Rinat Leonidovych Akhmetov, ; russian: Ринат Леонидович Ахметов, ; tt-Cyrl, Ринат Леонид улы Әхмәтов, translit=Rinat Leonid uly Äkhmätov (born on 21 September 1966) is a Ukrainian billionaire and businessman. He is the founder and president of
System Capital Management (SCM), and ranked as the wealthiest man in Ukraine.
As of June 2022, he was listed as the 607th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$11.54 billion.
Akhmetov is the owner and president of the Ukrainian football club
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
. From 2006–2007 and 2007–2012, Akhmetov was a member of the Ukrainian
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...
(parliament) for the
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...
.
[
]
Early life
Rinat Akhmetov was born in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, to a working-class family. He is an ethnic Volga Tatar
The Volga Tatars or simply Tatars ( tt-Cyrl, татарлар, tatarlar) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the Volga-Ural region of Russia. They are subdivided into various subgroups. Volga Tatars are Russia's second-largest ethnicity after ...
and a practicing Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. His father, Leonid Akhmetov was a coal-miner and his mother, Nyakiya Nasredinovna, was a shop assistant.
Akhmetov had an older brother, Igor, who also worked as a coal miner but had to resign due to work-related health complications. Igor died on 24 January 2021.
Akhmetov earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Donetsk National University
Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University (Vasyl' Stus DonNU) ( uk, Донецький національний університет імені Василя Стуса, ''Donets’kyi Natsional’nyi Universytet''; russian: Донецкий на ...
in 2001.[
]
Business career
Beginnings
Details regarding Akhmetov's past, how he obtained his wealth after the fall of communism in Ukraine, and his activities between 1985 and 1995, remain controversial. Akhmetov has stated in interviews that he successfully made risky business investments in the first years after the collapse of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
,[Ринат Леонидович]
Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА" and in 2010, denied he inherited any money from Akhat Bragin or anyone else: "I have earned my first million by trading coal and coke, and spent the money on assets that no one wanted to buy. It was a risk but it was worth it". Many publications in Ukraine and other European countries have made claims about Akhmetov's alleged "criminal past", some of which later retracted their statements.
In his documentary book ''Donetsk Mafia: Anthology'', Ukrainian author Serhiy Kuzin claims Akhmetov held the role of a 'mafia thug' in his early years; according to Hans van Zon, Professor of Central and Eastern European Studies in the University of Sunderland
, mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge
, established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status)
, staff =
, chancellor = Emel ...
, "As early as 1986, Rinat and his brother Igor were involved in criminal activities.". In 2008, Donetsk Appellate Court ruled that the book was a work of plagiarism, and the authors of the book, Borys Penchuk, Serhiy Kuzin and the Anticorruption Foundation, were obliged to pay UAH200,000 in compensation for the breach of copyright to Oleksandr Kuchinsky, the editor-in-chief of ''Criminal Express'' regional weekly and the author of ''The Chronicle of Donetsk Banditry'' book. Serhiy Kuzin used the materials from those editions to write his own book.
In the 1980s, Akhmetov acted as an assistant to Akhat Bragin, whom law enforcement agencies regarded as a powerful crime boss; allegedly in the illegal cloth trading business. Andrew Wilson, a scholar specializing in Ukrainian politics, categorized Akhmetov as an alleged former 'enforcer' and 'leader' of "khat
Khat or qat ( ''ch’at''; Oromo: ''Jimaa'', so, qaad, khaad, khat or chat, ar, القات ''al-qāt'') is a flowering plant native to eastern and southern Africa. Khat contains the alkaloid cathinone, a stimulant, which is said to cause e ...
Bragin's 'Tatar' clan", responsible for the use of "mafia methods to push aside the 'red directors' of the Industrial Union of Donbas
Industrial Union of Donbas (ISD; uk, Індустріальний союз Донбасу, translit=Industrialnyi soiuz Donbasu) is one of the biggest corporations in Ukraine. It is a horizontally integrated holding company that owns or directs ...
