The richest Ukrainian, whose personal fortune exceeded $2.3 billion, ranks 777th in the world in the general list of billionaires. This man's name is Rinat Akhmetov and he was born in 1966 in the Donbass. Despite his Ukrainian citizenship, he does not belong to any of the 2 main nationalities inhabiting the country, and his ancestry goes back to Tatar roots.
At a fairly mature age, Akhmetov remembered his origins and declared himself a Muslim, allocating money for the construction of mosques that were quite outlandish for the typical landscape of eastern Ukraine. Rinat’s small homeland is the village of Oktyabrsky in the suburbs of Donetsk. His father and brother, like most of its residents, worked as miners, but Rinat did not follow in his parent’s footsteps and never went down into the mine. Having a diploma from Donetsk National University with a degree in management, he plunged headlong into the element of business, where his first personal success was Donetsk City Bank.
In 2000, Akhmetov became the founder and sole shareholder of System Capital Management, which brought its owner countless billions. Now this structure has stakes in more than 100 enterprises in the mining and metallurgical industry, energy and telecommunications. He controls many banks and insurance companies, retail organizations, and the entrepreneur also owns substantial real estate. The geography of the billionaire’s interests is not limited to the Donbass. The dense ranks of the three hundred thousand personnel of Akhmetov’s structures include employees of the capital’s large companies Ukrtelecom, Kievenergo and Kievvodokanal.
Philanthropist
Renat Akhmetov gained even greater fame as a philanthropist and not only for the arrangement of mosques. For a long time he has been the president of the Shakhtar football club, the pride of the miners’ region. It was under him that the club achieved enormous success not only in the domestic championship, but also in the European arena. In a matter of years, the club was staffed with famous legionnaires from all over the world. For them and the fans, Akhmetov initiated the grandiose construction of the Donbass Arena stadium, completed in 2009.
Donbass Arena Stadium
Especially to increase the effectiveness of his efforts, he organized the charitable foundation “Development of Ukraine”, the “Effective Governance” foundation, which ceased to exist with the beginning of political cataclysms in the Donbass and Ukraine in 2014. Instead, Akhmetov’s other project, “Humanitarian Flight,” was launched, designed to alleviate the suffering of civilians from hostilities. As a stronghold for the distribution of food and clothing, Akhmetov chose the Donbass Arena, where, by a strange coincidence, shells fired from the Ukrainian side repeatedly flew.
In the conflict between Ukraine and the DPR, Akhmetov adheres to strict neutrality, calling for the preservation of the territorial integrity of the country. Before that, he sat in the Verkhovna Rada for two convocations in the Party of Regions faction and was considered one of the main supporters of former President Yanukovych.
A sixth sense told him not to continue his own political solo. Since 2012, he left the legislature, fully concentrating on business, and was not an active figure in the second Maidan take. He observed the defamation of former President Yanukovych and his comrades from the Party of Regions from the sidelines. At the same time, no one has established his connection or support for the Donetsk separatists, although the heart of Akhmetov’s industrial empire is still located in the rebellious eastern regions.
Vague nineties
Rinat Akhmetov has repeatedly become a target for criticism from politicians and journalists who sought to prove his close connection with crime, especially in the turbulent 90s. Over and over again, these attempts failed, and the accused easily turned into an accuser. The Donetsk tycoon's lawyers always won in court and sought a public apology and substantial monetary compensation from the media. Many experts in the biography of the Ukrainian billionaire were alarmed by the fact that Akhmetov appeared with a decent starting capital literally from complete obscurity. The richest Ukrainian very sparingly and reluctantly recalls his life, from graduation to 1995, when he sat down as the president of Dongorbank.
Noticeable tongue-tiedness and undeveloped speech with obvious difficulties in formulating complex thoughts forced the researchers to look for classmates of the future successful businessman at DNU. There were none, and no one even saw the original diploma. Akhmetov is confused about the dates and, according to him, it turns out that he studied at the university for a whole decade. At the same time, he happily and inexplicably managed to avoid compulsory military service. His health is just fine. In his youth, he practiced boxing and had good athletic results.
In Soviet times, one could easily buy oneself off from fulfilling a constitutional duty. Akhmetov’s sports specialization made him a very promising “soldier” for informal criminal associations. Rumor has it that in his youth he was involved in extortion, robbery and bribery in the village of Oktyabrsky. Later in life, various strange events were associated with his name. As soon as he became interested in buying the Donetsk brewery, its director unexpectedly died. The enterprise was soon successfully acquired by a new owner, who quickly renamed it Sarmat. Rinat Akhmetov himself insists that the initial millions were earned by him honestly in the Ars company, which was engaged in coal trading.
Criminal businessmen
The key to his rapid start lies in his acquaintance with two prominent criminal Donetsk businessmen of the early 90s - Akhatem Bragin and Evgeniy Shcherban. Together they were part of the public organization “Industrial Union of Donbass”, which united many business people.
Akhat Bragin, before Akhmetov, headed the Shakhtar football club and died at the stadium as a result of an explosive device explosion in 1995. A year later, Yevgeniy Shcherban was shot dead at the Donetsk airport. Killer Yevgeny Kushnir was detained in hot pursuit, but it was not possible to identify those who ordered the crime.
After these two mysterious deaths, Rinat Akhmetov became the sole heir to their vast estate. , as residents of the village of Oktyabrsky habitually called a Tatar butcher with a passport name of Akhat Bragin, he quickly understood the essence of the transformations taking place in the USSR and in independent Ukraine, amassing a decent fortune at a frantic pace. From the time he worked in a butcher shop, a nimble fellow, Rinat Akhmetov, was running around in support of him.
Bragin Akhat Khafizovich - Alik Grek
Long before the start of his business career, he allegedly extorted 50 thousand rubles from the “workshop” Lysenko. By the standards of communist times, and everything happened in 1986, this was a huge amount. Akhat Bragin himself and his acquaintance Yevgeny Shcherban maintained close ties with the Moscow criminals and, during the “cutting up” of state property that followed August 1991, they took advantage of the influence of “strong” people from Russia, quickly taking the place of leaders in the Donetsk region. In return, they “unfastened” money into the all-Russian common fund and followed in the wake of the trends of the criminal world of the neighboring country.
Criminal group
At some point, the duo decided to show independence and refuse tedious and costly patronage. The price for the initiative was death, and the steering wheel was transferred to the hands of a more reliable person. In 1995, the Luxe organized crime group began to operate in Donetsk, the behind-the-scenes leader of which was considered Rinat Akhmetov. He included in the organized criminal group a gang of “lawless men” led by , which is responsible for the murders of 50 local businessmen.
This is how someone else’s property, assets and money fell into Akhmetov’s hands. The police were on the trail of Nemsadze and he chose to hide in Russia. Under Yanukovych, sensing safe times, Nemsadze returned to Donetsk again. During these same years, another gang, a native of Makeyevka, Samvel Martirosyan, operated in the region, around which there was much more talk and noise than about Nemsadze or “Lux” combined. With such a maneuver, Akhmetov’s bandits diverted public attention from themselves.
At one time, Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko became interested in Akhmetov’s actions during the period of prosperity in the country’s “informal” economy and the sources of his capital, but he was unable to complete the investigation. Moreover, under Yanukovych, Lutsenko himself fell into disgrace and ended up in prison. When the subordinates of the chief policeman of Ukraine tried to understand the dark places in the biography of Rinat Akhmetov, he was already firmly on his feet and had made acquaintances in the SBU and on the political flank.
