OTP Bank Chairman and CEO Sándor Csányi has yet again topped this yearʼs list of the “100 Richest Hungarians.” He is followed by György Gattyán, owner of the Docler Group who made his fortune with adult internet sites. Viktor Orbán’s friend and close ally, construction mogul Lőrinc Mészáros slipped from second to third place.
According to the publication edited by Péter Szakonyi, a leading journalist of news portal napi.hu, the total wealth of the top 100 richest Hungarians came to some HUF 4568.1 billion. This is a decrease by HUF 64.9 bn compared to last year.
Although the latest asset estimates do not include the economic downturns expected in 2020, as this is based on the performance of market players in 2019, some effects of the pandemic at least for the period between March to May is indeed taken into account.
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For the 19th consecutive time, Sándor Csányi once again tops the list with a net worth of HUF 310 billion. This is HUF 50 bn less than in the same period last year.
György Gattyán secured second place after placing third last year, with an estimated wealth of HUF 280 billion. As the online industry was not affected negatively by the crisis generated by the Covid-19 epidemic, unlike Csányi, his assets did not decrease at all.
This year, Lőrinc Mészáros’ wealth decreased significantly from last year’s HUF 296 billion to 270 bn, which could only get him to third place.
The reason for his “shrinking wealth”, in spite of the numerous acquisitions his companies won in the past year, is mainly due to parts of the company group suffering great losses as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic.
László Bige, against whom the prosecution recently requested jail time, could no longer keep the fifth place this year, and slipped all the way to tenth place. His assets decreased from HUF 170 billion to HUF 112 billion.
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Prime Minister Orbán’s former important ally later turned foe Lajos Simicska is among the “losers” who only reached the 49th place this year; his assets were estimated at 83 billion in 2016, which have now fallen to HUF 27 bn.
Money does not equal power
The publication also contains a section listing those regarded as the most influential figures in Hungary.
Once again it is topped by PM Viktor Orbán followed by Csányi and Mészáros. Behind them comes Central Bank (MNB) Governor György Matolcsy, then Interior Minister Sándor Pintér, ranked fifth.
Minister of Finance Mihály Varga is listed sixth, while Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, seventh. Cabinet Chief Antal Rogán slipped back two places to take eighth place. The last two on the list are trustees of the prime minister, Árpád Habony (9th) and Gábor Kubatov (10th).
Featured photo by Tamás Kovács/MTI