Adonyev Sergei

Adonyev Sergei

Russian entrepreneur, one of the founders of the telecommunications operator "Scartel" (brand Yota).

Biography

1990

In the late 1990s, Adonyev was sentenced by the California District Court to a fine of $4 million and 30 months in prison for violating the ban on trade with Cuba, money laundering, etc. He was released in 1999. The verdict concerned the Joint Fruit Company, specializing in the supply of tropical fruits and sugar (Adonyev was one of the co-owners). According to investigators, Kazakh officials received a bribe from a Russian businessman to facilitate the supply of a large consignment of Cuban sugar to Kazakhstan. Adonyev in Washington was eventually accused of violating the embargo, money laundering and fraud. The court sentenced the businessman to 30 months in prison and a fine of $4 million. After his release, the entrepreneur was extradited from the United States.

In the early 1990s, Adonyev's companies imported sugar and fruits to Russia. He was one of the biggest players in this market.

2006-2008

In 2006, Adonyev became one of the founders of the Telconet Capital fund, which became the main shareholder of the telecommunications operator Skartel (trademark Yota). Last year, among the assets of the fund, including 34.9% of Yota Devices.

Together with Alexander Mamut, he organized the Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design.

He founded the Islands Foundation to help children with cystic fibrosis.

The entrepreneur received a Bulgarian passport in 2008. Citizenship, he, as clarifies the "Free Europe," then was awarded for special merits. The corresponding recommendation was issued to him by the then Minister of Transport of Bulgaria Pyotr Mutafchiev.

2013-2014

In January 2014, the Vedomosti newspaper reported that the owners of Yota Devices Sergey Adonyev and Albert Avdolyan bought a stake in Lotus F1^[1]. Team co-leader Gerard Lopez (co-founder of the Genii Capital fund) then announced an "agreement with YotaPhone ( a Russian smartphone and the main product of Yota Devices) and its shareholders."

"YotaPhone shareholders will become important partners of Genii, and YotaPhone will become a sponsor of the team this year," Lopez said. At the same time, Lotus F1 Team presented the first image of the new car, on which the pilots were supposed to perform in the 2014 season. The YotaPhone logo was applied to the front wing of the car.

In October 2013, Adonyev and his partner Albert Avdolyan agreed to sell their stake in the Garsdale Services Investment holding, which owned, including Yota, Megafon.

2018

In May 2018, Bulgaria revoked the Bulgarian citizenship of Russian telecommunications tycoon, founder of Yota Sergey Adonyev. This was reported by Reuters with reference to the local Ministry of Justice. A similar step in the department was explained by his criminal record in the United States (Bulgarian law does not allow new residents).

2021: U.S. criminal record dropped in 1998 case

In early October 2021, the US District Court of the Central District of California granted Sergei Adonyev's petition to cancel the indictment against the businessman. We are talking about the 1998 case concerning the supply of sugar to Kazakhstan.

The court admitted that earlier the businessman did not have the opportunity to challenge the court decision. Adonyev was barred from entering the United States because of his criminal record.

In the 1990s, American law enforcement officers charged Adonyev with violating the embargo on trade with Cuba and money laundering. The lawyer advised the founder of Yota to plead guilty, after which he was sentenced to imprisonment for 30 months and payment of $1 million, and then deported from the country.

In his petition to the American court, the businessman indicated that the lawyer hired by his family then did not have sufficient competence. He also promised Adonyev that recognition would not entail any consequences.

In a petition filed with the court, Adonyev indicated that the case itself should not have been considered as fraud, but as a civil law dispute over payment, and his then lawyer did not have sufficient competence. US authorities raised no objections to the petition to quash the guilty plea and asked the court to overturn the main indictment in the case. As a result, the court recognized that Adonyev had a good reason not to challenge the conviction earlier, allowed him to withdraw the confession given in the 1990s, and withdrew his criminal record.

We are very glad that the US Attorney's Office and the court agreed that the prosecution and conviction of Mr. Adonyev were erroneous. These decisions corrected the injustice and finally put an end to this long-term case, - said Adonyev's lawyer in early October 2021.

The US authorities did not object to the petition to cancel the confession of guilt and asked the court to cancel the main indictment in the criminal case against Adonyev.^[2]

2022: Sergey Adonyev became a shareholder of Sibanthracite

In October 2022, Sergei Adonyev became a shareholder of Sibanthracite, control over which his long-time partner Albert Avdolyan bought for $1 billion.

Notes