list of the 105 richest Czechs and Slovaks, released Monday, Sept. 26, last year as well. She became the administrator of her husband Petr Kellner's estate after his death in a plane crash in the U.S. on March 27, 2021.

Returning to the list, this year the real-estate tycoon Radovan Vítek (with a worth of CZK 170 billion) came in the second place. Karel Komárek, the owner of the KKCG financial group, which officially became the operator of the prestigious National Lottery in Great Britain this year, moved into third place (CZK 155 billion). 

Daniel Křetínský, the owner of Energy and Industrial Holding (CZK 94 million), came in fourth, while former prime minister Andrej Babiš (CZK 93 million) improved his standing, moving from sixth to fifth place to round out the top 5 this year.

Previously, Babiš directly owned the Agrofert holding, which he put into trust funds in 2017 due to the Conflict of Interest Act. Compared to last year, Babiš improved by one place, with an increase in assets from CZK 68 to 93 billion. According to Euro, Agrofert expansion again after years of stabilization led to its improved standing.

The Kellner family's assets increased to 15 billion more year-on-year. Křetínský worth dropped from third last year to fourth this year. However, his assets also increased year-on-year, from 11 CZK billion to CZK 94 billion.

Several media owners appeared in the ranking. Kellnerová PPF owns the Nova TV group as well as mobile operator O2. Křetínský co-owns the Czech Media Invest group, and Babiš includes among his assets the Mafra media group, which is in trust. The sixth richest Czech, Patrik Tkáč, is co-owner of Czech Media Invest.

The list also includes Ivo Lukačovič (#11), founder of Seznam.cz, Zdeněk Bakala (#24), owner of Economia, and Ivan Zach (#57), whose GES own shares in the Prima Group.

The group of billionaires on the Euro list owns property worth CZK 2.1 trillion, an amount that roughly corresponds to the planned expenditures of Czech public budgets in the next year.

The weekly attributed the economic recovery reflected on its list to the end of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to successful investments and expansion abroad.

Source: Euro Weekly