There were quite a few dark spots in the life of the Ukrainian oligarch. Suffice it to recall his unexpected lateness to the start of the match at the stadium, on the day when his boss Akhat Bragin flew into the air. Akhmetov quickly found a common language with politicians such as Yanukovych and Medvedchuk, forming his own “club of interests”, oriented towards the East, not the West. At the very beginning of the long journey to the presidency, Yanukovych’s main competitor for the position of regional leader, Yevgeny Kushnarev, with whom Akhmetov had difficulty finding a common language, died in a strange way. The influence of the Donetsk “brigade” was so great that even such “pro-Western” politicians as President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko did not dare to quarrel with these prominent representatives of the regional elite.
Biography
Rinat Akhmetov, a Tatar by nationality, was born on September 21, 1966 in Donetsk in the family of a miner. In the early 1990s he graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Donetsk State University. For the first time, his name became quite widely known in the mid-1990s after he replaced Akhat Bragin (who is called the founder of the largest criminal group in Donbass, also known as Alik the Greek) as president of the Shakhtar football club, who died in an explosion at the Shakhtar stadium in Donetsk on October 15, 1995.
Despite his great influence in the Donetsk region, Rinat Akhmetov for a long time avoided politics in every possible way. The situation changed after the Orange Revolution. According to popular belief, Akhmetov financed the election campaign of Viktor Yanukovych, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, who stood as a candidate in the 2004 presidential elections. According to some observers of the political situation that developed in Ukraine after these elections, it was Rinat Akhmetov who became the de facto Prime Minister of Ukraine under the nominal head of the cabinet of ministers, Viktor Yanukovych. In their opinion, during the negotiations on the creation of a government coalition, the main issues were not ideological, but economic issues, and it was Rinat Akhmetov who made decisions on these issues on the part of the Party of Regions.
Tymoshenko's possible return to power threatened the resumption of reprivatization, and then the Party of Regions launched a powerful offensive against the Orange coalition both locally and in the center - regional councils of the southern and eastern regions one after another adopted laws on the special status of the Russian language, protests were organized in Crimea , which led to the disruption of the exercises with the participation of American troops, in the Verkhovna Rada, deputies from the Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine organized a campaign of civil disobedience, and subsequently Alexander Moroz was offered the post of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, which was denied to him by his partners in the Orange coalition. And the coalition collapsed, and President Yushchenko, neither by persuasion nor by threats, was able to insist that the newly formed anti-crisis coalition led by the Party of Regions accept his terms.
The role that Rinat Akhmetov intended to play in shaping the policy of Viktor Yanukovych’s cabinet was indirectly confirmed during the visit of the US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor to the Donetsk region, which took place on August 8-9, 2006. Meeting with representatives of the youth wing of the Party of Regions, Taylor said, in particular, that he had already met and spoken with Mr. Akhmetov several times. The last time such a meeting took place was during William Taylor’s visit to Donetsk - at which the parties discussed foreign policy and the internal economic policy of Ukraine. At the same time, Akhmetov’s role in those years is somewhat overstated, since the influence of the bearing king Klyuev on Yanukovych is not taken into account.
This post, of course, does not include all the wives of our billionaires, but only those whose names are known to many of their husbands. Liliya Smirnova (Akhmetova) Age: 47 years old 
Liliya Akhmetova is the wife and mother of the children of the richest man in the country, Rinat Akhmetov, co-owner of the SCM company, president of FC Shakhtar, people's deputy of Ukraine (Party of Regions). His net worth is currently estimated at $12 billion. Akhmetov is also the owner of Donetsk's Donbass Arena, the first stadium in Eastern Europe designed and built to 5-star UEFA accreditation. $400 million was spent on the construction of the Donbass Arena, the opening took place on August 29, 2009. Through the business structure System Capital Management, Riant Akhmetov controls stakes in: - Kramatorsk Machine-Building Plant; - Dnieper Metallurgical Plant named after. Dzerzhinsky; - Dnepropetrovsk Pipe Plant named after Lenin; - Kerch Metallurgical Plant; - 52% of the trading house (TD) "Azovstal". Through the Azovstal Trade House it owns a controlling stake in FUIB; - Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant; - over 50% of the ASKA insurance company; - Football club "Shakhtar"; - Hotel "Donbass Palace"; - Brewery "Sarmat". With the help of affiliated structures, Rinat Akhmetov influences: - mobile operator life:), - a number of breweries, - oil trading company Hephaestus. Akhmetov also owns the Ukraina TV channel, the Lux radio station and the Segodnya publishing group. According to media reports, Liliya Smirnova previously worked at the Donetsk Rubber Products Plant, holding the position of 2nd category motor operator. Now Liliya Akhmetova is the owner of a 10 percent stake in System Capital Management, which manages the assets of the largest Ukrainian financial and industrial group. Despite her high status, almost nothing is known about Lilia Akhmetova’s hobbies and interests. They say that she is interested in football, and her favorite team is, of course, Shakhtar Donetsk. About five years ago, the tabloid press actively circulated rumors that Rinat Akhmetov was allegedly going to file for divorce. They say the billionaire took a liking to a young fashion model. However, Mr. Akhmetov’s press service promptly denied this information. It turns out that Rinat Leonidovich is not going to get a divorce and loves his wife and his sons very much. L. Akhmetova has two sons - Damir (born in 1988) and Almir (born in 1997). Apparently, Liliya Akhmetova is not a public person, since these are all her photographs that were found. Elena Pinchuk Age: 42 years 
Also known as the daughter of the second President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, she is the wife of the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, co-owner of the Interpipe corporation, president of the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, owner of shares in several Ukrainian television channels, ranked third and whose fortune is estimated at $4.4 billion. Pinchuk became the first Ukrainian public figure in history to be included in the list of 100 most influential people in the world according to TIME magazine (2010 TIME 100: The World's Most Influential People). He took 7th place in the Thinkers category, which he also included founder of Apple Steve Jobs. Married to Victor Pinchuk since 2002. In 2003, the couple had a daughter, Ekaterina, who is called the richest heiress in Ukraine. In the same year, Elena founded the ANTIAIDS foundation. Elena Pinchuk organized several large-scale charitable organizations in Ukraine concerts with the participation of world stars.In June 2007, a concert by Sir Elton John took place on Independence Square in Kyiv. In 2010, Elena Pinchuk joined the UN commission created for the “preventive revolution” - a breakthrough in preventing new cases of HIV/AIDS in the world. 
From her first marriage, Elena Franchuk has an adult son, Roman Franchuk. Pinchuk also has a daughter, Maria, from his first marriage to Elena Arshava. In 2011, the Pinchuks gave birth to their second daughter, Veronica. A few facts about Elena Pinchuk: - purchased the most expensive house in London for 80 million pounds sterling ($159 million). - Elena lives with her family near Kiev in a private house in country style. -has interests in interior design and badminton. - at one of her charity auctions, Elena Franchuk bought a dress from Ukrainian designer Larisa Lobanova for 7,500 euros. - celebrated her birthday on December 3, 2010, together with her husband’s fiftieth anniversary in Courchevel, and the two events merged into one grand celebration on a grand scale, among the guests were Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney and Elton John, and Christina Aguilera was invited to sing for the guests. Irina Kolomoiskaya Age 47 or 48 years. There is no photograph, and there is almost no information about the wife of Igor Kolomoisky, who is in fourth place in the ranking with a fortune of $3.3 billion. Igor Kolomoisky, who lives mainly in Switzerland, has two citizenships, Ukrainian and Israeli. He is considered one of the largest businessmen in Ukraine. Together with his friends - Gennady Bogolyubov and Alexey Martynov - he is a co-owner of the Privat group. Or rather, the main figure of the financial group. 