(ISD)". By the early 1990s, Akhmetov began acquiring property in Donetsk allegedly by means of extortion with the assistance of Volodymyr Malyshev, Lieutenant-General of The Head of Ministry of Internal Affairs Department in Donetsk Oblast. Malyshev, now a member of Ukraine's Parliament on the committee controlling law enforcement, is accused by Kuzin of using his position to do away with previously existing police records concerning Akhmetov shortly before becoming chief of security for Akhmetov's company. "In he 1990s
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
Akhmetov was very different – he was totally private with no public persona, and was trying to find ways to deal with his 'difficult past'", noted U.S. ambassador William Taylor, citing prominent Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Taruta
Serhiy Oleksiyovych Taruta ( uk, Сергій Олексійович Тарута, rus, Сергей Алексеевич Тарута, r=Sergei Alekseyevich Taruta, born 22 July 1955 in Vynohradne, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukraini ...
. Further in that article cited the answer of the spokesperson for Akhmetov addressed to the ''Kyiv Post'': "We don't know whether this phrase is authentic and what it actually means. Although, any accusations of Mr Akhmetov's involvement in criminal structures is slander."
In October 1995, Bragin, president of Shakhtar Donetsk football club, was killed in a mysterious bombing along with six of his bodyguards at the team's stadium during a match. Some rumours associate Akhmetov with the death of Bragin. Following the assassinations, Akhmetov is said to have "inherited a vast financial empire from Bragin". Akhmetov himself recalls that Akhat was a very close friend of him, his death was a big tragedy for him personally, and he narrowly escaped the explosion himself. “Many say that the bomb detonated in the box (at the stadium). It is a lie. The explosion happened in the tunnel (leading to the box area),” he said. “We arrived at the stadium together, five minutes late. His car pulled up first, mine was second. Because we were late, he left his car and rushed inside without waiting for me. The gap was like five seconds, no more than that. The explosion happened when I opened the door of my car.”
Akhmetov would head Dongorbank (formerly Akceptbank) in 1995.
In September 1999, an official Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs report titled the "Overview of the Most Dangerous Organized Crime Structures in Ukraine" identified Akhmetov as a leader of an organized crime syndicate. The report tied the group to money laundering, financial fraud, and the control of numerous large and fictitious companies. The report also says that the group's activities "have been stopped," and says further that their criminal natures "have not been confirmed". In a written statement, System Capital Management said that the internal affairs report “has been fully and publicly shown to be a fraud and a forgery” — conclusions that SCM noted were “reached and publicly disclosed in November 2011” by a Ukrainian parliamentary committee and the Ministry of Interior.
Released in a WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks () is an international Nonprofit organization, non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous Source (journalism), sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activism, Internet acti ...
diplomatic cable, Volodymyr Horbulin, one of Ukraine's most respected policy strategists and former presidential advisor, told the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine in 2006 that the Party of Regions, which "enjoyed deep pockets, being largely financed by billionaire Donetsk boss Rinat Akhmetov" is partly composed of "pure criminals" and "criminal and anti-democracy figures". In a U.S. diplomatic cable dated 3 February 2006, then U.S. Ambassador John Herbst referred to Akhmetov's Party of Regions as "long a haven for Donetsk-based mobsters and oligarchs" and called Akhmetov the " godfather" of the Donetsk clan. In 2014, Rinat Akhmetov's support of the peace process in Donbas and his assistance to civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk regions were highly appreciated by the United States. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, who stated that he highly appreciates the efforts of Rinat Akhmetov “who has done probably more than anyone in this country to deliver food and clothes to victims of the violence occurring in Donbas”.
After Ukraine's Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution ( uk, Помаранчева революція, translit=Pomarancheva revoliutsiia) was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate afterm ...
of late 2004, in an attempt to fight corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
, several prominent businessmen who were also Party of Regions
The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...
members came under criminal investigation; In 2011, Hennadiy Moskal
Hennadiy Hennadiyovych Moskal ( uk, Геннадій Геннадійович Москаль; born 11 December 1950) is a Ukrainian politician and the former governor of Zakarpattia Oblast, serving from 2015 to 2019. , who in 2005 acted as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, gave an interview to Ukrainian magazine Профиль (profil-ua), where he claimed to have been under Presidential orders in 2005 to investigate and audit Akhmetov for his alleged role in organized crime. Concrete evidence was never officially revealed against him, nor his company. According to Moskal, the MVS
Multiple Virtual Storage, more commonly called MVS, was the most commonly used operating system on the System/370 and System/390 IBM mainframe computers. IBM developed MVS, along with OS/VS1 and SVS, as a successor to OS/360. It is unrelated ...
