Russian heiress Anna Anisimova feels pinch

The publication today of the Forbes 2009 billionaire list, which reveals that Bill Gates has lost $18bn of his reputed $40bn fortune in the credit crunch, will also dent the spirits of one of the world’s most colourful ‘It girls’ - Anna Anisimova, the Russian heiress who has been dubbed ‘Moscow’s Paris Hilton’.

For Anna’s father, Vasily Anisimov, has also fared badly, losing $3.2 billion off the value of his company, Metalloinvest Holding, a misfortune that has led him to disappear from the list altogether. This will be a blow for 21-year-old Anna (pictured), whose little indulgences include a $23m Manhattan townhouse formerly owned by fashion queen Diane Von Furstenberg.

Last year, when Vasily was riding high, Forbes tagged her as one of the '20 Most Intriguing Billionaire Heiresses'. But if things get any worse, she may find herself having to get - horror of horrors - a job. Perhaps sensing this, she is already said to be creating a perfume that will carry her name.

The new Forbes list reveals that the number of Russian billionaires fell from 87 to 32 this year, with 27 of those residing in Moscow. This means that New York, with 55 people on the list, has regained the title of billionaire capital of the world, whikle London comes second with 28.

Perhaps the biggest Russian loser is the aluminium magnate Oleg Deripaska. Once billed as Russia,s richest man, the oligarch, who become embroiled in a three-way row last year between Lord (Peter) Mandelson, Nat Rothschild and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, saw his fortune plummet from $28bn to just $3.5bn.