Owner of the oil refinery "Naftokhimik Prykarpattya", as well as the oil producing company "Ukrnafta", TV channel 1+1 and owns many other enterprises. In 2010, he was elected head of the European Jewish Council for a term of 5 years. It is known that Igor met his future wife Irina, who is a year and a half younger than him, at the age of 13, in a pioneer camp, and they got married in their third year at the institute. A year later, daughter Angelica was born. Irina is from a simple family, graduated from a pedagogical institute and immediately worked at school. And Igor Kolomoisky, born into a family of simple Dnepropetrovsk engineers, graduated from the Dnepropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute. Daughter Angelica With her husband 
What finally helped the son of engineers become not just a people, but a very influential person? Yet most of those who know him believe that at the root lies “an extraordinary analytical mind and amazing mathematical abilities.” 
But first, he still found start-up capital, and in this he was greatly helped by the Jewish community, with which he maintains close ties to this day. Elena Gaiduk Age: estimated 52 years old. The wife of Vitaly Gaiduk, co-owner of the Industrial Union of Donbass corporation and a prominent Ukrainian politician in the past, who is in sixth place in this rating with a fortune of $2.3 billion. 
According to political scientist Kost Bondarenko, Vitaly Anatolyevich met her at a disco: he was then a fourth-year student, and she was a first-year student. The Haiduks raised a son and daughter. He owns many profitable properties with a total area of hundreds of thousands of square meters. Including, according to rumors, one of the most expensive mansions in Kyiv - a building on Shelkovichnaya, 19, built at the beginning of the 20th century. Let us clarify that the lion’s share of the family property is registered in the name of Vitaly Anatolyevich’s wife. When asked how much he estimates the value of his family’s property, Vitaly Gaiduk replies: “I have never asked myself such a question. For this purpose, there are appropriate appraiser companies and the market. I do not consider myself poor. I have an absolutely normal family and absolutely normal income.” Lada Firtash Age unknown. 
Third wife of Dmitry Firtash, Ukrainian businessman, billionaire, investor, owner of the private group of companies Group DF (The Firtash Group of Companies). Co-owner of the gas trader Rosukrenergo since 2004. Dmitry Firtash is in ninth place in the ranking with a fortune of $1.4 billion. 
The circumstances of his personal life are also unknown. It is only known that the first wife is Lyudmila Grabovetskaya, daughter Ivanna, born in 1988. Second wife - from September 2001 to 2005, Maria Kalinovskaya. Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayem claims that this marriage was fictitious and its purpose was to guarantee Kalinovskaya’s investment in the Eural Trans Gas company. 
Current wife Lada Firtash is Director of the DF Foundation and Chairman of the Council for Investments and Development Projects. Daughter Anna (born 2005), son Dmitry (born 2007). Victoria Tigipko(Lopatetskaya) Age: 39 years old. Victoria Tigipko is a businesswoman, public figure, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Labor and Social Policy, founder and co-owner of the TAS group Sergei Tigipko, who is in seventeenth place in the ranking and whose fortune is estimated at $780 million. This is Sergei’s second marriage Tigipko, imprisoned in 2005. He divorced his first wife Natalya in 2004. From his first marriage, Sergei Tigipko has a daughter, Anna, born in 1984. The couple have three children: Timofey (2002), Anastasia (2005), Leonty (2008). Note the date of birth of their first child. 
Hobbies – cinema (arthouse, art-mainstream), jazz, contemporary art, yoga, skiing. Victoria Tigipko is a collector of contemporary art and tries not to miss a single significant world art forum. Victoria also loves to attend various fashion shows. and loves to lead a public social lifestyle 
Her passion for cinema in 2010 grew into a large-scale socio-cultural event - as president, Victoria Tigipko organized and hosted the Odessa International Film Festival. and continues to do so to this day 
Marina Poroshenko Age: 50 years old. 
Marina Poroshenko, wife of People's Deputy Petro Poroshenko, founder of the Ukrprominvest concern. Petro Poroshenko occupies eighteenth place in the ranking, his fortune is $756 million. He is also the chocolate king, Yushchenko’s godfather, former head of the National Security and Defense Council and former “Tymoshenko’s worst enemy” Marina, a cardiologist and mother of four children. She is three years older than her husband. They met as students. 
Marina was not an ordinary girl; her father was the Deputy Minister of Health of the Ukrainian SSR. Marina, of course, graduated from a prestigious medical institute at that time. And Petro Poroshenko, the son of the director of one of the factories in the Moldovan city of Bendery, studied at the Faculty of International Economic Relations at Kiev Shevchenko University. 
Ekaterina Surkis Age: 32 years. 
The current wife of Grigory Surkis, a Ukrainian businessman and politician who was the president of the Football Federation of Ukraine until September 2012, is now its honorary president. His fortune is estimated at $730 million and he is in nineteenth place in the ranking of the richest people in Ukraine 
The President of the Football Federation of Ukraine, 63-year-old Grigory Surkis, is married for the third time. His current wife, master of sports in swimming, 32-year-old Ekaterina, is younger than even Surkis’ daughter from his first marriage, Svetlana (born in 1972). The age difference between the spouses is 31 years. 
Married to Gregory, Catherine gave birth to his son in 2006. Marina Yaroslavskaya (Sventitskaya) Age: 24 years old Co-owner of UkrSibbank, Kharkov Tractor Plant, Cherkasy Azot, president of the Metalist football club, famous businessman Alexander Yaroslavsky also has a young wife. His fortune is $725 million and he is in twentieth place in the ranking. They say that Yaroslavsky had his eye on Marina Sventitskaya when she was only 18 years old. In 2006, she took part in a beauty contest and won the title “Vice Miss Kharkov”. Now Yaroslavsky is 53 years old, his wife is 29 years younger than him, she is only 22. But Marina is already ready to give birth to the oligarch two children - a son and a daughter. From his first marriage, the businessman, as the media wrote, has a son, Alexander, born in 1993, and another son, who recently went to high school. Oksana Marchenko Age: 39 years old 
The wife of the famous Ukrainian statesman and political figure Viktor Medvedchuk, who has earned $367 million in this field to date. Forty-seventh place in the ranking. The famous TV presenter Oksana Marchenko is 19 years younger than her husband. This is the third marriage of Viktor Medvedchuk. They got married in 2003 in the ancient Foros Church, when Medvedchuk was the head of the Presidential Administration. Among the guests who came to congratulate the newlyweds were then-President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, friends Grigory Surkis, Rinat Akhmetov, Victor Pinchuk and others. 
Married to Victor, Oksana gave birth to a daughter, Daria, whose godfather is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Oksana’s eldest son from a previous marriage studies and lives in Switzerland. Alina Aivazova Age: 57 years old 
The wife of the former scandalous mayor of Kyiv Leonid Chernovetsky, whose net worth is $275 million, is vice-president of the Pravex concern. Daughter Christina and son Stepan are the chairman of the supervisory board of PravexBank and a deputy of the Kiev City Council. Grandchildren: Alina, Leonid, Ivan. Alina, as she herself admits, comes from a very rich family. But, despite this, in interviews she likes to create fog and tell how, after her marriage to Chernovetsky, she, her children and her husband, wandered around rented apartments for 8 years and lived on his investigator’s salary of 120 rubles. Judging by Aivazova’s words, Leonid Chernovetsky owes much of his wealth to his wife and her father. 
According to experts, it was Alina Aivazova who had the decisive word both in city administration and in the management of the family business. In addition, she is known for her high-profile appearances. There are legends about the exclusive diamonds that belong to this woman, and the cars that the wife of the former Kyiv mayor drives amaze with their sheer luxury. Her weakness is furs and fur capes. Aivazova appears everywhere in them. In addition to fur and diamonds, the billionaire's wife also loves dresses in the style of French queens: lush and with a neckline. Status required me to wear expensive things and celebrate birthdays in Cannes. Her love for brands, fur coats and diamonds did not come by chance. In the mid-90s, Alina Aivazova was involved in business. Then she owned jewelry stores and clothing boutiques of world brands, which she brought from the USA and Italy. “Money is not important to me, the Lord just gives it to me, diamonds are not important to me, although in one second I can distinguish them from fakes,” a businesswoman once said in one of her interviews. Valeria Miroshnichenko Age unknown. Wife of Alexander Rodnyansky, Ukrainian TV mogul and producer, whose net worth is $260 million. Two children. 
