After a year in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest man, has told his family that he will give up making money if he is released

After a year in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest man, has told his family that he will give up making money if he is released. The tycoon's mother, Marina Khodorkovskaya, 73, said he had revealed to her during a recent prison visit that he intends to turn his back on business, dedicating his life to educational programmes aimed at creating a new generation of elite Russians. "Mikhail used to say he would do business only until he was 45 and then concentrate on other projects," Khodorkovskaya said. "He is 41 now and, if he were released in the near future, it would simply mean bringing his original plans forward. He wants to concentrate on educating young people." Any such move by Khodorkovsky, who made his fortune with the Yukos oil company, would mark a victory of sorts for the Kremlin. It is widely believed to have ordered his arrest because he harboured political ambitions and was seen as an opponent of president Vladimir Putin.