investigated all incidents related to missing people in 1990s in Donetsk region, who had any property left, and its current owners, but no connections with Rinat Akhmetov and his entourage were found. Looking back, Moskal concluded that "we had nothing on Akhmetov in 2005". According to political journal's ''Post-Soviet Affairs'', and ''The Nation'', Akhmetov was investigated on murder charges and for his alleged role in organized crime in the Donetsk region. To avoid prosecution he was prompted to flee the country to Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
.[profil-ua.com](_blank)
(Профиль политики №23 (192), 11 June 2011, ''Геннадий Москаль: "На Ахметова в 2005–м ничего не было. Просто Ющенко понадобился спонсор"''] Hennadiy Moskal: "We had nothing on Akhmetov in 2005. Yushchenko just needed a sponsor" In June 2005, Serhiy Kornich, then head of the Interior Ministry's economic crimes department, stated publicly that Akhmetov was "the head of norganized crime group." That year, Borys Kolesnikov
Borys Viktorovych Kolesnikov ( uk, Борис Вікторович Колесніков, born October 25, 1962) is the leader of the political party Ukraine is Our Home. He is the former secretary of the Party of Regions' presidium, former peopl ...
, a friend and associate who had been tied to Akhmetov since the 1980s, was arrested on charges of extortion and conspiracy to assassinate a rival Donetsk businessman. Charges against Akhmetov and Kolesnikov were dropped in 2006 amid a significant rise in political power by the former, and the cooperation of the Yuschenko government, ending Akhmetov's exile.
SCM Group
Akhmetov founded System Capital Management Group (JSC "SCM") in 2000. SCM is the largest diversified financial and industrial group in Ukraine (for example, in 2013, the share of SCM in Ukraine's GDP was 3.9%), which is also represented in 7 countries in Europe and North America. The structure of SCM Group includes more than 500 companies employing about 200 thousand people. SCM's main areas of interest and activities are focused on such industries as metallurgy and coal mining, power generation, telecommunications, banking, and others. In various periods, Akhmetov controlled from 90% to 100% of the shares of SCM. He has been its sole proprietor
A sole proprietorship, also known as a sole tradership, individual entrepreneurship or proprietorship, is a type of enterprise owned and run by one person and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business entity. A sole ...
since 2009.
The main assets of Rinat Akhmetov, according to information for 2022, include the following companies:
*SCM Holdings
System Capital Management or SCM ( uk, Систем Кепітал Менеджмент) is a major Ukrainian financial and industrial holding company established in 2000 in Donetsk in the east of the country and since 2014 headquartered in Kyi ...
*Metinvest
Metinvest is an international group of steel and mining companies that owns operations in Ukraine, Italy, Bulgaria, the UK and the US, mines ore and coal, produces coke, smelts steel and produces rolled products, pipes and other steel products. T ...
(mining and metallurgical business)
*DTEK
DTEK (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: ДТЕК) is the largest private investor in the energy industry in Ukraine. The company's enterprises generate electricity at solar, wind and thermal power plants; extract coal and natural gas, trade energy pr ...
(energy industry)
*First Ukrainian International Bank
The First Ukrainian International Bank or FUIB (Ukrainian: Перший Український Міжнародний Банк) is one of the leading Ukrainian banks, largely owned by the oligarch Rinat Akhmetov associated SCM Holdings. It was fo ...
(finance)
*Ukrtelecom
Ukrtelecom JSC ( uk, Укртелеком) (PFTS Ukraine Stock Exchange, PFTS:]UTLM is Ukraine's monopolist telephone company, also active in the Internet service provider, ISP and mobile telephony, mobile markets. The company was governed by t ...
(telecommunication business)
* ESTA Holding (real estate)
*''Corum Group'' (mechanical engineering; formerly ''Ukrvuglemash'' and ''Mining Machines'')
* UMG Investments (investments; formerly United Mineral Group)
*''Portinvest'', Lemtrans
Lemtrans is a private operator of railway rolling stock in Ukraine.
The company claims owning over 20,000 gondola cars which transport over 52 million tons of cargo annually.