Valeria Miroshnichenko is a candidate of technical sciences; after her husband moved to Germany, she was forced to change her specialization and became a radio journalist. Since then, she has been working with Rodnyansky on television projects: first on the Ukrainian channel “1 + 1”, and then on CTC. Owns the production company "Kinodetal", which produces the program "Cinema in Details". 
Updated 05/01/13 21:22: Since I made a mistake in the post, the wrong photo was posted, I’m adding a photo of Alexander Yaroslavsky with his wife. I hope it's right this time.
Updated 05/01/13 21:48: and once again Kolomoisky’s daughter Anzhelika (the first photo was not hers, as I was already told). 
Rinat Leonidovich Akhmetov born in the city of Donetsk, in the family of a miner from Tatarstan, on September 21, 1966.
Education of Rinat Akhmetov
In 2001 he graduated from Donetsk National University with a degree in marketing (qualification - economist).
Career of Rinat Akhmetov:
The billionaire's biography is not without its blank spots. For example, like most Ukrainian rich people, he did not explain very clearly when and how he earned start-up capital and the first million. In his interviews, Akhmetov says that he was able to get rich by taking many entrepreneurial risks in the first years after the collapse of the USSR. In 1995, he was at the origins of the creation of Dongorbank.
It also remains a mystery to the public whether only friendship and legal business connected Akhmetov with Akhat Bragin (also known by the nickname Alec the Greek). He was a reputable Donetsk businessman (in particular, he was known as the president of FC Shakhtar) and, according to law enforcement agencies, an influential crime boss. Died in October 1995 at the Donetsk Shakhtar stadium as a result of a planned explosion.
In 1995, on the initiative of Akhmetov, the bank AK Dongorbank was created (in 2011 it was merged with FUIB).
In 2000, Akhmetov founded the SCM company, and since 2009 he has been its sole shareholder. Today, SCM owns controlling stakes in more than 100 enterprises in the following areas of activity: mining and metals industry, energy, financial sector, telecommunications, real estate, media, clay mining, petroleum product trading, retail trade, mechanical engineering, transport, agriculture, etc. SCM provides employs about 300 thousand specialists and is one of the largest Ukrainian taxpayers.
Akhmetov began taking an active part in political events in Ukraine in 2004, supporting Viktor Yanukovych during the elections and the Orange Revolution.
From 2006 to 2012 he was a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Party of Regions. In 2012, he did not participate in the parliamentary elections.
Rinat Akhmetov's Foundations
In 2005, Akhmetov established the Development of Ukraine Charitable Foundation, whose activities are aimed at solving acute social problems: tuberculosis, cancer, the development of national adoption, and the prevention of orphanhood. The foundation provides emergency assistance to people in difficult life situations. The Foundation also provides grants for the implementation of cultural projects, the development of museums and implements unique educational programs in the field of digital journalism.
In 2007, Akhmetov founded the Effective Governance Foundation, which develops and implements programs aimed at the economic development of Ukraine, attracts the best world practices, provides technical support to authorities at various levels, conducts research, and public discussions of the country's current problems.
Akhmetov and the football club "Shakhtar"
In 1996, Rinat Akhmetov became president of the Shakhtar football club. During his tenure, the team became the champion of Ukraine 8 times, won the Ukrainian Cup 9 times, the Ukrainian Super Cup 5 times, and also won the UEFA Cup.
In 1999, with the assistance of Akhmetov, the FC Shakhtar football school was created to train players.
On the initiative of Rinat Akhmetov, the Kirsha sports training base was put into operation, and in 2009, the Donbass Arena football stadium was built in Donetsk, meeting UEFA standards.
About the person:
Akhmetov’s fortune is estimated at $9.3 billion (2015, 137th place in the world, Bloomberg version).
Akhmetov - Honored Worker of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine. Full Knight of the Order of Merit. He was awarded the Order of Yaroslav the Wise, V degree, the medal "Miner's Glory" of I-III degrees, and the gold medal of the Ukrainian Football Championship (2002, 2005 and 2006). Winner of the "Recognition" award - "for a significant contribution to philanthropy."
Akhmetov's main hobby is sports (football, boxing, wushu).
In 2015, Renat Akhmetov declared $6.7 billion (-$5.8 billion; No. 201). According to media reports, Rinat Akhmetov's fortune has decreased by more than $4 billion over the past year and today stands at $11.2 billion. According to Forbes, Akhmetov's fortune decreased by $5.8 billion during 2014.
In one of the interviews, when asked “what are you afraid of?” the billionaire replied: “Firstly, I don’t like to go hungry. Secondly, to get sick. And thirdly, I don’t want to die.”
Family of Rinat Akhmetov:
Father: Leonid Akhmetov was a miner, died in 1991 from lung disease.
Mother: Nyakia Nasredinovna Akhmetova - Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SCM JSC.
Older brother: Igor Akhmetov.
Wife: Liliya Nikolaevna Akhmetova (née Smirnova; born 1965) - Chairman of the Audit Commission of SCM JSC.
Son: Damir Akhmetov (born September 9, 1988), is a member of the supervisory board of the DTEK holding (since 2011), as well as the supervisory board of Metinvest (since April 2012).
Son: Almir Akhmetov (born 1997).
Compromising evidence and rumors:
In January 2015, Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema said that Rinat Akhmetov was interrogated as a witness in the Prosecutor General's Office in the case of financing terrorist groups in Donbass. The media reported that Akhmetov was in the prosecutor's office for six hours. Akhmetov later confirmed this information in his comments to the media, noting that, in his opinion, there are no more questions for him.
In the spring of 2015, some media outlets disseminated information that, according to Yegor Firsov, criminal proceedings had been opened against Akhmetov for financing terrorism and separatism. Akhmetov’s press service, in turn, denied this information.
In April 2012, one of the companies owned by Rinat Akhmetov destroyed three houses in the historical center of Kyiv, which caused a great public outcry. The demolition of buildings on the territory of the Ancient Kyiv Nature Reserve violated the order of the Kyiv City State Administration No. 979 dated May 17, 2002. On April 11, 2012, a rally was held near Akhmetov’s office in which hundreds of people participated. After protests by Kiev residents, on April 11, 2012, a representative of ESTA Holding apologized, noting that the developer admits his mistakes. It was said that construction was being suspended. Rinat Akhmetov thanked the Kiev residents who were not indifferent to the fate of Andreevsky Descent, who opposed the destruction of buildings, and promised not to destroy the architectural appearance of the street, but to participate in its restoration.
Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in Ukraine, in 2011 bought the most expensive apartment in the new building One Hyde Park near the famous Knightsbridge Bridge in London. The oligarch paid 136.6 million pounds for the purchase of the penthouse. Despite the fact that customer data at One Hyde Park was one of London's best kept secrets, closely guarded by a confidentiality agreement with the developers, it was leaked to the media. For the renovation, Riinat Akhmetov spent about $60 million on interior work in the three-story penthouse. The luxury apartment has an area of 2,300 square meters, bulletproof windows, gas-proof construction and 24-hour service, like in the best hotels in the world.
