The coming Year of the Dragon will bring actor Al Pacino good fortune, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin needs to watch out -- he may lose vast sums of money.

即将到来的龙年将带给演员阿尔•帕西诺好运，但俄罗斯总理弗拉基米尔•普京则需当心——他可能会损失一大笔钱。

As Chinese communities around the globe prepared for Lunar New Year, which starts on Monday, a Taiwanese fortune teller¹ predicted a mixed bag of luck for famous "dragon" people around the world.

"Putin was born in 1952 ... This year he has a negative Treasure Star, it means he could lose a lot of money," Chan Wei-chung said of the possible fortune of the Russian leader, who last month faced widespread protests over a disputed election.

"As a country's leader, it is possible that he will not get the money he should earn, or the money he earns in the end all needs to be spent out again," Chan added, using an ancient Chinese method that plots destiny from alignments²（平面图） of stars in 12 "palaces" at the time and date of birth.

For veteran actor Al Pacino, born in 1940, the year is brighter, particularly if he does good deeds.

"This card reads 'bright sunshine,' which means he could turn away trouble with good luck, because of his works of charity or the help he has done for others," Chan said, consulting a set of fortune-telling cards he designed himself.

"This is a very lucky sign, we are very happy for him."

Sandra Bullock, born in 1964, needs to watch out for manipulative（巧妙处理的） people beside her, but may have a chance of conceiving, while Reese Witherspoon, born in 1976, may enjoy more work success despite suffering from stress.

Chan, whose advice is much sought after by Taiwan's glitterati（上层人士） , sees a magic year for British actor Rupert Grint, of Harry³ Potter fame, but only if he heeds⁴ his elders.

"This year he has helpful forces by his side ... unstoppable connections in the rise of fame. His money comes from elders this year, this includes any seniors, his agent or his company, who can all help him to earn more money," Chan said.