Lemtrans is a member of the International Federation of Freight Forwar ...
, ''Transinvest holding'' (transport business)
*HarvEast Holding
HarvEast Holding is a Ukrainian agricultural holding established in March 2011
in Donetsk, Ukraine and owned by System Capital Management and Smart Holding groups.
In November 2011 HarvEast became a member of Ukrainian Agribusiness Club Assoc ...
(agriculture)
*FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was ...
(sport)
According to Serhiy Holovnev and Yuriy Vinnichuk, in 2018 SCM enterprises paid UAH 90.2 billion, or 22.6% of all tax revenue
Tax revenue is the income that is collected by governments through taxation. Taxation is the primary source of government revenue. Revenue may be extracted from sources such as individuals, public enterprises, trade, royalties on natural resou ...
s to the government budget of Ukraine.
In H1 2022, SCM paid about €1.2 billion in taxes to the national budget, becoming the country’s biggest private taxpayer in the wartime.
Rinat Akhmetov's key assets are based in the east and south of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, he has lost two thirds of his fortune, including steel, energy and agricultural assets. Overall, the invaders have destroyed about 70 companies owned by Rinat Akhmetov.
Mariupol-based Azovstal and Illich Iron and Steel Works were the backbone of Akhmetov's steel business. Other steel companies, Zaporizhstal and Kametstal, had to curtail production significantly.
Akhmetov's DTEK has lost 70% of renewables facilities and 30% of thermal power generation plants.
Critics point out that at different times SCM used the political conjuncture for its development. For example, in 2004 Akhmetov and Pinchuk privatized Kryvorizhstal
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (former Kryvorizhstal ( uk, Криворіжсталь) is Ukraine's largest integrated steel company, founded in 1934 and located in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine.
Bought in 2005 by Mittal Steel, the steel plant is ...
for $0.8 billion. But in 2005, re-privatization was carried out: the plant was bought by Mittal Steel Company
Mittal Steel Company N.V. was an Indian company and one of the world's largest steel producers by volume and turnover. After a merger in 2005, it is now part of ArcelorMittal.
History
Mittal Steel Company was formed as Ispat International in 19 ...
for $4.8 billion. In January 2014 SCM businesses won 31% of all state tenders. At the same time, researchers note that SCM Group has been trying to be a transparent corporation since its inception. SCM was one of the first in Ukraine to begin publishing social reports (2007). It was several times the leader in the rankings of Ukraine's "Socially Responsible Companies", and in 2011, together with its subsidiaries Metinvest and DTEK, it entered the top five of the Index of Transparency and Accountability of Companies in Ukraine.
Wealth
Rinat Akhmetov has been number one in '' Korrespondent'' magazine annual Ukraine's Top 50 richest people rating with the estimated wealth of:
* 2006 – $11.8 bn
* 2007 – $15.6 bn
* 2008 – $31.1 bn
* 2009 – $9.6 bn
* 2010 – $17.8 bn
* 2011 – $25.6 bn
* 2012 – $17.8 bn
* 2013 – $18.3 bn
* 2014 – $10.1 bn
* 2019 – $7.7 bn
* 2020 – $7.7 bn
* 2021 – $8.5 bn
''Forbes'' The World's Billionaires rating:
* 2006 – No. 451 with a net worth
Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...
of $1.7 bil
* 2007 – No. 214 with $4.0 bn
* 2008 – No. 127 with $7.3 bn
* 2009 – No. 397 with $1.8 bn
* 2010 – No. 148 with $5.2 bn
* 2011 – No. 39 with $16 bn.
* 2012 – No. 39 with $16 bn.
* 2013 – No. 47 with $15.4 bn.
* 2015 – No. 201 with $6.7 bn.
* 2016 – No. 771 with $3.4 bn.
* 2017 – No. 359 with $4.6 bn
* 2018 – No. 334 with $5.5 bn
* 2019 – No. 272 with $6 bn
* 2020 – No. 875 with $2.4 bn
* 2021 – No. 327 with $7.6 bn
* 2022 – No. 687 with $4.3 bn
In 2018 Akhmetov's fortune was valued at approx. $5.9 billion. Bloomberg reported that he was the richest person in Ukraine and that he had regained all of his losses suffered after the conflict with Russia in 2013–2014.