Akhmetov was one of the main sponsors of the Party of Regions. With her, in the spring of 2006, at number 7 on the electoral list, he came to the Verkhovna Rada of the fifth convocation. In the political field, according to experts, the title of an ordinary deputy and an ordinary member of the parliamentary committee on economic policy is by no means the limit of the dreams and capabilities of a young, rich and ambitious businessman. Although during his tenure as people’s deputy, he did not distinguish himself with outstanding speeches or legislative initiatives. Nor did he distinguish himself by regularly attending meetings of the Verkhovna Rada.
As a result of the “orange team” coming to power, Akhmetov suffered some moral costs. In the summer of 2005, law enforcement officers suspected that he might be related to criminal disputes 18 years ago and several economic crimes. Invitations “to a conversation to testify” poured into the businessman’s addresses, followed by searches of his offices and residence. Akhmetov decided to wait out the “bad weather” in one of the favorite places of the European rich - the quiet and calm Principality of Monaco. And after a few months of “rest and work” abroad, he calmly returned to Ukraine and continued to be actively involved not only in business, but also in politics.
During the 2004 presidential election campaign, Akhmetov actively supported the pro-government candidate, Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, with whom he had long established business and friendly relations. After the victory of Viktor Yushchenko, Akhmetov’s business empire, as many thought then, was on the verge of collapse. A serious shock for the entrepreneur in the fall of 2005 was the reprivatization of the Krivorozhstal iron and steel plant, which he owned together with Pinchuk. However, after the “Orange Revolution”, among the material losses, the loss of Krivorozhstal turned out to be very large, but the only one.
The owner of the Donetsk Brewery, Yuri Pavlenko, died shortly after Rinat Leonidovich became interested in buying the plant, which was then purchased by Akhmetov’s structures and renamed Sarmat.
For several years (1992-95), Donbass was rocked by bloody clashes. Among them are two attempts on Akhmetov’s life. Once he was blocked from killers by... a tram (and Sergei Kiy, who arrived in time by car). The second time he was lucky enough to get into a different car. The one that was originally intended for him was thrown into a tree by the force of the blast wave.” They say that for the first time Rinat was wounded by fighters from the Lugansk organized crime group Kushnir. But the Kushnirs lost in that war - by the end of it, the Bragin organized crime group had its own head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a regional prosecutor and governor Vladimir Shcherban. One of the victims was the head of the business wing of the organized crime group Kushnirov, the Jew Janos Kranz (November 10, 1992).
In 2009, according to Forbes magazine, Rinat Akhmetov lost the title of Ukrainian rich man No. 1 to Viktor Pinchuk. The company System Capital Management, owned by Rinat Leonidovich, responded to this with a statement: the rating of the American weekly cannot be considered as an accurate assessment of the value of Akhmetov’s business. Because only the market can give it (the assessment). But, be that as it may, one thing is obvious: during the financial crisis, Rinat Akhmetov lost a lot...
Ambition
Rinat Leonidovich is restrained in demonstrating his ambitions. Moreover, political ones.
In 2006, after his election as a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, there were rumors about the possible appointment of Akhmetov as Prime Minister of Ukraine. However, Rinat Leonidovich called this information rumors and supported Viktor Yanukovych.
In April 2009, Rinat Leonidovich told reporters that he did not intend to run for president in the upcoming elections.
Biography
Born on September 21, 1966 in the Oktyabrsky village of Donetsk in the family of a miner. Mother worked as a salesperson.
Akhmetov’s brother, Igor, also worked at the mine for ten years. In one of his interviews, Rinat Leonidovich said that in 1991 he saved his seriously ill brother.
« I come from a poor family. I have always struggled with poverty. We lived in a house with a large family... How can I explain it to you?... Well, if a drunk walks down the street and kicks the fence, the house will fall apart. We lived in a house of 20 square meters. We slept on the floor, on a cot. We had neither a toilet nor a washbasin in the house. The toilet was on the street, we also washed ourselves on the street, from a mug. In adulthood, I again conquered poverty in my enterprises. And now I want to pass on the experience that I have acquired both in life and in business in order to benefit the whole country. You cannot live happy among the unhappy or rich among the poor. I want to help people"- Akhmetov recalls his childhood (Ukrainskaya Pravda, February 20, 2006).
As Rinat Leonidovich says, after school he worked. “Or rather, I learned to work by learning from the experience of others,” he told Mirror Weekly.
There are different versions about what Akhmetov did in the late 80s and early 90s. The media published various stories of Rinat Leonidovich’s ascension to business Olympus. However, none of them have been documented. Moreover, attempts by the online publication “Observer” to write about Akhmetov’s childhood, youth and adolescence ended in a lawsuit and an apology from the publication.
However, be that as it may, they say that he started making money with Akhat (Alexander) Bragin (Alik Grek), who lived nearby on the next street. Bragin had a very serious influence in the Donbass.
“Alexander Sergeevich really was a patriot of the Donetsk region and loved his city very much. He was not in the business of deciding who was allowed into the region and who was not. It’s just that people who came to him with bad intentions had no future here,” is how Rinat Leonidovich characterizes the principles of Akhat Bragin (Mirror Weekly, 2000).
In the early 90s, Rinat Leonidovich became one of the founders of the ARS company, which dealt with coal and coke. The name supposedly stands for: “Alik, Rinat, Samson” (Alik - Akhat Bragin, Rinat - Rinat Akhmetov, Samson - Yakov Bogdanov, who died in April 1995).
In the early 90s, Akhmetov graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Donetsk State University.
In 1995, Akhat Bragin died during an explosion at the Donetsk stadium.
In 1999, the team of the Shakhtar football club decided to support Leonid Kuchma in the presidential elections. Rinat Akhmetov says that he supported Leonid Danilovich “as a citizen.”
At the end of 2005, he accepted Viktor Yanukovych’s offer to join the Party of Regions.
Rinat Akhmetov and Raisa Bogatyreva
In the 2006 elections, Rinat Leonidovich received a seat in the Verkhovna Rada on the list of the Party of Regions (No. 7).
In the early parliamentary elections of 2007, he was elected to parliament on the list of the Party of Regions (No. 7).
In December 2007, when the president appointed Raisa Bogatyreva secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, information appeared in the media that Rinat Akhmetov was going to leave the Party of Regions and create a new political project. However, Rinat Leonidovich himself denied this information.
In 2008, according to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nikolai Tomenko, Rinat Akhmetov was absent from all parliamentary meetings.
In 2008, Akhmetov took 2nd place in the “TOP 100” of the most influential people in Ukraine, determined by the Korrespondent magazine. Rinat Leonidovich lost only to Yulia Tymoshenko.
Charity
“I really like charity. For me, charity is divided into three stages: at the first stage, I gave money to charity from my own pocket, then I created a charitable foundation under the company System Capital Management, and today this foundation becomes my personal. This is the third stage of my charity. I allocated $150 million for the development of the fund over five years,” says Akhmetov the philanthropist (“Donbass News,” March 19, 2008)
In June 2006, Rinat Akhmetov's Development Fund commissioned a reform plan for Ukraine.
Rinat Akhmetov's charitable foundation "Development of Ukraine", founded in 2005, transferred 43 million 495 thousand UAH to the account of the Charitable Foundation "Children's Hospital of the Future", which is 44.5% of the total amount of all charitable receipts.
Views
Rinat Akhmetov for:
– abolition of parliamentary immunity;
– European choice of Ukraine;
– equal cooperation between Ukraine and Russia.
Rinat Akhmetov against:
– re-privatization.
Business Empire
Rinat Leonidovich says that he took his first steps in business in the early 90s. Then he did not plan to make super profits, but bought an enterprise, which he then sold.
Akhmetov earned his first serious money after opening the Donetsk City Bank in 1995.
