Deripaska Oleg Vladimirovich

Deripaska Oleg Vladimirovich

Oleg Deripaska is the founder and since 2009 CEO of the leading Russian investment group Basic Element.

Aktivs

Oleg Deripaska's main projects are concentrated in mechanical engineering, mining, construction, finance, aviation, and the agro-industrial complex (Basic Element holding).

2012

As of February 2012, along with OK RUSAL, the portfolio of Basic Element included such flagships of domestic business as GAZ Group, the second largest automaker in Russia; Ingosstrakh is one of the leaders of the Russian insurance market; EuroSibEnergo is Russia's largest private energy company; construction holding Glavmosstroy, as well as other significant companies for the Russian economy.

2018: US authorities seize two Oleg Deripaska mansions

Among the assets of billionaire Oleg Deripaska, frozen in October 2018 in the United States, were two of his mansions. The New York Post writes about this with reference to its sources in the US Treasury. Real estate is located in New York and Washington, according to the material.

Deripaska's New York mansion is located in Manhattan (11 East 64th Street). According to the publication, the billionaire acquired it for $42 million in 2008. After the announcement of the sanctions, he allegedly allowed the ex-wife of another billionaire Roman Abramovich Darya Zhukova to live in the mansion. The American authorities, in turn, did not obstruct this.

Recall that the United States imposed sanctions on Oleg Deripaska on April 6. He was banned from entering the country and frozen all his assets. The US Treasury accused the Russian billionaire of money laundering, intimidating business partners, wiretapping officials' phones and participating in extortion. Also in the justification of the sanctions, it was noted that Deripaska could "bribe officials, act as a customer for the murders of businessmen and have connections with organized crime in Russia" (quoted by "Business Petersburg").

2023: Failed bid to sell stake in Strabag

The company of the Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska Rasperia Trading Limited sold a 27.78% stake in the construction concern Strabag for 1.51 billion euros. The asset was bought Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) by the Austrian through the Russian "daughter" -. Raiffeisen Bank The deal was announced in December 2023. According to one of the sources, Raiffeisen accumulated about 5 billion euros of capital in Russia, and the deal with Strabag was supposed to free up $1.5 billion from this amount. In May 2024, the United States achieved the cancellation of the deal with the threat of disconnecting Raiffeisen bank. More. here

State

In 2011, according to Forbes, Deripaska's fortune was $16.8 billion (sixth place in Russia), but in 2012 it decreased to 8.8 billion (14th place).

Biography

In 1985, he graduated with honors from high school in southern Russia, in the Krasnodar Territory.

In 1993 he graduated with honors from the Physics Department of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov.

In 1996 he received a master's degree from the Russian Plekhanov Academy of Economics in Moscow.

He started business in the early 1990s with the purchase and sale of food, office equipment, etc. After graduation, he organized the Military Investment Trading Company, which specialized in metal trading and had brokerage places on the main stock exchanges of Russia - the Moscow Commodity Exchange and the Russian Commodity Exchange. Almost all profits from this business were directed to the purchase of shares in the Sayanogorsk aluminum plant located in Eastern Siberia (Republic of Khakassia).

From 1994 to 1997 - General Director of the Sayanogorsk Aluminum Plant.

In 1997, he initiated the creation of the first vertically integrated industrial company in the post-Soviet space - the Siberian Aluminum Group, the core of which was the Sayanogorsk Aluminum Plant. In the future, it united a number of leading enterprises of the aluminum complex in Russia.

In 1997-2001, he served as President of the Siberian Aluminum Group.

In 2000, he was appointed General Director of the Russian Aluminum Company (RUSAL), which included aluminum and alumina plants of Siberian Aluminum and the Sibneft oil company. In 2003-2004, he bought out the shares of partners - Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich.

From 2001 to 2009 he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Basic Element.

2006: Failed attempt to enter the oil business

Oleg Deripaska played a dramatic role in the fate of Yukos. Political scientist Stanislav Belkovsky wrote about this in his article in 2011.

Just at the beginning of 2006, when external surveillance was introduced at Yukos, led by Eduard Rebgun, Oleg Deripaska decided to go into the oil business. The ideal entry option: to pick up part of the assets of Yukos, in the imminent artificial bankruptcy of which there was no doubt. Of course, many businessmen would consider such a scenario unnecessarily risky, but not Deripaska. And the point is not only that the main aluminum magnate of the Russian Federation is used to combinations on the verge and beyond the edge of a foul. And Igor Sechin could seem no more terrible to him than those yesterday's partners, whose interests Deripaska could neglect at a decisive moment - for example, the brothers Lev and Mikhail Cherny or Anatoly Chubais. Just in 2001, Deripaska received a long-term security certificate, making perhaps one of the wisest business decisions in his life: he married Polina Yumasheva and entered the family of Boris Yeltsin with such a makar. And everything related to the first president of the Russian Federation was and remains inviolable for the Kremlin.

Therefore, Deripaska was not afraid to seriously suffer, especially since he was not afraid to share Khodorkovsky's fate. The question was different: how to get into Yukos to influence the division/cut of its remaining assets? A little squeezing Sechin Rebgun?

