Kudryavtsev Demyan Borisovich

Biography

2006: CEO of Kommersant Publishing House

Demyan Kudryavtsev is the former journalist, in 2006 Boris Berezovsky, the owner of that time of Kommersant Publishing House, appointed him the CEO of publishing house where Kudryavtsev worked till 2012.

Later Kudryavtsev founded the communication agency "Communication Is Clear".

2015

As of 2015 Demyan Kudryavtsev advised the media companies according to transactions and strategy, heads of several large media companies told Vedomosti.

Purchase of 33.3% in Delovoi Standard company - the publisher of Vedomosti

In 2015 it became known that Demyan Kudryavtsev with two partners (presumably American Martin Pompadur and Vladimir Voronov) redeemed from the Finnish Sanoma 33% of shares in the Delovoi Standard company publishing the Vedomosti newspaper for $6.4 million.

Kudryavtsev, the Pompadour and Voronov know each other since 1996 when in Russia News Corp of Rupert Murdoch began to be interested in media assets, the acquaintance says them. This corporation owns Dow Jones and, respectively for 2015, controls a third of the Vedomosti newspaper. The pompadour worked in News Corp in 1998-2010 at first as the vice president of holding and the president of division in Eastern and Central Europe, and then as the chairman of the board of directors of News Corp Europe.

Voronov was the president of News Media, division of News Corp, he and the Pompadour actively were engaged in purchase and sale of media assets for Murdoch in Russia and the CIS countries.

In 1999 Berezovsky and Murdoch created joint company "LogoVAZ — News Corp". Murdoch discussed with the Russian oligarch purchase of TV-6, and later - purchase of a packet of Channel One. But these transactions did not develop.

In 2007 Berezovsky sold to Murdoch the TV channels in Latvia.

The pompadour after leaving News Corp became the board member of many media companies. In Russia it is the main investor of Montana Coffee company, the president and CEO Alexander Malchik told it. "Montana coffee" - the large producer of fried coffee of a segment a premium, the director of Roschaykofe association Ramaz Chanturia says; what market share this company occupies, he does not specify.

Ravens works in the field of private investments in recent years, the acquaintance says it, but does not disclose any details.

Purchase of the The Moscow Times newspaper and several magazines from Sanoma

In 2015 it became known that Demyan Kudryavtsev became the owner of the company issuing The Moscow Times newspapers. Later, the same legal person redeemed from the Finnish Sanoma of the right to the edition in Russia of the following editions:

• Harvard Business Review
• Men's Health,
• Women's Health,
• National Geographic
• Agroinvestor

Re-registration of Moscowtimes LLC on the wife

A founder of Moscowtimes LLC since November 3, 2015 is Yana Moselle-Kudryavtseva, follows from data of the Unified register of legal entities (USRLE). Earlier, since February 28, 2015, Demyan Kudryavtsev was the only founder of this company.

Kudryavtsev confirmed to Vedomosti that such re-registration occurred and that Moselle-Kudryavtseva – his wife. He refused other comments.

Moscowtimes LLC manage the The Moscow Times newspaper and also several editions "United Press" (Men's Health, National Geographic).

Kudryavtsev re-registered Moscowtimes LLC on the wife to fulfill the requirements of the new Russian legislation prohibiting to foreigners to own more than 20% of the Russian media the acquaintance tells it. Kudryavtsev had a citizenship of Israel earlier, he refused it, but cannot prove this fact to the regulator – to Roskomnadzor. The State of Israel, as well as at many other countries, has no form of confirmation of failure from nationality, the interlocutor of Vedomosti explains. And department does not accept the declaration of abandonment provided in Roskomnadzor.

This information to Vedomosti was confirmed by the employee of Roskomnadzor. According to him, department does not consider the document the declaration of abandonment of nationality as it "is certified by nobody and does not prove that the person is not a citizen of other country really any more". The re-registration of media on the wife if she is only a citizen of Russia, does not raise questions at Roskomnadzor, the employee of department says.

Kudryavtsev's acquaintance says that in the future ownership of Moscowtimes company can be re-registered on a family trust in which it will have a smaller share that will allow it to fulfill the requirements of the legislation.

Kudryavtsev's family becomes 100% the owner of Vedomosti for 10 million euros. At the request of Sechin?

At the end of November, 2015 it became known that Pearson and Dow Jones agreed about sale of the shares in the business newspaper Vedomosti to Demyan Kudryavtsev's family, follows from the joint message of both companies. Terms of transaction of the party do not open, promise to close it until the end of the year.

Later in 2019 Telegram channels was written that Demyan Kudryavtsev bought Vedomosti not on the money. The transaction was financed by the owner of the Sibantratsit group Dmitry Bosov - the good acquaintance of Igor Sechin. In the market, allegedly, there was an opinion that at the request of Sechin Bosov also financed purchase of Vedomosti. Having redeemed a debt of Vedomosti in 27 million euros, Bosov-Kudryavtsev, allegedly, renewed it on one of structures of Rosneft.

"We are very proud that we managed to work with Vedomosti and 15 years to make a contribution to development of the independent press in Russia", – quotes the message of representatives of Pearson and Dow Jones.

They are forced to sell shares because of the become effective law limiting a share of foreign investors in the Russian media with a level in 20%.

Kudryavtsev will pay for an asset, proceeding from "standard market coefficient of cost", Financial Times (FT) with reference to the people familiar with agreement details writes. The newspaper is estimated more than at 10 million euros taking into account a debt, told Vedomosti of people, close to participants of the transaction.

According to RBC, the transaction was issued mainly as purchase of debt obligations "Business of a news of media" before the leaving shareholders. These obligations from them will be redeemed by the board member of the company, the former top manager of News Corp. Martin Pompadur. And "Business of a news of media" will be calculated with it on debts, RBC specifies. Kudryavtsev does not comment on it, it was not succeeded to contact Pompadur.

Now, according to Kudryavtsev, cooperation of Vedomosti with FT and WSJ will continue in other form:

"We signed the new usage agreement of materials of these editions with the corresponding use of their brands".

According to the person close to negotiators, at sale of shares of Pearson and Dow Jones set to the buyer some restrictive conditions. Kudryavtsev will not be able to sell Vedomosti to the individuals or the companies falling under a number of the criteria described by Pearson and Dow Jones. What criteria are, the interlocutor of Vedomosti did not specify. Also new shareholder will not be able to make amendments to the charter of the Vedomosti newspaper without approval of edition. Besides, Kudryavtsev will not be able to sell the newspaper during certain time, FT with reference to the people familiar with the course of negotiations notes.

2019: Discussion of sale of the Vedomosti newspaper with the owner of Arbat Capital Alexey Golubovich

In April, 2019 it became known that Demyan Kudryavtsev discusses sale of the Vedomosti newspapers to the founder of Arbat Capital Alexey Golubovich. Four interlocutors, including two acquaintances of mister Kudryavtsev told the Kommersant newspaper about it. One of them says that the parties conduct consultations several months, but did not agree about the price yet. Another heard that the transaction was almost approved still a month ago. Two interlocutors believe that Arbat Capital can act as the tool for attraction of third-party investments or to be an intermediary if other person will act as the real buyer.

Interlocutors of Kommersant find it difficult to estimate the cost of Vedomosti, explaining that precedential transactions in this area were not long ago. One of sources of Kommersant says that the seller will receive for Vedomosti as much how many he paid in 2015 for all newspaper taking into account its debt to shareholders which was purchased with discount, and a part of magazines of Sanoma, i.e. €15 million, at the same time will save journal business. Read more here.

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