Political activity
Akhmetov has been noted as a financier and unofficial leader of the Party of Regions
The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...
political party.
Following the Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution ( uk, Помаранчева революція, translit=Pomarancheva revoliutsiia) was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate afterm ...
, Akhmetov was pivotal in arranging a lasting relationship between his employee and close friend Paul Manafort
Paul John Manafort Jr. (; born April 1, 1949) is an American lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney. A long-time Republican Party campaign consultant, he chaired the Trump presidential campaign from June to August 2016. Manafort served ...
and defeated presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...
. Also, Akhmetov ensured proper translation services for Manafort through Konstantin Kilimnik
uk, Костянтин Килимник
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Soviet Union
, death_date =
, death_place =
, citizenship = UkraineRussiaSoviet Union
, oc ...
, a Russia Army trained linguist and known Russian intelligence operative that operates Manafort's office in Kyiv. Kilimnik has been central to collecting fees owed to Manafort's company by the Russia-friendly political party called Opposition Bloc.[
In a 13 September 2007 diplomatic cable released between prominent Ukrainian business partners ]Serhiy Taruta
Serhiy Oleksiyovych Taruta ( uk, Сергій Олексійович Тарута, rus, Сергей Алексеевич Тарута, r=Sergei Alekseyevich Taruta, born 22 July 1955 in Vynohradne, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukraini ...
, Vitaliy Haiduk, and U.S. ambassador William Taylor, Taruta alleged that Akhmetov had in 1997 persuaded Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corru ...
to appoint Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...
governor of Donetsk oblast
The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...
, who then in turn made Haiduk his deputy. In follow up of the released cables, Akhmetov's spokesperson refused comment and Haiduk denied the conversation taking place.
Akhmetov was elected as a member of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...
(parliament) during the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election as a member of the Party of Regions
The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...
.[The World's Billionaires – #214 Rinat Akhmetov]
''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 ...
'' (3 August 2007)[Янукович отримав контрольний пакет у парламенті]
''Ukrayinska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...
'' (2 February 2011) Akhmetov was reelected during the 2007 parliamentary election again as a member of the Party of Regions.[Rinat Akhmetov is the richest person of Ukraine by version of Focus magazine]
Ukrainian Independent Information Agency
The UNIAN or Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News ( uk, Українське Незалежне Інформаційне Агентство Новин, УНІАН, translit=Ukrayins'ke Nezalezhne Informatsiyne Ahentstvo Novyn) is a ...
(29 February 2008) However, he only appeared once in the Verkhovna Rada building
The Verkhovna Rada building ( uk, Будинок Верховної Ради, romanized: ''Budynok Verkhovnoi Rady'') is located in the center of Kyiv, the Pecherskyi District. The building is located at the Constitution Square.
It is the plac ...
during his inauguration
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...
. Leader of the party's faction in the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksander Yefremov, has mentioned that Rinat Akhmetov provides "substantive support" to the faction by providing what he referred to as "functioning expert groups he established that are counseling on draft laws". In December 2011 Akhmetov announced he was not going to participate in the 2012 parliamentary election.
U.S. diplomatic cables revealed that Akhmetov posted $2 million bail in 2007 for the release of three members of the Party of Regions, including former Sumy
Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...
Governor Volodymyr Shcherban
Volodymyr Petrovych Shcherban ( uk, Володимир Петрович Щербань; born 26 January 1950) is a Ukrainian politician and governor of a number of regions in Ukraine. He is sometimes confused with another murdered Ukrainian politi ...
, who was accused of election rigging, extortion, tax evasion and abuse of office.
The Russian-language newspaper ''Segodnya
''Segodnya'' ( rus, Сегодня, p=sʲɪˈvodʲnʲə, t=Today, a=Ru-сегодня.ogg) was a Russian-language Ukrainian tabloid newspaper founded in 1997. While run from Kyiv, it was linked to Donbass political and business groups; its hold ...
'', then owned by Akhmetov, has drawn criticism for its alleged mandate favoring coverage of certain politicians and public figures, the journalists at the paper admitted.
