Biography:

Russian billionaire of Uzbek origin Alisher Usmanov is called one of the richest and most influential people not only in Russia, but also in the world. At the same time, the businessman is also called the most generous person on the planet. Its foundations make a significant contribution to the development of culture and sports, and allocate funds to those affected by epidemics and natural disasters.

Childhood and youth:

Alisher Burkhanovich was born on September 9, 1953 in the small but ancient town of Chust, which is famous for its artistic craft. He is Uzbek by nationality. Father Burkhan Usmanov held the position of prosecutor of Tashkent and had a significant position in society.

The Russian billionaire was the eldest child, in whom his parents invested the best. At the same time, despite the wealth and honorable status of the prosecutor’s family, young Alisher was brought up in strictness and was not considered a spoiled child.

Even as a child, Usmanov’s fighting spirit and brilliant mind began to awaken. The boy was given all the subjects at school with ease, and therefore his parents began to predict a diplomatic or legal future for him. In parallel with his studies, the teenager was engaged in fencing, a passion for which was instilled in Alexandre Dumas’s novel “The Three Musketeers.” In 2 years, Alisher achieved serious success: he received the title of Master of Sports and was included in the USSR national team.

In 1971, after graduating from school, the graduate entered the prestigious university – MGIMO – at the Faculty of International Law. Usmanov was friends with fellow students, some of whom are now in power. Despite the fact that Alisher belonged to the cream of the youth of that time, the future diplomat was distinguished by his intelligence and sociability.

In 1997, already a successful entrepreneur, Usmanov received another education. The businessman studied at the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation, becoming a certified banker.

Career and business:

Alisher Usmanov’s career got off to a brilliant start: after graduating from MGIMO, the young specialist was hired by the USSR Academy of Sciences and received the post of senior assistant of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of the Uzbek Republic, which was supposed to lead the aspiring politician to the top of the state system.

But in 1980, the biography of Alisher Burkhanovich merged with a black streak: the future billionaire, along with his friends, the sons of high-ranking officials, was arrested as a result of intra-elite showdowns, which became a prelude to the thunderous “cotton case”. In 2000, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan rehabilitated Usmanov and recognized the criminal prosecution of the businessman as fabricated.

In the late 1980s, after his parole, Usmanov moved to Moscow, where he began a dizzying career selling plastic bags and tobacco. But later Alisher Burkhanovich abandoned the profitable business.

“One day, in 1993, I realized that I couldn’t sell something that was a threat to people’s health. And as a Muslim, it’s not appropriate to sell poison. Since then, the tobacco business has not existed for me,” said Alisher Usmanov in an interview with the Vedomosti newspaper.

At the same time, Usmanov entered the country’s banking sector: he joined the board of directors of the First Independent Bank, whose founders included major companies such as Rosneft, MiG and Almazuvelirexport. At this stage of his career, Alisher Burkhanovich took a strong position in Russian business, began creating his own investment organizations and soon earned his first billion.

Since 1998, Alisher Usmanov has connected his activities with the country’s raw materials structures and received the position of deputy general director at Gazprominvestholding, a subsidiary of Gazprom. The oligarch was entrusted with the mission of returning the assets of the gas state corporation, which were dispersed into private pockets. Thanks to Usmanov, Gazprom returned its lost assets and again took the position of the largest state monopoly in Russia.

In 2006, the businessman founded the largest iron ore holding Metalloinvest. In 2007, the billionaire expanded his scope of activities and became a media tycoon. First, Alisher Burkhanovich acquired 100% of the shares of the Kommersant publishing house, and then introduced the channels 7TV, MuzTV, Yu and even Disney Russia into his own media assets.

At the same time, the entrepreneur acquired a 30% stake in the London football club Arsenal. The current management of the FC even resorted to the services of a private detective to expose the billionaire and prevent him from becoming a co-owner of the team. But the efforts were unsuccessful, since it was not possible to prove that Usmanov acquired capital through dishonest means.

A year later, Alisher Burkhanovich invested millions of dollars in the IT sector, acting as a shareholder in DST Global and Mail.ru Group, over which he later gained full control. He was one of the first to see the prospects in Facebook and quickly increased his stake in the company to 8%, subsequently selling securities for almost 10 times more expensive.

