Nominally a parliamentary democracy, Georgia has many of the trappings of a Western government, including free elections. Estimated at $5 billion, that fortune is equal to roughly one-third of Georgia’s gross domestic product. Fearing robbery, he has told many visitors that all the works are fakes, with the originals stored in London. Mr. Ivanishvili has spent money on worthy causes and eccentric indulgences. “Giant trees are my entertainment.”Mr. Ivanishvili would not comment for this article, and he has always kept an unusually low profile given his prominence.

Source: International New York Times July 02, 2019 06:56 UTC