Kesaev Igor Albertovich

Kesaev Igor Albertovich

Igor Kesaev is an entrepreneur, owner and president of the Mercury Group of Companies.

Aktivs

For 2023, Igor Kesaev is a large co-owner of the Mercury group (manages the Red and White and Bristol retail chains) and the Megapolis tobacco distributor.

State

Igor Kesaev takes 53rd place in the ranking of the Russian-language version of Forbes "Richest Businessmen Russia - 2012." His fortune is estimated at 1.8 billion dollars ^[1] in^[1]

Biography

Igor Kesaev was born on October 30, 1966 in Ordzhonikidze (currently Vladikavkaz) in the North Osetinskaya Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Education

In 1993 - graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

Career

1988-1992 - Head of the Banking Insurance Department of the Absolute Insurance Company, Moscow Director of the Absolut-Moscow Insurance Company, General Director of the Jupiter Insurance Company.

1991 - Created the Mercury trading company.

Since 1992 - owner and president of the Mercury Group of Companies.

2005 - acquired controlling stakes in two enterprises of the military-industrial complex: the Kovrovsky Mechanical Plant (KMZ) and the Degtyarev Plant.

Through Orton Oil, together with Shalva Chigirinsky, he owned Bennfield Ltd., which controlled 47% of Sibir Energy. Sibir Energy acquired a stake in Shalva Chigirinsky in 2005.

2006 - merged the tobacco business with Megapolis^[2]

Together with Shalva Chigirinsky, through ST New Holland LLC, he won the competition for the reconstruction of New Holland in St. Petersburg.

In December 2007, the Mercury Group of Companies acquired Dixy from Oleg Leonov (51% - a controlling stake). According to experts, the deal cost $600 million .

In October 2007, he agreed with Armen Eganyan on the purchase of his stake in OJSC Moscow Wine and Brandy Factory KiN. The transaction cost amounted to $15 million. Having not received the shares in 2010, he filed a complaint with the Helsinki Commission of the US Congress, the reason for which, according to him, was the illegal seizure of KiN by initiating a criminal case against Armen Eganyan.^[3].

2009 - sold his stake in Sibir Energy to Gazprom Neft^[4].

2011 Dixy - bought a chain of stores. "Victoria" Victoria shareholders received 13.1% in the combined company and 324 million dollars.

2020: Launch of a new trading network - KOOP Market

As it became known in early November 2020, the owners of the stores Dixy"," Bristol"" and Red & White"," the distributor Megalopolis of the "holding" Mercury Igor Kesaev and Sergey Katsiev launched a new retail network - KOOP Market"." At the first stage, the project unites 52 stores in the Nizhny Novgorod region. here More.

2022: Transfer of interest to its partner

In early November 2022, it became known that [[|the]] co-owner of the Victoria supermarket chain Igor [[|Kesaev]] assigned a stake in it to his partner Nikolai Tyaka. According to Kommersant, citing data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Nikolai Tyaka became the owner of 37.25% of Victoria Baltia LLC, the manager of the Victoria retail chain. Another 45% in the company was received by Sergey Studennikov, 7.69% - Sergey Katsiev. Together with Kesaev, they owned the Cypriot Mercury Retail Group Ltd., which previously owned Victoria Baltia. Read more here.

Inclusion in the US sanctions list

Igor Kesaev in May 2023 was included in the US sanctions list amid the conflict in Ukraine.

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 - Igor Kesaev. Read more here.

Social activities and awards

President of the National Non-Profit Foundation "Monolith." He was awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh III degree and a special medal "For the military community."

Charity

2011 - donated 30 million rubles to the MGIMO Endowment.^[5].

Hobbies

Engaged in extreme sports - heli-ski, mountaineering^[6]

Interesting facts

Drives a Rolls-Royce Phantom^[7]

Marital status

Married, three children.

Wife: Stella Kesaeva (Stella Kay).

Notes