Business weekly: Rompetrol boss Dinu Patriciu is richest man in Romania

Romanian businessman Dinu Patriciu is the richest man in Romania, according to the latest issue of a yearly list of wealthiest people in the country published by Romanian business weekly Capital this week. Patriciu leaped from eighth to first place in the Capital chart following his selling of a majority stake in Rompetrol, the second-biggest oil group in Romania, to Kazakh group KazMunayGaz in August this year.

The transaction, evaluated at over three billion euro, received the approval of EU competition authorities this month.

Patriciu is followed by Gigi Becali, a real estate mogul who also owns Steaua Bucharest football club and turned to populist politics. Third comes businessman Ion Tiriac, who runs businesses in banking, car dealing and other sectors, followed by controversial businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vantu and two other businessmen, the Micula brothers.