Now, through SCM CJSC, Rinat Akhmetov controls:
– SCM Ltd. (Cyprus);
– Metinvest B.V. (Holland);
– DTEK Holding Ltd. (Cyprus);
– Evroasia Telecom Holding BV (Cyprus);
– Ucomline Holding Ltd. (Cyprus);
– ESPV Ltd. (Cyprus);
– SCM Finance Ltd. (Cyprus);
– “ASKA”;
– “ASKA-Life”;
– Metinvest Holding;
– “Krasnodonugol”;
– Avdeevka Coke Plant;
– Stevedoring company “Avlita”;
– “Inkor and Co”;
– Northern Mining and Processing Plant;
– Central Mining and Processing Plant;
– Inguletsk GOK;
– Dokuchaevsky DFDC;
– Novotroitsk Mining Administration;
– “Krivbassvzryvprom”;
– KCR 3;
– MK "Azovstal";
– EMZ Group of Enterprises;
– Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant;
– Femera Valsider (Italy);
– Trametal SpA (Italy);
– Spartan UK (England);
– “Skif Shipping”;
– PFC “Prometheus”;
– Metinvest International S.A. (Switzerland);
– Metinvest-Eurasia (Russia);
– “Metinvest-Ukraine”;
– “Metinvest-SMC”;
– DTEK (Ukraine);
– “Pavlogradugol”;
– Mine “Komsomolets Donbassa”;
– Central training facility “Pavlogradskaya”;
– Central training facility “Kurakhovskaya”;
– Central training facility “Dobropolskaya”;
– Central training facility “Oktyabrskaya”;
– “Vostokenergo”;
– “Service-Invest”;
– PES “Energougol”;
– “Technical supply”;
– “Socis”;
– “Astelit” (mobile communications operator life:);
– “Vega” (Ukraine);
– “Farlep-Invest”;
– “Optima Telecom”;
– IPtelecom;
– “Digital communication systems”;
– “Vilkom”;
– IPS;
– Ucomline;
– Intercom;
– “Esta Property Management”;
– Hotel “Donbass Palace”;
– Hotel “Opera”;
– Business center “Leonardo”;
– Complex “Pushkinsky”;
– Logistics center (Dnepropetrovsk);
– Multifunctional complex on the street. Frolovskaya (Kyiv);
– SCM Finance;
– “First Ukrainian International Bank” (FUIB);
– “Dongorbank”;
– TRC “Ukraine”;
– IH “Segodnya Multimedia” (“Segodnya”, “Evening”, “Salon of Don and Bas”, “Donetsk News”, “Evening Donetsk”, “Priazovsky Rabochiy”, “RIO”);
– “Weighty”;
– Druzhkovskoye Mining Administration;
– “Ogneupornerud”;
– “Ukrainian retail”;
– “Druzhkovsky Machine Plant”;
– “Gorlovsky Machine-Builder”;
– Sverdlovsk Machine Plant;
– Donetsk Energy Plant;
– Donetskgormash;
– “Hephaestus”;
– “Parallel”;
– FC Shakhtar;
– Donbass Arena stadium.
On June 14, 2004, the Investment and Metallurgical Union, co-founded by Rinat Akhmetov’s company and Victor Pinchuk’s Interpipe Corporation, bought 93.02% of Krivorozhstal from the State Property Fund for UAH 4.26 billion. In February 2005, the Pechersky Court of the capital overturned its decision, made on August 25, 2004, on the legality of the sale of 93.02% of Krivorozhstal, thus depriving Akhmetov and Pinchuk of their ownership rights. “We didn’t steal Krivorozhstal from the state, but the government stole Krivorozhstal from Ukraine,” says Rinat Akhmetov.
In 2007, Vadim Novinsky’s Smart Group company and Rinat Akhmetov’s SCM agreed to combine mining and metallurgical assets: Smart Group received a stake in Metinvest, which is part of SCM, transferring ownership rights to the Makeyevsky Metallurgical Plant, the Inguletsky Mining and Processing Plant and rolling mill Promet Steel (Bulgaria). According to experts, this is how Akhmetov’s company absorbed Smart Group.
During the 2007 parliamentary campaign, Yulia Tymoshenko promised Rinat Akhmetov that she would return the shares of the energy generating company Dneproenergo to state ownership. And, as it turns out, this is not the only enterprise. “The companies unfairly privatized by Rinat Akhmetov need to be returned to state ownership. Even if it harms the image of Ukraine and mine personally,” Tymoshenko said (“Correspondent”, September 6, 2007). At the same time, she added that she is not Yushchenko, and there will be no amnesty for either Viktor Yanukovych or Rinat Akhmetov.
In March 2009, the state, represented by NJSC Energy Company of Ukraine, renewed the right to corporate management of the energy generating company
by JSC Dneproenergo.
On April 25, 2008, the Ministry of Natural Resources canceled Vanco Prykerchenska’s license to develop the Prykerchensky site. “One of the companies that stands behind the Black Sea shelf is the company of Rinat Leonidovich Akhmetov,” says Yulia Timoshenko.
In October 2008, SCM Limited (Cyprus) sold the Dnepropetrovsk brewery "Dnepr" to Souflet (France).
In April 2009, Rinat Akhmetov concentrated 100% of the shares of System Capital Management. Before this, Akhmetov owned 90% of the closed joint stock company SCM. 10% of the shares belonged to his wife, Liliya Smirnova.
KOMPROMAT
Leader of an organized crime group
In June 2005, acting The head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sergei Kornich, said that Rinat Akhmetov is the leader of an organized criminal group. “I am deeply convinced that Akhmetov is the real leader of an organized criminal group. Let him not be offended by me,” he said (“Obkom”, June 23, 2005).
In July 2005, Kornich refuted his words, emphasizing that only the Minister of Internal Affairs or the Prosecutor General has the right to make such statements. “But due to the nature of my activity, I have gathered enough grounds to say this,” he emphasized.
In June 2007, the Swiss Neue Zuricher Zeitung was forced to refute published information that there was a connection between Rinat Akhmetov and organized crime. The newspaper also denied the connection between the murder of journalist Igor Alexandrov and Akhmetov’s activities.
Invitation to the Ministry of Internal Affairs
On July 18, 2005, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine invited Rinat Akhmetov to give explanations. He was given a written notice of the need to come to the department to give explanations on the materials of the inspection of the incident that occurred in Donetsk.
The message did not specify what incident was being referred to. But they say that they were talking about suspicions that Akhmetov was involved in the assassination attempt on Sergei Chernyshev, nicknamed “Boatswain,” in the late 80s.
In August 2005, the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted a search in the Lux company of Rinat Akhmetov.
At this time, Rinat Leonidovich was outside of Ukraine.
Court with the online publication "Observer"
On March 30, 2007, Rinat Akhmetov filed a lawsuit in a London court with a request to declare the information published in the online publication “Observer” as libel.
In January 2008, the court granted this claim. One of Akhmetov’s lawyers, Simon Smith, announced his intention to go to court with a petition to recover damages from Obozrevatel.
In November 2008, Obozrevatel made an official apology to businessman and MP from the Party of Regions Rinat Akhmetov for articles that talk about his youth. At the same time, the online publication expressed its readiness to transfer $100 thousand in moral compensation to the account of any charitable organization named by Akhmetov.
Persecution of Boris Penchuk
In July 2007, the author of the book “Donetsk Mafia”, former businessman Boris Penchuk, sent open letters to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and Ombudsman Nina Karpacheva asking for protection. According to him, he is being persecuted by the “Donetsk clan of Akhmetov-Kolesnikov.” It was about shares in the White Swan shopping center, which Penchuk sold to Boris Kolesnikov and Rinat Akhmetov’s brother, Igor.
