Nets Owner Prokhorov Wants to Be Moscow's Mayor

It’s a little early to declare his candidacy for a 2015 election, but that’s not stopping Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. The owner of the Brooklyn Nets has just announced he wants to run for mayor of Moscow. Prokhorov, who made his fortune in nickel and gold mining, ran for president against Vladimir Putin in March. He won 20 percent of the vote in Moscow itself, a respectable showing.

Moscow is technically a region, and regional bosses have long been appointed by the Kremlin. In April, Putin allowed direct elections in cities and regions once more, so Prokhorov jumped in. Moscow’s city hall could even prove to be a steppingstone for the presidency. The billionaire is setting up a new party, Civil Platform, that will field candidates to run for office in Russian cities and regions on a pro-business, pro-democracy agenda, and so secure political power at the grass-roots level. “For that to happen, you have to work here and now,” he says.