In 2012, Usmanov received a controlling stake (51%) of MegaFon. A year later, not without the help of Alisher Burkhanovich, the Russian cellular operator acquired 100% of Scartel LLC (Yota) from the telecommunications holding Garsdale.

In 2015, Usmanov stated that he was ready to continue investing capital in the development of national sports. Alisher Burkhanovich announced a new $100 million investment project to expand the e-sports organization Virtus.pro, which is the first specialized club in Russia.

However, at this time the oligarch was outside the Russian Federation for more than 183 days. For this reason, in October 2016, representatives of USM Holding reported that Usmanov had ceased to be listed as a tax resident of the Russian Federation. The following year, the billionaire returned to Russia. In 2016, Alisher Burkhanovich’s tax payments to the budget amounted to more than $400 million.

In 2018, the USM holding created by Usmanov announced a reorganization. By the end of the year, Alisher Burkhanovich’s companies were re-registered in the Russian Federation. For the repatriation of assets, Russian Forbes declared the entrepreneur businessman of the year.

In July, information appeared that Usmanov was going to sell a 30 percent stake in the Arsenal football club, where he had repeatedly tried to become the main owner. Alisher Burkhanovich wanted to buy out the share from his American colleague Stan Kroenke, but each time he received a categorical refusal.

Financial analysts assumed that the buyer of Usmanov’s stake would have to pay over $650 million. As a result, on August 7, 2018, Kroenke purchased the securities. The Russian agreed to sell his part for $713 million. Soon after the sale of the London asset, Alisher Burkhanovich invested 600 million rubles. in the other “Arsenal” – a football club from Tula.

In 2019, at the height of the doping scandal, as the President of the International Fencing Federation and a former member of the USSR national team, Alisher Usmanov spoke out in defense of the athletes of the Russian national team. In a letter addressed to the President of WADA and the head of the IOC, the entrepreneur spoke in favor of serious sanctions in proven cases of violation of the rules, but called for the exemption of uninvolved members of the national team from restrictions. At the same time, give athletes the opportunity to compete under the national flag.

In 2021, Usmanov terminated some of the major contracts. Thus, Alisher Burkhanovich left the VK corporation (formerly Mail.ru Group), and in addition, suspended cooperation with the conglomerate PJSC Sberbank.

After the start of a special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union prepared a package of sanctions for Russia and a number of individual citizens of the state. Usmanov also received personal punishment.

In addition to the entry ban and asset freeze, the EU leadership encroached on the entrepreneur’s favorite. Citing its own sources, Forbes reported in early March that German authorities had seized the yacht Dilbar in the port of Hamburg. Roman Abramovich was subject to similar sanctions .

In March of the same year, the businessman decided to suspend his activities as head of the FIE.

Charity:

In addition to business, the billionaire pays attention to social activities and the development of culture and sports in Russia. In 2007, Usmanov bought a collection of paintings by Mstislav Rostropovich from the cellist’s wife Galina Vishnevskaya for $72 million and donated the works of art to the St. Petersburg Konstantinovsky Palace, replenishing the state treasury of valuables. Later, the oligarch distinguished himself by returning the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts to “St. Mark” by Frans Hals.

Also in 2007, the entrepreneur bought from the Americans a collection of Soviet animation films lost after the collapse of the USSR by Soyuzmultfilm. Then Usmanov transferred the exclusive rights to them to the Russian state channel “Bibigon”.

Since 2008, Usmanov’s charity has acquired an official direction: the billionaire founded the Art, Science and Sports Foundation, whose expenses in the first year of work amounted to about $126 million. At the same time, Alisher Burkhanovich became president of the International Fencing Federation. And in 2009, the philanthropist became a member of the Council for the Development of Physical Education and Sports under the President of the Russian Federation.

Medicine is considered a major area of ​​Usmanov’s activity. A businessman helps people with vision problems. In 2017, with the money of Alisher Burkhanovich, the first operation in Russia was carried out to implant cybernetic implants, which restored vision to a completely blind person.

For this operation, the foundation received gratitude from President Vladimir Putin . It is worth mentioning that Alisher Burkhanovich allocates funds for the development of audio commentary – an accessible form of watching films and theatrical productions for the visually impaired.

