Alisher Usmanov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alisher Usmanov
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| Алишер Усманов | |
Usmanov in 2013
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| Born | 9 September 1953 Chust, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union
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| Alma mater | Moscow Institute of International Relations |
| Known for | Shareholder of USM Holdings (49%) President of Fédération Internationale d'Escrime |
| Spouse(s) |
Irina Viner
(div. 2022) |
| Awards |
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Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (Uzbek: Alisher Burxonovich Usmonov, Russian: Алишер Бурханович Усманов; born 9 September 1953) is a Russian-Uzbek businessman. He is known for his investments in metals, mining, and technology. Forbes magazine has listed him as one of the world's richest people.
Usmanov became very successful after the Soviet Union ended. He made much of his money by investing in metal and mining companies. He also owns a publishing house called Kommersant. He is a co-owner of MegaFon, a mobile phone company. He also co-owns the Udokan mine, which has one of the world's largest copper deposits.
He was the president of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime. This is the international group for the sport of fencing. He held this role from 2008 to 2022, and again since 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alisher Usmanov was born in Chust, Uzbekistan. He grew up in the capital city of Tashkent. His father was a state prosecutor, which meant his family had a good life. His mother, Dilbar, taught the Russian language.
Usmanov wanted to become a diplomat. He moved to Moscow and was accepted into the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He graduated in 1976 with a degree in international law.
After college, Usmanov returned to Tashkent. He became the director of the Foreign Economic Association of the Soviet Peace Committee.
Business Ventures
Starting His Career
Usmanov became very wealthy before the Soviet Union broke apart. In the late 1980s, he started a company called Agroplast. It made plastic bags, which were hard to find at that time. He gained more wealth after the USSR collapsed. He has stated he did not take part in the privatization of state property.
From 1990 to 2014, Usmanov held various leadership roles in different companies. These included Intercross JSC, Interfin Interbank Investment and Finance Company, and Gazprom Vestholding LLC.
USM Holdings and Metalloinvest
In 1999, Usmanov helped create Metalloinvest. This company buys and manages businesses in the metal industry. Metalloinvest owns many Russian metal and mining companies. These include Lebedinsky GOK and Mikhailovsky GOK.
Usmanov has a 49% share in USM. This is a large company with investments in metals, mining, telecommunications, and technology. Through USM, Usmanov has invested in many different areas.
In 2013, USM Holdings was formed after a merger with assets from Andrei Skoch and Farhad Moshiri. In 2021, USM and Metalloinvest announced plans to build a large eco-plant. This plant will make greener products for steel production.
Udokan Copper
In 2008, Metalloinvest bought the Udokan license for $500 million. This site has one of the world's largest copper deposits. Geologists believe there are 26.7 million tonnes of copper ore there.
In 2020, Baikal Mining Company, now called Udokan Copper, started mining at the Udokan mine. This mine had been untouched since 1949 because it was so remote and had harsh weather. The project includes building a plant to produce copper.
Mail.Ru Group (now VK)
In 2008, Usmanov became a shareholder in DST and VK (Mail.ru Group). He later sold some of his shares in VK in 2013.
In 2013, Usmanov, through VK, bought Pavel Durov's shares in Vk.ru. This helped Durov keep control of the Telegram app. In December 2021, Usmanov sold his remaining interests in VK.
Megafon
In May 2008, Usmanov bought a large share in the mobile phone company MegaFon. Through USM, Usmanov owns 49% of Megafon.
Other Investments
Usmanov has invested in many international technology companies. In 2009, he invested $200 million in Facebook. He later sold these shares in 2013 and made a large profit.
In 2011, DST Global invested $400 million in Twitter. Through Mail.Ru Group, Usmanov also invested in companies like Groupon, Zynga, Airbnb, Zocdoc, Alibaba Group and JD.com.
In 2013, Usmanov invested $100 million in Apple. He sold these shares in early 2014. He also invested in the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi.
In September 2018, Mail.ru and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. started a $2 billion joint venture. This combined their online marketplaces in Russia.
Kommersant and Media Firms
In August 2006, Usmanov started investing in media. He bought the newspaper Kommersant for $200 million. He also bought shares in Russian sports TV channel 7TV and music channel Muz-TV. He was a co-owner of UTH, which held shares in Disney Russia and other TV channels. He sold his TV assets in 2017.
Retirement
In 2012, Usmanov announced plans to retire from active management. By 2014, he had stepped down from many roles. He began to focus more on helping others through charity work. He also focused on promoting sports and helping Uzbekistan develop. In 2023, he resigned from the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
Usmanov has said he plans to leave his assets to his family and the management of USM.
Sports Activities
Arsenal F.C.
Usmanov was a shareholder of the English football team Arsenal from 2007 to 2018. He and his business partner Farhad Moshiri bought a stake in the club in August 2007. Their company, Red and White Holdings, became a major shareholder.
Usmanov gradually increased his shares in Arsenal. By October 2013, he owned over 30% of the club. He often spoke about his desire for Arsenal to be more ambitious. However, he sold all his shares in Arsenal in August 2018 to Stan Kroenke.
Everton F.C.
In January 2017, Usmanov's company, USM, made a deal with Everton F.C.. This deal gave USM the naming rights for the club's training ground, Finch Farm. His partner, Farhad Moshiri, was a major shareholder of Everton.
In 2019, Megafon became a sponsor for Everton's training wear. In 2020, MegaFon expanded its agreement to sponsor the women's team. However, in March 2022, Everton stopped its sponsorship ties with USM and MegaFon.