The scheme was developed as follows: an ambitious Yukos employee from the upper middle link is taken. Who does not need the reputation of "one of the managers of a bankrupt company." Whose risky situations cause a beneficial rush of adrenaline into the blood. Under promises to alleviate the fate of those who are already sitting in the Yukos case, this employee is appointed head of a company that has not yet gone bankrupt. And then - bargaining begins. But not between the employee and the authorities, but between Deripaska and Sechin. As a result, Yukos is divided not into one, but into two. Isn't that fair? If one of the largest beneficiaries of the Yukos case is a true faithful Putin who came with the second president from the depths of St. Petersburg ores, then it is logical for the second to be a member of the family of the first president.

As a victim, as you and I have already guessed, the chief lawyer of Yukos Vasily Aleksanyan was elected. Khodorkovsky's favorite, a Harvard graduate, a mess of fate. In terms of ambition and psychotype, he fit perfectly. Then they said that he hoped to earn a whole $1 billion from his participation in the Yukos final.

As far as can be judged, at the end of March 2006, a historical meeting of the chief lawyer of Yukos with Oleg Deripaska himself took place. During this meeting, the VIP son-in-law confirmed the seriousness of his intentions. And he guaranteed: Aleksanyan is completely safe. Both in the Kremlin and in the General Prosecutor's Office everything is agreed. Aleksanyan's task is to ensure the process of soft bankruptcy of Yukos so that everyone is fine. And so that the family of Boris Yeltsin could become a full-fledged player in such a rapidly growing oil market. The prize is the coveted $1 billion. Plus worldwide fame, which is much more important.

On April 1 (a gloomy joke!), 2006, Yukos President Stephen Tidi issues an order appointing Vasily Aleksanyan as executive vice president of the company with the actual powers of president - thereby admitting that Tidi himself, chained to London and not entering Russia, can no longer quickly manage the seriously wounded oil giant. Aleksanyan becomes the head of Yukos - his last leader "of his own."

A new executive vice president with presidential powers zealously takes up the cause. Its first task is to restore the manageability of Yukos-RM, which is engaged in all sales and controls the main financial flows of the oil and gas empire within the country. By that time, Yukos-RM President Anatoly Nazarov had already realized that resistance to the Sechin onslaught was useless, and loyalty to Khodorkovsky was more meaningless. He openly works for Rosneft and is preparing to hand over Yukos-RM to the upcoming side.

Aleksanyan is trying to stop this process. Using his new powers, he appoints Roman Khomenko, one of the last managers who has not yet moved to the Sechin side, as the first vice president of Yukos-RM for commercial issues. It is clear that the next step should be the dismissal of Nazarov himself. The president of Yukos-RM goes underground, hoping that he will not have to endure the new eccentric leadership for long. This calculation is justified.

On April 6, Vasily Aleksanyan is to arrive at the Simonovsky Court, where the case is being heard on charges of his embezzlement of shares in 12 Yukos subsidiaries led by Tomskneft. In court, everything is ready for his arrest - it is visible to the naked eye. After receiving a wake-up call from his lawyer Gevorg Davtyan, Aleksanyan disappears. His mobile phone is now locked. He seems to be beginning to understand that the security guarantees given by Deripaska are not working. Sechin, as in 2003, plays all-in. It is important for him to destroy in the bud the very idea that someone other than him has the right to encroach on the assets of Yukos.

Aleksanyan will be arrested the next day, April 7. In a certain apartment on Zemlyanoy Val. Where he, not yet completely losing hope of a powerful career breakthrough, will discuss with the deripasky envoys a scenario of immediate action. When the police come to detain Aleksanyan, the door will not open to them. As if expecting that you can stand for a day, and hold out the night. The door eliminates the landing from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. From Zemlyanoy Val, the executive vice-president of Yukos will go straight to Sailor Silence. Deripaska, apparently, washed his hands. He did not try to help Aleksanyan get out of prison. Well, it didn't work out with Yukos. It happens. In conclusion, as you know, the failed president of Yukos became blind, fell ill with AIDS and tuberculosis. With great difficulty, Aleksanyan managed to first move from the cell to the prison hospital, where he was held handcuffed to bed, and then (2008) to be released on bail. Only in 2010, the Aleksanyan case was dismissed - on non-rehabilitating grounds, of course.

A year later, Valentin Yumashev's son-in-law will make a second attempt to enter the oil business. Through the purchase of Russneft, glued piece by piece by the former president of Slavneft, the largest businessman of Ingush origin, Mikhail Gutseriev. And Gutseriev will also make an attempt to grab some pieces from the ruined, but still lordly table of the Khodorkovsky empire. In favor of the same Deripaska with his woke oil ambitions.

Sechin will again be categorically against. Although Deripaska will be able - thanks to the assistance of his immediate family - to get a formal "go-ahead" for an oil mega-deal from Putin himself. It didn't help. Gutseriev was then forced to flee to London.

2007: CEO of Rusal

In 2007, as a result of the merger of aluminum and alumina assets of RUSAL, SUAL Group and alumina assets of the Swiss company Glencore, the United Company "Russian Aluminum" was created - the world's largest aluminum producer. Oleg Deripaska is the CEO and member of the Board of Directors of OK RUSAL.