Reaction to the south-eastern conflict in Ukraine
Akhmetov has denied claims made by Pavel Gubarev
Pavel Yuryevich Gubarev (russian: Па́вел Ю́рьевич Гу́барев, ; or Pavlo Yuriyovych Hubariev uk, Павло Юрійович Губарєв; born 10 February 1983) is a Russian activist who proclaimed himself the "People's ...
(self-proclaimed "People's Governor" of the Donetsk People's Republic
The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...
) in an interview published in the Russian state-controlled newspaper ''Rossiyskaya Gazeta
' (russian: Российская газета, lit. Russian Gazette) is a Russian newspaper published by the Government of Russia. The daily newspaper serves as the official government gazette of the Government of the Russian Federation, publishi ...
'' on 12 May 2014. "Pavel Gubarev alleges that I bribed two thirds of the activists. I am firmly stating that I have never given and will never give anyone even a cent of bribe", replied Akhmetov.[ According to Gubarev, Akhmetov has financed the separatist movement in the region, and that the separatists "all took money" from Akhmetov and others, saying that "As it turned out, two-thirds of the activists were supported by the oligarch Akhmetov".][ On 10 May 2014, Akhmetov's ]Metinvest
Metinvest is an international group of steel and mining companies that owns operations in Ukraine, Italy, Bulgaria, the UK and the US, mines ore and coal, produces coke, smelts steel and produces rolled products, pipes and other steel products. T ...
company announced it would be forming an unarmed militia of steelworker employees to stop looting by separatists and criminals in the city of Mariupol
Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
.[Kyiv Post]
''Billionaire Akhmetov denies claims that he finances separatism (UPDATE)'', 12 May 2014. In a 19 May (2014) breaking news
Breaking news, interchangeably termed late-breaking news and also known as a special report or special coverage or news flash, is a current issue that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming or current news in orde ...
message on Ukrayina TV Akhmetov claimed the representative "of this Donetsk People's Republic
The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...
" were committing "genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
of Donbas".[Akhmetov called a strike at the enterprises in protest]
Ukrainian Media Group (20 May 2014)
Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov confronts rebellion
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
(20 May 2014)
Akhmetov's "Peace March" in Donetsk took 20 minutes
Interfax-Ukraine
The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company pub ...
(20 May 2014)
Businessman Akhmetov condemns 'genocide of Donbas,' calls for peaceful rally against 'Donetsk People's Republic'
Interfax-Ukraine
The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company pub ...
(20 May 2014) At his initiative the next day a so-called Peace March was held in the stadium Donbass Arena in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
accompanied by cars beeping their horns at noon.[ Akhmetov has vowed that "siren ill beringing every day at noon across all of Donbas until peace is established".][
Akhmetov is helping the victims of the ]War in Donbas
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in South-Eastern Ukraine. As of March 2014 he had allocated UAH 35 million for this assistance. The Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Centre was established in August 2014 to provide maximum assistance to all civilians of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions affected by the military actions. The centre has pooled resources of the Foundation and all SCM Group's businesses and FC Shakhtar. The activity of the centre is dedicated to financial, humanitarian, medical and psychological assistance for the victims of the conflict in the South-Eastern Ukraine and evacuation from the hot spots in the East of Ukraine.
In August 2014 Akhmetov's Foundation for Development of Ukraine
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation (former Foundation for Development of Ukraine) is a non-profit organization established July 15, 2005 by Rinat Lyeonidovich Akhmetov, a Ukrainian businessman. Mission of the Foundation: "Work for people by eliminating ...
also started a new particular project called Humanitarian Aid Drives. The purpose of this project is the regular delivery of food and children's packages to Donbas. As of October 2016 over 10 million food packages were provided to IDPs and residents of 57 districts and settlements of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The package includes flour, sugar, cereals, oats, tinned foods, sunflower oil, stew, pasta, canned corn, gingerbreads and condensed milk.
Akhmetov also made numerous statements, since March 2014, appealing for integrity of Ukraine and finding peaceful solutions of the crisis.[ He believes ]decentralization
Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group.
Conce ...
should be part of this peaceful solution.[Akhmetov willing to do anything to stop war in Donbas – press secretary]
Interfax-Ukraine
The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company pub ...
