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What is Alisher Usmanov’s Net Worth?
Alisher Usmanov, an Uzbek-born Russian businessman, has an estimated net worth of around $18 billion. Usmanov’s wealth primarily stems from his involvement in the mining and metals industry. He is the majority shareholder of Metalloinvest, a Russian industrial conglomerate that he founded to manage Gazprom’s metals interests.
His business empire extends beyond metals, encompassing sectors such as telecommunications, technology, and media. Notably, he acquired the Russian mobile phone operator MegaFon for $3 billion in 2012, which has been a significant contributor to his wealth.
The businessman’s financial acumen is evident in his successful investments in technology companies. In 2009, Usmanov invested $200 million in Facebook, which yielded an impressive return of approximately $1 billion when he sold his stakes in 2012. He has also made profitable investments in other tech giants such as Apple, Airbnb, Groupon, and Alibaba, further diversifying his portfolio and boosting his net worth.
Despite facing sanctions from the European Union in 2022 due to his alleged close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Usmanov’s wealth has shown resilience.
Here’s the breakdown of Alisher Usmanov’s net worth:
Name: | Alisher Usmanov |
Net Worth: | $18 Billion |
Date of Birth: | September 9, 1953 |
Profession: | Businessperson, Investor |
If you’re curious about how we estimate a celebrity’s net worth, you can check out our methodology here.
Early Life
Alisher Usmanov was born on September 9, 1953, in Chust, a small town in Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He spent his childhood in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, where his father worked as a state prosecutor.
Usmanov’s early life was marked by his ambition to pursue a diplomatic career, which led him to move to Moscow. After initially failing to gain admission, he was accepted into the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in international law.
However, Usmanov’s early adult life took a dramatic turn when he was arrested and convicted on charges of fraud and theft of state property in Uzbek SSR in August 1980. He spent six years in a remote Uzbek prison, serving part of an eight-year sentence. This conviction was later overturned in July 2000 by the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, which ruled that the original conviction was unjust and that no crime had been committed.
Career
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Usmanov began building his business empire. He started with the manufacture of plastic bags, a scarce commodity during the Soviet era, which proved to be highly profitable.
Usmanov’s business acumen led him to invest in various sectors, including metals, mining, telecommunications, and technology. He co-founded and managed Metalloinvest, a Russian industrial conglomerate that became a cornerstone of his wealth. Usmanov also became a co-owner of MegaFon, Russia’s second-largest mobile telephone operator, and acquired stakes in Udokan copper, which develops one of the largest copper deposits globally.
In the tech sector, Usmanov made several shrewd investments. He was once the largest investor in Digital Sky Technologies (DST), which later became Mail.ru Group. His investment portfolio expanded to include international technology companies, with notable investments in Facebook, Apple, Airbnb, and Alibaba.
Usmanov’s media holdings have also been significant. In 2006, he purchased Kommersant, a prominent Russian newspaper, for $200 million. He also acquired stakes in various Russian TV channels, although he later sold these assets.
Personal Life
Usmanov married Irina Viner, a renowned rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992. The couple filed for divorce in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Usmanov has no biological children but has a stepson through his marriage to Viner. Despite facing international sanctions in recent years, Usmanov has maintained a high profile in both business and philanthropic circles.
Philanthropy
Alisher Usmanov is known for his significant philanthropic efforts. He founded the “Art, Science and Sport” Charity Fund, which supports various social, educational, and cultural organizations. Usmanov has been recognized as one of the most generous philanthropists in Russia and globally.
According to The Sunday Times 2021 “Giving List,” Usmanov was ranked as the top charity spender over the past 20 years, with an estimated £4.2 billion given away.
His charitable contributions span multiple areas, including sports, culture, education, and healthcare. Usmanov has made notable donations to fight against COVID-19 and has gifted valuable art collections and Soviet cartoons to Russian institutions. In 2020, Forbes listed Usmanov as the leading donor among Russian businesspeople in the fight against coronavirus, with a reported donation of $33.2 million.
Throughout his career, Usmanov has reportedly donated a total of $2.6 billion to charity, including several hundred million dollars in a single year.
Real Estate
Alisher Usmanov’s real estate portfolio has been a subject of interest and controversy, especially in light of recent international sanctions. Prior to the sanctions, Usmanov was known to own several high-value properties across Europe.
These included Beechwood House in Highgate, London, valued at approximately £82 million, and the 16th-century Sutton Place estate in Surrey, worth an estimated £14 billion.
In addition to these UK properties, Usmanov has been associated with other luxury real estates, including a villa in Sardinia and properties in Moscow. However, following the sanctions imposed on him in 2022, Usmanov’s spokesperson claimed that many of his former properties had already been transferred into irrevocable trusts.
This move, allegedly made for estate-planning purposes in 2006, has complicated efforts to determine the current ownership status of these assets.
The complexity of Usmanov’s real estate holdings is further illustrated by the use of offshore entities and trusts. For instance, properties like Beechwood House were reportedly owned through complex structures involving companies registered in the British Virgin Islands.
This intricate web of ownership has made it challenging for authorities to enforce sanctions effectively and has raised questions about the true extent of Usmanov’s real estate portfolio.
