Vladimir Putin’s pursuit of war in the Ukraine has cost Russian billionaires dearly, a sinkhole that has deepened since the destruction of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in pro-Russian territory last week. Of the 20 Russians included in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 14 have lost money this year, led by Alisher Usmanov and Vladimir Lisin, each of whom is down $2.8 billion. As a group, the Russians have together lost more than $16 billion, or 7 percent of their total wealth. That compares with big gains by billionaires in Brazil, India, and China since Jan. 1: America’s top 20 plutocrats, by comparison, have gained ... (full story)