International Fencing Federation (FIE)
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Usmanov was a sabre fencer for the former Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. He has supported fencing through his charity fund "For the Future of Fencing," started in 2004.
He was president of the Russian Fencing Federation from 2001 to 2009. He also led the European Fencing Confederation from 2005 to 2009.
In 2008, he was elected president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). He was re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2021. In this role, Usmanov helped expand the Olympic fencing program.
In March 2022, he stepped down as FIE President. He suspended himself from the role, and Emmanuel Katsiadakis took over temporarily. In November 2024, Usmanov was re-elected but again suspended himself, with Katsiadakis becoming Interim President.
Other Sports Support
In February 2008, Metalloinvest became a sponsor of Dinamo Moscow, a football team in Russia. Usmanov was also a member of the Councils for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Russian Olympian Sportsmen Support Fund. In 2015, USM invested $100 million in the eSports team Virtus.pro.
Sanctions
On 28 February 2022, the European Union placed sanctions on Usmanov. This was in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions included a travel ban and freezing his assets. The United States and the British government also imposed similar sanctions.
The Official Journal of the European Union described Usmanov as a "leading businessperson with particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin." Usmanov has denied these claims. He filed an appeal in the European Court of Justice to try and lift the sanctions. In February 2024, his appeal was dismissed. However, the EU Council later changed its description of him from "oligarch" to "leading businessperson."
Usmanov's net worth decreased after the sanctions were put in place. He has stated that the reasons for the sanctions were false. He believes his fame and wealth, rather than links to President Putin, made him a target.
Property in Germany
In March 2022, German authorities began looking for assets linked to wealthy individuals. Usmanov has denied owning properties directly in Germany. He states that any properties were transferred to family trusts long before sanctions.
In May 2023, a court in Frankfurt ruled that searches at properties linked to Usmanov were illegal. The court found that accusations of money laundering were groundless. It also noted many formal errors in the search orders. The court ordered the return of seized property in October 2023.
Usmanov's sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, was a beneficiary of a trust that owned the super-yacht Dilbar. The yacht was seized in Hamburg. In March 2024, the EU removed Ismailova from its sanctions list. Another sister, Saodat Narzieva, was also on the list but was removed in September 2022 after investigations showed that information linking her to certain bank accounts was false.
In October 2023, German authorities searched properties in the Munich area. Usmanov's spokesman said the properties belong to a trust that Usmanov does not own or control. A German court later confirmed that the allegations were false and banned media from naming Usmanov as the villa's owner. In May 2025, a court in Hamburg ruled that stating Alisher Usmanov is the owner of the yacht Dilbar is false.
Property in Ukraine
In December 2022, a Ukraine Court ordered the seizure of iron ore assets. These assets were produced by Metalloinvest's companies in Russia. Metalloinvest denied the information, stating the goods were blocked for export by Ukrainian authorities in February 2022. In September 2024, Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the decision to confiscate the iron-ore assets. USM stated they would seek international legal action.
Personal Life
Usmanov married Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992. In May 2022, Usmanov filed for divorce but withdrew the application in July 2022.
Usmanov does not have biological children. He has a stepson, Anton Viner, from his former wife. Anton Viner is a real-estate investor.
Private Jet
In 2012, Usmanov bought an Airbus A340. He named it Bourkhan, after his father.
Properties
In 2004, Usmanov bought Sutton Place, a large Tudor mansion in Surrey, England. In 2008, he bought Beechwood House in London. These properties are now owned by a trust. Usmanov also owns property in Moscow and a villa in Sardinia, Italy.
Yachts
Usmanov is linked to three superyachts named Dilbar, after his mother. The first Dilbar was delivered in 2005. A second, larger Dilbar was delivered in 2008. In 2015, Usmanov commissioned the third Dilbar. This yacht is one of the largest in the world. It has a very large indoor swimming pool. Usmanov and his representatives state that the yacht was transferred into a family trust many years ago.
In March 2022, German authorities seized Dilbar in Hamburg as part of sanctions. In April 2022, the yacht was officially seized after investigations. In March 2024, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office deleted posts that named Usmanov's sister as the owner. In February 2025, a German news agency withdrew a report that named Usmanov's sister as the owner, stating it was false.
Helping Others
In 2021, The Sunday Times named Usmanov the most generous philanthropist on its Rich List. He has donated billions to charity. In 2006, Usmanov founded the "Art, Science and Sport" Charity Fund. This fund works with London's Tate Britain on art projects in Russia. Usmanov supports many social, educational, and cultural groups.
In 2015, he donated €1.5 million to help restore the Basilica Ulpia in Rome. In February 2020, Usmanov bought Pierre de Coubertin's original 1892 Olympic Manifesto for $8.8 million. He then donated it to the Olympic Museum. This became the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever.
Usmanov has also contributed greatly to causes related to COVID-19. In September 2007, Usmanov bought an art collection from the late Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. He then gave all the artwork to the Russian state. Later that month, he bought the rights to a large collection of Soviet cartoons. He donated these cartoons to a new Russian children's television channel.
Usmanov has received many awards for his service to the state and his charity work. These include the Medal of Honor of Russia and the Order "Dostyk" from Kazakhstan. He also received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" and the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
In December 2014, Usmanov bought Dr James Watson's Nobel Prize Medal for $4.8 million. Watson was selling it to raise money for scientific research. Usmanov then returned the medal to Watson. He said it was important that the money went to science, and the medal stayed with the person who earned it.
See also
In Spanish: Alisher Usmánov para niños
- List of Russian billionaires
- Russian oligarchs
