Alisher Usmanov

Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (Russian: Алишер Бурханович Усманов; Uzbek: Alisher Usmonov; born 9 September 1953) is an Uzbek-born business-magnate and philanthropist. As reported by Bloomberg Billionaires Index in 2021, Alisher Usmanov has an estimated net worth of $17.9 billion.

Usmanov built his wealth through metal and mining operations, and investments, and is the majority shareholder of Metalloinvest, a Russian industrial conglomerate, which consolidated in 2006 JSC Metalloinvest's assets (the Mikhailovsky GOK and the Ural Steel) with those of Gazmetall JSC (the Lebedinsky GOK and the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant).

He owns the Kommersant publishing house. He is also a co‑owner of Russia's second-largest mobile telephone operator, MegaFon, and owner of Udokan copper which develops one of the largest copper deposits in the world. Usmanov is the largest investor of Digital Sky Technologies ("DST") funds, and holds shares in a number of international technology companies. Usmanov eventually teamed up with Yuri Milner.

In 2013, Alisher Usmanov was named one of the five most influential people in the business world by Bloomberg Markets magazine.

In 2018, Russian Forbes named Alisher Usmanov Businessman of the Year.

He is also the president of the FIE, the international governing body of fencing, and he has invested in fencing programs and fencing development around the globe.

Biography

Usmanov was born in Uzbekistan in the provincial town of Chust, but spent his childhood in the capital Tashkent where his father was a state prosecutor. Planning to pursue a career of a diplomat, he later moved to Moscow and joined Moscow State Institute of International Relations from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in international law.

After graduating, Usmanov returned to Tashkent where he was appointed director of the Foreign Economic Association of the Soviet Peace Committee.

He was arrested and convicted on charges of fraud and 'theft of socialist property' in Uzbek SSR in August 1980 and imprisoned for six years of an eight-year sentence.[12][13][14] This conviction was vacated in July 2000, 9 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, when it ruled that "the original conviction was unjust, no crime was ever committed, and that the evidence was fabricated."

Usmanov, who is Muslim, married Jewish[16] Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992. Viner is considered to be close to Putin, having introduced him to former rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Usmanov attended the Academy of Finance to study banking beginning in 1997.[citation needed] Although Usmanov has no biological children, through his wife Irina Viner, Usmanov has a step-son, who has become a real-estate investor, currently constructing 30 real estate projects.

Usmanov owns the Grade I listed Tudor mansion Sutton Place set in 120 hectares (300 acres) in Surrey, which he bought for £10 million in 2004. In 2012, it was claimed by businessman Boris Berezovsky that Usmanov was given Sutton Place as part of a business deal, a claim that Usmanov denied. In 2008, Usmanov bought Beechwood House, a Grade II listed Regency property in 4.5 ha (11 acres) of grounds in the London suburb of Highgate from the Qatari sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for £48 million. Usmanov also owns a 12-hectare (30-acre) property in Moscow and a villa on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Usmanov's current yacht Dilbar moored in Antibes, France.

Usmanov has owned two luxury yachts named Dilbar, after his mother. In 2008 he took delivery of the first Dilbar (now Al Raya) from Lürssen at a reported cost of $250 million.[22 As of 2019 it is the 38th largest motor yacht by length, measuring 110.0 m (361 ft). In 2015 Usmanov commissioned the second Dilbar, the current largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage (15,917 gt) and the 6th largest yacht by length measuring 156.0 m (512 ft).[23] It is reported to have cost $800 million, employ 84 full-time crew members, and contain the largest indoor swimming pool installed on a superyacht at 180 cubic metres. After taking delivery of the second Dilbar, Usmanov renamed the original Ona and in 2018 it was sold to a middle-eastern buyer.

Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (Russian: Алишер Бурханович Усманов; Uzbek: Alisher Usmonov; born 9 September 1953) is an Uzbek-born business-magnate and philanthropist. As reported by Bloomberg Billionaires Index in 2021, Alisher Usmanov has an estimated net worth of $17.9 billion.

Usmanov built his wealth through metal and mining operations, and investments, and is the majority shareholder of Metalloinvest, a Russian industrial conglomerate, which consolidated in 2006 JSC Metalloinvest's assets (the Mikhailovsky GOK and the Ural Steel) with those of Gazmetall JSC (the Lebedinsky GOK and the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant).

He owns the Kommersant publishing house. He is also a co‑owner of Russia's second-largest mobile telephone operator, MegaFon, and owner of Udokan copper which develops one of the largest copper deposits in the world. Usmanov is the largest investor of Digital Sky Technologies ("DST") funds, and holds shares in a number of international technology companies. Usmanov eventually teamed up with Yuri Milner.

In 2013, Alisher Usmanov was named one of the five most influential people in the business world by Bloomberg Markets magazine.

In 2018, Russian Forbes named Alisher Usmanov Businessman of the Year.

He is also the president of the FIE, the international governing body of fencing, and he has invested in fencing programs and fencing development around the globe.

Biography

Usmanov was born in Uzbekistan in the provincial town of Chust, but spent his childhood in the capital Tashkent where his father was a state prosecutor. Planning to pursue a career of a diplomat, he later moved to Moscow and joined Moscow State Institute of International Relations from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in international law.

After graduating, Usmanov returned to Tashkent where he was appointed director of the Foreign Economic Association of the Soviet Peace Committee.

He was arrested and convicted on charges of fraud and 'theft of socialist property' in Uzbek SSR in August 1980 and imprisoned for six years of an eight-year sentence.[12][13][14] This conviction was vacated in July 2000, 9 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, when it ruled that "the original conviction was unjust, no crime was ever committed, and that the evidence was fabricated."

Usmanov, who is Muslim, married Jewish[16] Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992. Viner is considered to be close to Putin, having introduced him to former rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Usmanov attended the Academy of Finance to study banking beginning in 1997.[citation needed] Although Usmanov has no biological children, through his wife Irina Viner, Usmanov has a step-son, who has become a real-estate investor, currently constructing 30 real estate projects.

Usmanov owns the Grade I listed Tudor mansion Sutton Place set in 120 hectares (300 acres) in Surrey, which he bought for £10 million in 2004. In 2012, it was claimed by businessman Boris Berezovsky that Usmanov was given Sutton Place as part of a business deal, a claim that Usmanov denied. In 2008, Usmanov bought Beechwood House, a Grade II listed Regency property in 4.5 ha (11 acres) of grounds in the London suburb of Highgate from the Qatari sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for £48 million. Usmanov also owns a 12-hectare (30-acre) property in Moscow and a villa on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Usmanov's current yacht Dilbar moored in Antibes, France.

Usmanov has owned two luxury yachts named Dilbar, after his mother. In 2008 he took delivery of the first Dilbar (now Al Raya) from Lürssen at a reported cost of $250 million.[22 As of 2019 it is the 38th largest motor yacht by length, measuring 110.0 m (361 ft). In 2015 Usmanov commissioned the second Dilbar, the current largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage (15,917 gt) and the 6th largest yacht by length measuring 156.0 m (512 ft).[23] It is reported to have cost $800 million, employ 84 full-time crew members, and contain the largest indoor swimming pool installed on a superyacht at 180 cubic metres. After taking delivery of the second Dilbar, Usmanov renamed the original Ona and in 2018 it was sold to a middle-eastern buyer.