In 2009, Oleg Deripaska got into an unpleasant situation. After Baselcement-Pikalevo, which he owned for a long time, could not agree on the supply of raw materials and actually stopped its work, residents of Pikalevo blocked the federal highway Vologda-Novaya Ladoga. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was forced to resolve the issue. He publicly forced Oleg Deripaska to sign a contract with the general director of PhosAgro holding Maxim Volkov, after which the situation was resolved (see video).

Vladimir Putin forced Oleg Deripaska to sign an agreement on the supply of raw materials to Pikalevo

Since 2009 - General Director of the leading Russian investment group Basic Element.

As of February 2012, he was also the CEO of RUSAL.

In 2019, Deripaska relinquished controlling interest and control over OK RUSAL under the terms of an agreement with the US Treasury Department, the Department of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

2024: Recall of the Cypriot "golden passport"

On November 27, 2024, it became known that the Cypriot government revoked the citizenship of seven Russian businessmen who received passports under the Citizenship for Investment program. Among them is Oleg Deripaska. Read more here.

Social and political activities

In 1998, he founded the Free Cause Foundation, which is one of the country's largest private charitable organizations. To date, the Foundation has successfully implemented more than 400 programs, mainly in the field of education, science, culture, medicine and assistance to socially vulnerable segments of the population, especially children.

Vice-President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Chairman of the Board of the Russian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce and member of the Council on Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship under the Government of the Russian Federation.

Member of the Board of Trustees of the Bolshoi Theater, the Higher School of Business, the Higher School of State Administration and the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University.

In 2004, he was appointed representative of the Russian Federation on the Business Advisory Council of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Since 2007, he has been the Chairman of the Russian part of the council.

2022: Filing a claim for 2 billion rubles against Tinkov due to insults on social networks

On August 15, 2022, it became known that Oleg Deripaska filed a lawsuit to protect honor and dignity against businessman Oleg Tinkov and Meta (recognized in Russia as an extremist organization, its activities are prohibited in the country).

Oleg Deripaska's lawyer Alexei Melnikov explained to Interfax that the lawsuit was filed due to offensive statements by Oleg Tinkov on his Facebook page (owned by Meta).

Tinkov wrote that Oleg Vladimirovich is a very bad person, stole the Russian economy. I simply do not want to quote more accurately, so as not to spread even more offensive and inaccurate information... We ask the court to recognize the information Tinkov disseminated as false, discrediting the honor, dignity and business reputation of Oleg Vladimirovich, as well as to recover from Tinkov compensation for moral and reputational damage in the amount of 2 billion rubles... Indeed, the compensation is large, but the insults are very serious. Moreover, Tinkov's audience is very large, which means that information was very widespread, "the lawyer explained," he said.

According to Melnikov, no financial requirements have been announced for Meta. The plaintiff only asks the owner of the social network to remove information defaming the entrepreneur.

According to TASS, citing the joint press service of the courts of the Krasnodar Territory, Oleg Deripaska's lawsuit against Tinkov entered court on May 30, 2022. It will be considered by the Ust-Labinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. The first meeting is scheduled for August 16, 2022.

In the spring of 2022, Oleg Tinkov wrote in his profile on the social network: "Deripaska is an oligarch and a thief."

In May 2022, in an interview with Yuri Dudu (entered by the Ministry of Justice in the register of foreign agents), the businessman said: "For me, Deripaska is a kind of figurative Deripaska. They're all thieves there.'^[1]

2023

Ukraine nationalized Glukhovsky Quarry of Quartzites, Nikolaev Alumina Plant and First Investment Bank

Ukraine has nationalized the assets of companies that, according to local authorities, are associated with Oleg Deripaska, Yevgeny Giner, as well as Arkady and Igor Rotenberg. This was stated in the State Bureau of Investigation of the country in July 2023. Read more here.

Arrest of FBI officer for helping lift US sanctions on Oleg Deripaska

Former senior FBI official Charles McGonigal was arrested in the United States in January 2023 for helping to lift sanctions on Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska.

Together with Mr. McGonigal, a man named Sergei Shestakov was arrested. In a press release from the US Department of Justice, he is called a court translator. Mr. Shestakov faces the same charges as Charles McGonigal.

Awards

In 1999 he was awarded the Order of Friendship.

According to the results of 1999, as well as 2006 and 2007. the newspaper "Vedomosti," published by "The Wall Street Journal" and "Financial Times," was declared "Entrepreneur of the Year."

Family

• Wife from 2001 to 2018 Polina Deripaska.

• Daughter Maria Deripaska.
• Son Peter Deripaska.

Interesting facts

Oleg Deripaska is one of the developers of the CEO Climate Policy Recommendations program document, which summarized the proposals of the business community to combat global warming. This document was developed under the auspices of the World Economic Forum and as part of the Gleneagles Dialogue group and signed by the heads of more than 100 largest companies in the world. The recommendations were shared with G-8 leaders at a summit in Japan in July 2008.

Notes

• Foreign sanctions against Russian citizens and companies