Usmanov sponsored and organized the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, which allowed the businessman to join the board of trustees of the Foundation for Support of Russian Olympic Champions. In addition, the then philanthropist’s wife, Irina Viner-Usmanova, shared with the press that her husband provided assistance to gymnasts and not only with money. A whole team of Wiener’s wards spent the night in Alisher Burkhanovich’s house more than once.

In March 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Mail.Ru Group, the main share of which belonged to the USM holding, allocated 1 billion rubles. to support local small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, Usmanov allocated funds to fight coronavirus infection. The entrepreneur donated $126 million to Russia, $25 million to Uzbekistan, and €500 thousand to Sardinia.

Among Usmanov’s other charitable initiatives, it is worth mentioning the return of the Nobel medal to DNA discoverer James Watson, who was forced to sell the award at auction due to the need to finance research. In addition, Alisher Burkhanovich is responsible for the erection of a monument to former Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov near the Foreign Ministry building in Moscow .

Alisher Usmanov was recognized as the leader in the rating of Russian philanthropists and was awarded honorary state prizes for public and charitable activities. In 2021, the British edition of The Sunday Times placed the billionaire in first place in the ranking of the most generous philanthropists in the world over the past 20 years.

Condition assessment:

According to information published on the Forbes website, Usmanov’s fortune in 2021 was $18.4 billion. At the same time, Alisher Burkhanovich took 7th place in the Forbes ranking “200 richest businessmen in Russia – 2021”. However, it is worth noting that the billionaire considers himself a simple person and calls money a functioning mechanism that allows him to achieve his goals.

The philanthropist also has human weaknesses. Alisher Usmanov owned the luxury vessel Dilbar, named after his mother and considered one of the most spacious private yachts in the world. The total area of ​​the internal premises is 3800 sq. m. m, and the length is 156 meters. The exact cost was not disclosed, but approximately this beauty cost Usmanov $600 million.

The billionaire’s previous yacht, “She” (previously also called Dilbar), had a length of 110 m and cost $200 million. In addition, Alisher Burkhanovich has his own Airbus A340-300 aircraft.

At one time there were rumors about the heirs of Usmanov’s capital. In 2019, in a conversation with a Financial Times reporter, Alisher Burkhanovich shared how he intended to resolve the issue of continuity of savings: “50 percent for the family, 50 percent for the managers who deserve it.”

As of 2023, the philanthropist’s fortune was estimated at $14.4 billion.

Personal life:

Alisher Burkhanovich has had a successful career not only, but also his personal life. The businessman was lucky enough to meet gymnast Irina Viner in his youth , with whom Usmanov went through all life’s trials hand in hand and earned multi-billion dollar wealth.

The chosen one captivated Irina Alexandrovna with her intelligence and outlook. A woman waited 6 years for her lover to come out of prison. Because of this, Wiener was not even allowed to participate in international competitions. And when Usmanov sent a silk scarf from prison, she accepted the gift, which, according to Uzbek traditions, meant consent to get married. By the way, the wedding was played quietly and modestly.

The couple has no children together; together the couple raised a son from Irina Alexandrovna’s first marriage, Anton . Usmanov treated his stepson as his own child. Having received a number of prestigious diplomas, Anton went into the restaurant business.

Alisher Burkhanovich also has 6 nephews. Among the patron’s closest relatives was his nephew Babur Usmanov. In 2008, the guy married the niece of the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. But in 2013, a tragedy happened to Babur: he was in a car accident, in which he crashed to death.

Niece Ganya Usmanova married tennis player Vadzh Uzakov. The wedding took place at the end of 2017, and the celebration turned out to be truly royal. Often, weddings of children from influential families take place in a closed format, but this time no one was hiding from the public, and photos and videos immediately appeared on Instagram (the social network is banned in the Russian Federation, it belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation).

Wiener always maintained that one must obey one’s husband, which she also taught her wards. At the same time, she kept the young gymnasts strict. The businessman’s wife founded the Irina Viner International Sports Academy in Novogorsk. There, in the environmental protection zone of the Skhodnya River, the Usmanov family built a unique residential complex “Olympic Village Novogorsk”.

In 2019, Alisher Burkhanovich built the building of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Center for his wife. The new building is located near the Luzhniki stadium. Irina Viner-Usmanova trains the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team in this center, and competitions are also held here.