Withdrawing money to offshore companies
In November 2008, people's deputy Sergei Terekhin said that Rinat Akhmetov's SCM company withdrew $5 billion abroad: “In the first half of this year, the ratio of attracted and exported capital fell. Why did it fall? Because the “three d’Artagnans”, the first of which, Akhmetov, with these notorious 5 billion, did what he called “management restructuring”. Akhmetov exchanged his shares for shares of some offshore company, and then withdrew money for this transaction. Why did he do this? Because if he showed that these were dividends, then he would have to pay 15% tax. But he didn't do it. He, on the contrary, stuffed it into himself as expenses for transactions with securities and corporate rights. Consequently, the budget also warmed up due to this. Here is your answer” (“Ukrainskaya Pravda”, November 5, 2008).
SCM denied these accusations, noting only that in 2006-2007, as part of an industry redistribution, it transferred shares of metallurgical enterprises worth $5 billion to Metinvest.
Financial situation
In 2009, Forbes magazine estimated Rinat Akhmetov's fortune at $1.8 billion. According to the publication, the businessman plans to buy the American coal company United Coal for $2.5 billion.
In 2009, Focus magazine estimated Akhmetov’s capital at $3.683 billion. According to the publication, the businessman lost $10 billion 937 million in a year.
In 2008, Wprost estimated Akhmetov's wealth at $23 billion, which allowed him to take second place in the ranking of the richest people in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2007, Rinat Akhmetov headed the “50 richest people in Ukraine” of the Korrespondent magazine. The publication estimated Akhmetov's fortune at $15.6 billion.
According to the official declaration, in 2008 Akhmetov earned 9 million 135 thousand 140 UAH. Of which – dividends, interest, royalties – 7 million 97 thousand 664 UAH; interest on deposits, gifts – 1 million 850 thousand 127 UAH; the salary of a people's deputy is 187 thousand 349 UAH. As the press service of Rinat Leonidovich reported, the salary for 2008 was transferred to charitable purposes.
According to rental agreements, Akhmetov paid UAH 18 million in 2008. We are talking about renting a residence with property in Donetsk.
Akhmetov owns two apartments in Kyiv with a total area of 1,242.1 square meters. m and a garage with a total area of 60.8 sq. m.
Rinat Leonidovich has 45 million 348 thousand 160 UAH in bank accounts and other financial institutions.
The total income of Akhmetov’s family members in 2008 amounted to 160 thousand 608 UAH. (interest on current accounts).
Family members own property with a total area of 435 square meters. m and two cars: Daimler 240 and Honda CR-V.
The amount of funds of family members in accounts in banks and other financial and credit institutions is 6 million 573 thousand 421 UAH.
According to the Korrespondent magazine, Rinat Akhmetov travels on his own Airbus 319 and Dassault Falcon 900 aircraft.
Environment
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Raisa Bogatyreva, people's deputy Boris Kolesnikov, Igor Gumenyuk, composer Igor Krutoy, Rinat Leonidovich's brother Igor.
Among the partners is Russian businessman Vadim Novinsky, with whom Akhmetov has a common business at Metinvest.
According to one version, it was thanks to Rinat Leonidovich that Raisa Bogatyreva received the portfolio of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council in December 2007. But Akhmetov himself denies this: “I have always respected this man and politician. As for her decision to move to a new position, I will answer in football language: the semi-final is unexpected for me, let’s hope that the final will be clear and victorious for Ukraine” (UNIAN, January 25, 2007).
Principles
Even during his premiership, Pavel Lazarenko said that in Ukraine there is only one person with whom he can speak on an equal footing. This is Rinat Akhmetov, who always keeps his word.
When Rinat Leonidovich was asked what he thought about this, he replied: “To be honest, this is big news for me, since I have never personally communicated with him (Lazarenko - S.R.).”
Akhmetov himself formulates his principles of doing business this way: “I trust people, but this does not mean that I accept the first counter-offer and run a business whose integrity I doubt. My strength is truth. I will tell you how I feel about life... The highest thoughts tell us from the heart. And if it tells me that I can deal with this person, and he understands me, then I go to meet them halfway. If we have different views, nothing will work out. Even if we are talking about possible benefits" (Mirror Weekly, 2000).
Regalia
Member of the Party of Regions faction.
Member of the Party of Regions.
Member of the parliamentary committee on economic policy.
Member of groups for interparliamentary relations with Belgium, USA, Russia, Germany, Great Britain.
Honored Worker of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine.
Founder of the Foundation for Effective Governance.
Full holder of the Order of Merit, medal "Miner's Glory" of І-ІІІ degrees, gold medal of the Ukrainian Football Championship (2002 and 2004).
Winner of the Ovation Prize (Russia).
Winner of the “Recognition of Donetsk People” award.
Honorary citizen of Donetsk and Kharkov region.
Member of the organizing committee for the preparation of Euro 2012 in Ukraine.
Member of the National Charity Council “Warm a Child with Love”, which is headed by the daughter of Viktor Yushchenko, Vitalina.
Family
Wife – Liliya Smirnova (born 1965).
Two sons - Damir (born 1988) and Almir (born 1997).
Rinat Leonidovich’s mother is Nyakia Nasredinovna Akhmetova.
As Rinat Akhmetov says, when he found out that his eldest son had enrolled in the Shakhtar football club school, he immediately kicked him out. “Let him go to another school, but not to Shakhtar.” The son was crying. All my relatives opposed me. But my position is this: a coach shouldn’t be put on the splits if he starts choosing who to take to the team - a talented guy or my son,” Rinat Leonidovich explained his logic (Segodnya, August 14, 2006).
Tymoshenko
When Akhmetov was asked what his opinion was about Tymoshenko the Prime Minister, he replied: “What is my opinion? Tymoshenko was supported by 31.5% of voters in the elections. This shows that a huge number of people trust this politician” (proUA, December 7, 2007).
In April 2009, Rinat Leonidovich stated that he did not want to fight the Tymoshenko government: “I want to say that there is a crisis today, and I want this government to win... today this government is fighting the crisis for the benefit of the Ukrainian people, and that is why I I want this government to overcome the crisis and rise above the crisis, so that there are more arguments for victory” (proUA, April 6, 2009).
Phobias
When asked what he is afraid of, Rinat Akhmetov replies: “Firstly, I don’t like to go hungry. Secondly, get sick. And, thirdly, I don’t want to die” (“Newspaper in Ukrainian”, November 24, 2006).
Formula for success
As Rinat says, his formula for success is the speed of decision-making with a low defect rate.
Hobby
At school I took up boxing. As Rinat Leonidovich himself says, as a child he was predicted to have a future as a professional boxer. He fought 52 fights, won victories in 47, and won the Ukrainian championship among Spartak athletes for three years in a row.
He loves football and practices wushu. “If I had a choice - to work in parliament or head a football club, I would not think for a second, I would leave my job in parliament and develop the club (meaning Shakhtar - S.R.) - says Rinat Leonidovich (“Ostrov”, March 28, 2005).
Yushchenko
In 2001, after resigning from the post of Prime Minister, Viktor Yushchenko began to conduct active negotiations on a possible joining of efforts with representatives of the Donetsk financial and political group, one of the leaders of which was Rinat Akhmetov.
In 2002, Viktor Yanukovych was appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine. On October 31, 2003, during Yushchenko’s visit to Donetsk, the Our Ukraine congress was disrupted, and the miners’ capital was decorated with billboards with Viktor Andreevich in a fascist uniform. After that, no one spoke about the union of “Our Ukraine” and the Donetsk people.
Despite this, Rinat Leonidovich and Viktor Andreevich maintained good relations. Akhmetov financially supports all charitable initiatives of President Yushchenko.
