Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev (russian: Андрей Григорьевич Гурьев; born 24 March 1960) is a Russian billionaire businessman. He is the former head of
PhosAgro, one of the world's four largest producers of phosphate-based fertilizers. As of March 2022, his net worth is estimated at US$4.8 billion.
He acquired his wealth in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, obtaining previously state-owned assets at undervalued prices.
In 2004, he obtained
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (russian: link=no, Михаил Борисович Ходорковский, ; born 26 June 1963), sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman and opposition activist, now residing in L ...
's half of PhosAgro at an extremely low price, as Khodorkovsky was arrested by the Vladimir Putin regime.
Early life
Guryev was born in
Lobnya
Lobnya (russian: Ло́бня) is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located north west of Moscow. Population: 30,000 (1970).
History
Lobnya was founded in 1902 and granted town status in 1961.
Krasnaya Polyana in the Battle of Moscow
The Ge ...
, a town north of Moscow. He graduated in 1983 from the
,
with a degree in physical education and sport. He graduated from
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a public university located in London and Kent, United Kingdom. Previous names include Woolwich Polytechnic and Thames Polytechnic.
The university's main campus is at the Old Royal Naval College, which along with it ...
with a bachelor's degree in economics in 2003, as well as at the Russian Government Academy of National Economy, graduating in 2004, and at
St. Petersburg National Mineral Resources University, where he graduated with post-graduate certificate in Economics in 2010.
Guryev is a
Judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
master and from 1978 to 1987, was an instructor and committee secretary for the Mosgorsovet's Dinamo Komsomol organization.
Career
In 1990, Guryev started his career working for Mikhail Khodorkovsky at the Menatep Group.
He rose through the ranks and was appointed chairman of Apatit, a subsidiary of the Menatep.
From 1990 to 1995, he was Deputy Director of the Menatep Group.
In 1995, he was appointed as Head of the Mining and Chemical Products Department, First Deputy CEO of ROSPROM and subsequently head of the Y. V. Samoilov Research Institute for Fertilizers and Insectofungicides (NIUIF).
In 2011, Guryev owned 71% of PhosAgro, with 10% owned by
Vladimir Litvinenko
Vladimir Stefanovich Litvinenko (russian: Влади́мир Стефа́нович Литвине́нко, born 14 August 1955) is a Russian academic, businessman and Vladimir Putin's campaign manager. He is also rector of Saint Petersburg Mining ...
.
In 2012, PhosAgro purchased 20% of Apatit. Guryev led a management buyout to acquire control of Apatit and PhosAgro, and now owns 100% of the company.
Between 2011 and 2013, Guryev served as a Member of the Federation Council from the executive branch of the Murmansk oblast government.
In 2013, Guryev was appointed Deputy Chairman of PhosAgro's Board of Directors.
This came after he made the decision to step down as Senator, citing the new laws regarding foreign bank account owned by Russian entrepreneurs as his reason for stepping down after 11 years as a politician.
In 2014, Guryev sold an increased stake in PhosAgro to Vladimir Litvineko, bringing the latter's total ownership to 9.73%, up from 4.92% in 2011.
In early 2015, current CEO Andrei Guryev Jr, Andrey Guryev's son, was reported as saying, “PhosAgro is the most profitable phosphate fertilizer company in the world.”
PhosAgro is structured so that Guryev and his family are recipients of a trust, rather than outright ownership in their names, though Evgenia Guryev, Guryev's wife, owns 4.82% of PhosAgro in her own name.
In July 2016, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' estimated his net worth at US$4.3 billion.
He is vice president of the
Russian Union of Chemists.
Sanctions
On 9 March 2022 Guryev's son was put on a list of sanctions by
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
.
In January 2023 Japan imposed sanctions on Andrey Guryev.
Sanctioned by New Zealand in relation to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
.
Personal life
Guryev is married to Evgenia and they have two children,
Andrey Guryev, Jr. and Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov. Andrey Guryev, Jr, is CEO of PhosAgro.
Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov is married to hedge fund manager
Alexei Motlokhov, they have twin sons, and live next door in
Highgate
Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross.
Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisati ...
.
The Guryevs own
Witanhurst
Witanhurst is a large Listed building#England and Wales, Grade II listed 1930s Georgian Revival mansion on in Highgate, North London. It has had several prominent owners since being rebuilt by soap magnate Sir Arthur Henry Crosfield, Arthur Cro ...
in Highgate, London's second largest house after
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
,
through an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands. He owns the five-storey penthouse of
St George Wharf Tower
St George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower, is a residential skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, and part of the St George Wharf development. At tall with 50 storeys, it is the List of tallest buildings and structures in London, eighte ...
in London. Guryev has never given an interview to the press.
Guryev owns a yacht,
Alfa Nero
''Alfa Nero'' is a super yacht built in 2007. Registered in the Cayman Islands at 267 feet, in March of 2022, ''Forbes'' reported that ''Alfa Nero'' was still owned by Andrei Guriev with a value of $81 million. It has been considered one of the l ...
, through an offshore company.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guryev, Andrey
1960 births
Living people
Russian billionaires
Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism alumni
Russian businesspeople in the United Kingdom
Members of the Federation Council of Russia (after 2000)
Russian individuals subject to the European Union sanctions