Backed by the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, he is negotiating with Russian politicians to keep the acreage safe from development in perpetuity.

FORBES: Life

Volcker has been active in the conservation of the imperiled species, becoming a director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and donating time and money to the North Atlantic Salmon Fund.

FORBES: Gone Fishing: Paul Volcker Retires From Public Life, Heads For the River

"What he's doing is extraordinarily exciting, " says William Taylor, president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

FORBES: Life