The Life Aquatic with Vladimir Putin

"Prime Minister Putin, you've shot a tiger, taught the world judo, exhibited your paintings, showed off your muscular physique, rescued workers from greedy factory owners, and even danced to Abba for charity? What are you going to do next?"

"Well, nameless blogger, I'm going to go a mile underwater."

Over the weekend, Vladimir Putin did just that (checking another box off what must be a very ambitious bucket list) by diving in a mini-submarine to the bottom of Lake Baikal. He joined a team "studying gas hydrates and natural seepage of crude oil on the bottom of" the lake.

At the end of the voyage, Putin assured reporters that his next adventure did not lie in space, saying "there's enough work on Earth." Perhaps he's referring to his failures in the world of finance. 

ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images