(12 March 2014)
In March 2017 protesters attacked Akhmetov's offices in Russian controlled areas. Pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region seized control of companies owned by energy conglomerate DTEK and steel company Metinvest both owned by Akhmetov. In addition, companies in the region controlled by the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) took control of several Akhmetov owned companies.
Continued protests throughout 2017 have led to allegations of corruption and profiteering between Akhmetov and President Petro Poroshenko specifically over pricing for domestic coal suppliers and the buyout of DTEK debts by the government. On 27 August 2020, Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) dismissed the criminal case concerning Rotterdam+ due to the lack of elements of crime. According to SAPO, the investigation of suspects was closed as Rotterdam+ had not generated any losses
Quitting media business
In November 2021 Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
accused Akhmetov of being enlisted to help plan a coup against him by Russia. Akhmetov has denied these claims calling the allegations "an absolute lie." The allegations were the culmination of a dispute between Zelensky and Akhmetov as part of Zelensky anti-corruption clean-up efforts. Akhmetov is also a noted opponent of Zelensky, as his TV channels backed one of his opponents in the 2019 election and have been increasingly critical in coverage of Zelensky. Especially since the government failed to reimburse one of his energy company subsidiaries for green energy purchased by state companies. Akhmetov says that he does not interfere with the channels’ editorial policy and that it's the "guests who come to the channels" and not the channels themselves that criticize Zelensky. In turn, Zelensky's MPs have boycotted what they view as hostile media. Akhmetov announced on 11 July 2022 that he would surrender licences of top television channels to the government and shut down both print and internet media to comply with so-called “de-oligarchisation” legislation aimed at curbing the influence of oligarchs.с“I made an involuntary decision that my investment company SCM will exit its media business,” Akhmetov said in a statement.
Activities during the Russian invasion
Financial Times reports that Rinat Akhmetov has allocated €100 million in humanitarian aid and support for the Ukrainian military during 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 ...
.
On February 22, as hundreds took to the streets of Mariupol to protest Russia's actions, Akhmetov announced SCM would pay ₴1 billion ($34 million) in taxes in advance to shore up state finances.
The Azovstal plant in Mariupol, owned by Akhmetov, was the site of fierce fighting during the Siege of Mariupol
The siege of Mariupol began on 24 February 2022 and lasted until 20 May 2022, as part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It saw fighting between the Russian Armed Forces (alongside the Donetsk People's Militia) and the Ukrainian Armed ...
and was almost completely destroyed.
In the comment to ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' Akhmetov stated that both steel plants in Mariupol were under Ukrainian control, but that the plants were temporarily shut down, saying, "Russian troops are turning Mariupol into rubble, killing Mariupol residents, and bombing the plants," he said. "Under no circumstances will these plants operate under Russian occupation."
As a result of the invasion, Akhmetov's fortune dropped from nearly $14 billion to less than $6 billion in just two weeks, and may likely be much less, according to ''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 ...
''. According to Akhmetov, "A total ceasefire, complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and full restoration of the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. That includes the Crimea and Donbas" were his terms of a Ukrainian victory in the conflict. "My Foundation is helping Ukrainians survive by providing water, food, medicines, and any help we can give here and now. SCM businesses are helping the army and territorial defense forces to defend our sovereignty, our freedom, and independence, and win the war ... I am working with my company and my people. I am doing everything I can. I am confident that other people are doing the same."[Ukraine’s Richest Man Says He’s Doing Everything He Can To Help His Country, And Sparing No Expense](_blank)
/ref>
Metinvest is using its steel to make ‘hedgehogs’ slowing the advance of Russian tanks.
Shakhtar Donetsk, the football club sponsored by Akhmetov, opened this year Shelter Center at the Arena Lviv, since then it has received more than 2 thousand internal migrants from different regions of Ukraine. https://www.efdn.org/blog/news/shaktar-player-visited-shelter-centre-at-the-arena-lviv/
As of the end of August, there were 6,000 temporary accommodation places arranged by Metinvest at its social facilities. The shelter residents receive hot meals, food and hygienic kits. The company has arranged 850 accommodation places in six Dnipropetrovsk and Kyrovohrad communities.
In total, the assistance covered 13.5 million people across the country.
