Vagit Alekperov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vagit Alekperov
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| Vahid Ələkbərov | |
Alekperov in 2013
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| Born | 1 September 1950 Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
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| Nationality | Azerbaijani |
| Citizenship | Russia |
| Alma mater | Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University , Master of Engineering |
| Occupation | Chairman of the supervisory board of Basic Element Company |
| Spouse(s) | Larisa Victorovna Alekperova |
| Children | 1 |
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Vagit Yusufovich Alekperov (born September 1, 1950) is a very successful businessman from Russia. He was the leader of a big oil company called Lukoil for many years, from 1993 until 2022.
In March 2025, Forbes magazine said Alekperov was the richest person in Russia. He was also one of the wealthiest people in the world. He used to own a part of the football club Spartak Moscow. He also owned a company that built superyachts until 2022.
Some countries, like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have placed restrictions on Alekperov. This happened because of international events related to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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About Vagit Alekperov's Life
Vagit Alekperov was born on September 1, 1950, in Baku. This city is in Azerbaijan, which was part of the Soviet Union back then. Baku was an important place for the oil industry.
His father worked in oilfields his whole life. He passed away when Vagit was young, but he inspired Vagit to work in the oil business too. Vagit's father was an Azerbaijani Muslim, and his mother was Russian Orthodox. Vagit is a religious person.
In 1974, Alekperov finished his studies at the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University. He earned a degree in engineering.
Early Career in Western Siberia
In 1979, Alekperov moved to Western Siberia. He worked for a company called Surgutneftegas from 1979 to 1985. During this time, he became known as an expert in the oil industry.
He moved up in his career quickly. By 1985, he became a top leader at the Bashneft company. In 1987, he became the general director of a new company called Kogalymneftegaz.
Working in Moscow
In 1990, Alekperov was chosen to be a deputy minister. He worked for the Oil and Gas Industry of the Soviet Union. He was the youngest deputy energy minister in Soviet history.
At that time, Alekperov wanted to create large state-owned energy companies. These companies would bring together all the different parts of the energy sector. Before this, these parts reported to many different government groups.
Western oil companies started looking for partners in Russia. In 1990, Alekperov led a Russian group to visit British Petroleum in the United Kingdom. He took charge of the meetings and asked the BP leaders to explain how a modern oil company should work.
Leading LUKoil
In April 1993, a company called Langepas-Uray-Kogalymneft became a new company named LUKOIL. Alekperov became its president and chairman. By 2002, he owned a significant part of the company.
In 2000, Alekperov stepped down as the head of Lukoil's board of directors. However, he stayed on as the company's president. In May 2008, he bought more shares in Lukoil. This made him the company's biggest shareholder.
LUKoil was the first Russian company to buy an American company. In November 2000, LUKoil bought Getty Petroleum Marketing. This included 1,300 gas stations in the United States. Alekperov also became involved in banking and media. In May 2006, he was one of the main owners of IFD Kapital Group.
In 2018, Alekperov mentioned that he was looking for someone to take over his position. He said that changes in the company's leadership might happen around 2023.
International Restrictions
In April 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Australia and the United Kingdom placed restrictions on Alekperov. On April 21, Lukoil announced that Alekperov had stepped down from his role and resigned from the board of directors after 29 years.
In May 2022, Canada also placed restrictions on Alekperov. In October 2022, New Zealand did the same.
Vagit Alekperov's Personal Life
Alekperov is married to Larisa Victorovna Alekperova. They have a son named Yusuf, who was born in 1990. In 2023, his son Yusuf started a company called WellTech. This company helps repair oil wells for LUKOIL.
Coin Collecting Hobby
Alekperov's hobby is numismatics, which is collecting coins. No one knows exactly what coins he has, but some say his collection is one of the three largest private collections in Russia.
In 2015, Alekperov opened a private Museum of Numismatics in Moscow. It shows more than 700 coins. This is about a quarter of his entire collection. The museum has gold, silver, and platinum coins. These coins come from ancient times, the Byzantine Empire, the European Middle Ages, the Russian Empire, and the USSR.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
In 2007, Alekperov started a foundation called "Our Future". This foundation helps promote social businesses in Russia.
Alekperov has said many times that his share in Lukoil (over 20% of the company) will go to a special charity foundation after he passes away.
During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Lukoil gave a lot of money to help. They donated over 652 million RUB in 22 different regions of Russia. They also gave almost $900,000 in other countries where they operate. Alekperov personally donated 50 million RUB to help fight coronavirus in the Komi Republic.
Awards and Honors
Vagit Alekperov was the first Russian citizen to receive the Woodrow Wilson Award. He received this award in 2005 for being a good corporate citizen.
On August 31, 2020, just before his 70th birthday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave him the "Dostlug" Order. This was for his special help in building good relationships between Azerbaijan and Russia.
On May 4, 2022, Alekperov received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" of the first degree. This award was for his "great contribution to the development of the fuel and energy complex and many years of diligent work."
Vagit Alekperov is also a full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
See also
In Spanish: Vaguit Alekpérov para niños
- List of Azerbaijanis
- List of Russian billionaires