Yanukovych
Rinat Akhmetov has known Viktor Yanukovych for a long time.
Rinat Leonidovich is called one of the financiers of Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential campaign in 2004.
“What have I never financed in my life! They say that I financed the presidential campaign of Viktor Yanukovych... They say that I financed and continue to finance the Party of Regions... They say that I finance Valera Konovaluk, Yulia Tymoshenko... What else do I finance? Flights to Mars, eternal youth. I would have gone bankrupt a long time ago if I had financed so much,” says Akhmetov (Ukrainskaya Pravda, February 20, 2006).
Yulia Tymoshenko claims that the real owner and person controlling the Party of Regions is Rinat Akhmetov: “I just want to say that the Party of Regions must calm down. The oligarchy will no longer come to power in the country. Because the real owner of the Party of Regions is Rinat Akhmetov” (UNIAN, June 12, 2008).
When rumors appeared in 2008 about a split in the Party of Regions and a conflict between Viktor Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov, Viktor Fedorovich denied this information: “We had, have and will have absolutely normal relations. There are a lot of things that unite us... There will be no such thing as someone splitting the Party of Regions” (“Ukrainian Pravda”, September 25, 2008).
« I really love playing "fool" because this game develops and trains the brain well».
« I took the best from all those smart people with whom fate confronted me then. The most important thing is that even now I don’t consider it shameful to learn from someone who does some work better than me».
(Mirror Weekly, 2000).
« I am going to continue to increase investments in Shakhtar. A new European stadium that everyone would be proud of is my dream».
(Details, November 18, 2003).
« I believe that both sides must and are obliged to act within the framework of the Constitution and the law... In my opinion, the mind should be above emotions. We need to sit down at the negotiating table, find constructive solutions that will benefit the people of Ukraine».
(“Obkom”, December 3, 2004). .
« I believe that the phrase about “Donbass, which no one can bring to its knees” is incorrect. It doesn’t matter who wins – Yushchenko or Yanukovych. The new President will not bring anyone to their knees».
« Am I for friendship with Russia and for economic partnership with Russia? I will answer - yes, I am for it. Show me at least one country in the world that would not want to be friends with Russia. But if you ask me – are you in favor of friendship with the USA, I will answer you in exactly the same way: I am for it. And show me at least one country that would not want to be friends with America. If you ask – for the EU? I am for. We don't need extremes: if I'm friends with one, then I should quarrel with the whole world, if I'm friends with another, then I shouldn't talk to everyone else».
(KID, December 25, 2004).
« I would go to parliament and create an opposition».
(“Glavred”, December 25, 2004).
« I have always said that I am against combining business and politics. A person must do one thing - either business or politics. Today I'm in business and football».
(“Island,” March 28, 2005).
« I will live in my native country and in my favorite city. I won't leave the country».
(proUA, May 2, 2005).
« I have always felt, feel and will feel safe in Ukraine».
(“Tyumen Line”, July 13, 2005).
« I can return to Ukraine at any time because I have no restrictions».
(“Glavred”, August 25, 2005).
« I am convinced that big business does not need preferences. Large businesses have already grown out of short pants and are able to compete on equal terms. Big business refuses benefits».
(Details, October 17, 2005).
« I'm going to the polls as a citizen».
« I received an invitation from the Party of Regions. It is an honor. I, of course, do not have much political experience. But I think that the experience gained in business will be useful in parliament».
(Mignews, December 1, 2005).
« I was born and raised in a poor family. Only the warmth of my parents and sports helped me succeed and become what I became.».
« I am going into politics because I want a government of economic growth to be created. I am going into politics in order to defend the national interests of Ukraine. I am going into politics because I want Ukraine to get rich. I am going into politics because I want there to be no poor people in Ukraine. I am going into politics because I want Ukraine to hold the cup of the best country in Europe in its hands!»
« I am convinced that many fans believe that Shakhtar are capable of winning the European Cup. And when people believe in something, it is no longer a dream, it is a goal. And the only question is time».
« I want all the rich people of Ukraine, together with the government, to unite and defeat poverty».
« I'll tell you that my philosophy... Before, friends, neighbors, and relatives often approached me about getting a job. I said: “On a general basis. We don't have nepotism».
« I lived amicably with my neighbors. We didn’t break each other’s windows, we didn’t rejoice at someone else’s misfortune. On the contrary, if trouble came, the whole street worried».
« I am for Ukraine and Russia to always share each other’s pain and double each other’s joy, for Ukraine and Russia to always respect each other».
« I'm not an oligarch. I am a person who has taken responsibility to society, to a team of 160 thousand people, and responsibility to the fans for creating a team of European level».
(“Ukrainian Truth”, February 20, 2006).
« I am going into politics in order to supposedly create a government of economic growth, because I want Ukraine to hold the cup of the best country in Europe in its hands».
(“Donbass News”, February 19, 2006).
« I am a law-abiding citizen. And I will come to court».
« I think it is necessary to adopt a law on transparency of the Cabinet of Ministers».
(Tribune, March 30, 2006).
« I am a non-conflict, constructive person. When they shout a lot, I don’t understand the content well».
(“Donbass News”, May 25, 2006).
« I’ve already talked about this and I don’t want it to be like in one story, when in childhood we had one big strong guy who said: “Don’t come near me, don’t come near me, I was boxing.” And then a small, frail guy got into a fight with him. So they didn’t catch up with that big one later».
(“Glavred”, July 11, 2006).
« I forgot about the search at Lux carried out with an armored personnel carrier. I forgot that my employees were placed face down on the ground. I forgot that they were running on my bed in dirty shoes».
(“Expert Center”, August 5, 2006).
« I want to say that any government should not interfere in the policy of the NBU».
(UNIAN, August 12, 2006).
« When I arrived at my school, my teachers began to tell me how well I studied. I immediately told them not to develop the idea - I was a bad student».
« I am convinced that people on the Maidan stood for one thing - for the sake of freedom: the press, the individual, and business. The press has become freer.”
“I explained to Lutsenko my motives: let’s forget the old, and if we now have any power, we should use it for better purposes, and not take revenge.”
(Today, August 14, 2006).
« I really want to buy gas for $50, but there is no such price».
« I have great respect for Arseny (Yatsenyuk - S.R.). And I want to say that he is young and energetic. He has ideas, he has energy and he is quite an experienced person. And I'm convinced that he can handle it».
(“Novye Izvestia”, December 11, 2007).
« I don't work for the government, but if the government is interested in us making our recommendations, we will definitely do so».
(UNIAN, January 25, 2008).
« I believe that politicians who do not think about homeless children are no better than parents who abandoned their children to their fate. I know for sure that I will always do charity work».
(“Donbass News”, March 19, 2008).
« I am most interested in the fact that talk about reforms will finally be replaced by reforms themselves. But for their successful implementation, a program and strategy are needed. The best independent experts worked on the presented program. And my role is simple: finance and not interfere».
(proUA, April 10, 2008).
« I don't want there to be indifference. I will never survive indifference».
« I sometimes see that they brought their child to training in a jeep and picked them up in the jeep. All! Ask me a question: this coach is a pure corrupt official. I have to fire this coach from his job because - well, what is this?.»
(“LIGABusinessInform”, April 23, 2008).
« I clarified which football academy Kolesnikov Jr. was studying at, and, having learned that it was ours, I simply told him to take his son».
(“Glavred”, April 25, 2008).
« I promise that I will reach every oncology clinic and every oncology department in the region, and we will create the most modern and favorable conditions for effective work».
(“Island”, August 19, 2008).
« I really want the coalition to make decisions that will lead the country out of the crisis. And whatever needs to be done for this, I will do with pleasure.».
(Now, December 24, 2008).
© Sergey Rudenko