SCM's businesses provide an extensive support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defenders, the National Guard, National Police, Main Intelligence Directorate, and other military and security units. Metinvest also works to protect conscripted employees, utility workers, rescuers, military doctors, representatives of the national media who work in the combat areas by providing transport, drones, protective engineering structures, body armour, protective equipment, and medical assistance. As of September 2022, Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front initiative donated more than 800 drones, 690 cars and special vehicles, 189,000 body armour items, including 150,000 bulletproof vests, 959,000 food packages, 2 million units of medicines, 596,000 litres of fuel to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defenders, and communities.
Over six months of the war, DTEK returned power to 3.8 million households in Kyiv and four Ukrainian regions. The company's power engineers respond swiftly to re-energise localities cut off electricity supply because of hostilities.
After the power plants in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts were hit by Russian missile strikes, causing widespread blackouts in five regions of Ukraine, Rinat Akhmetov and DTEK Group decided to start helping restore electricity supply all over Ukraine, even in the areas not covered by DTEK power grid.
Since the outbreak of the war, Akhmetov's DTEK has supplied free electricity worth more than UAH 178 million to medical and military facilities in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts.
Metinvest has developed special chemical composition of steel to produce plates for body armour. The company has already provided 150,000 bulletproof vests to the army, the territorial defence forces, law enforcement agencies, and members of emergency rescue teams.
Highlighted by Bloomberg, the latest development of Metinvest's specialists is prefabricated dugouts, or portable steel war shelters for Ukrainian defenders. These are special shelters for strengthening trenches that can be used as a full-fledged field accommodation, and one such shelter costs about UAH 200,000 ($5,450). Like all other equipment and protective gear, Metinvest delivers the shelters to the military free of charge. The company has already sent 10 of them to the front lines.
Akhmetov told ''Forbes'': "I am in Ukraine and I am not going to leave the country. I share the same feelings with all Ukrainians: I am sincerely waiting for the victory of Ukraine in this war."
From February 24 to early May 2022, Akhmetov's businesses as well as his Foundation and FC Shakhtar have donated almost US$72 million in humanitarian aid and support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Territorial Defenсe Forces. On 25 May 2022, Akhmetov told ''Novoe Vremya'' that he was planning to sue the Russian Federation demanding “proper compensation for all losses and lost business”, which, according to him, has caused him a loss ranging from 17 billion to 20 billion US dollars. From February 24 to August 1, 2022, they have donated almost US$90 million. As of August 1, 2022, the SCM businesses, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the Shakhtar football club provided assistance to Ukraine, the military and civilians for UAH 3 billion, or about $100 million. Assistance reached more than 11 million people across the country.
In June 2022, Akhmetov filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation with the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...
for damages caused to his assets by Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, saying "this lawsuit is one of the first international legal steps against Russia to stop their ongoing crimes, destruction of the Ukrainian economy and the plundering of Ukrainian assets". It was reported that Akhmetov was suing for between $17 billion and $20 billion of losses.
Akhmetov has paid UAH 1.77 billion in taxes to budgets of all levels since the beginning of 2022, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Assessment of Russia's actions
In an interview with Radio Svoboda in March 2022, Akhmetov said that the worst thing in Russia's war against Ukraine is that civilians are suffering and dying. And Russia's military aggression is a war crime and a crime against humanity against Ukraine and Ukrainians.
Asked by the Ekonomichna Pravda about Putin and Russia, Akhmetov said that "Russia is an aggressor and Putin is a war criminal. It’s because Ukraine has always been a peaceful country, and has never attacked anyone."
In an interview with Forbes in March 2022 Akhmetov commented concerning Russian invasion of Ukraine: “What is unfolding here is a war crime and a crime against humanity, against Ukraine and the Ukrainians. This can neither be explained nor justified."
Vision of victory for Ukraine
In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, Akhmetov noted that the victory for Ukraine is "a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Ukraine and a full restoration of Ukraine's internationally recognized borders. Including Donbass and Crimea."
Plans on recovery of Ukraine
In a comment to Radio Svoboda, Akhmetov said he is confident that the time would come when Ukrainians would rebuild Ukraine, and stressed that he would personally invest all his strength and resources to restore Ukraine and become a prosperous country.
Sports and patronage
Following the October 1995 bombing assassination of former team president Akhat Bragin at the team's stadium, Akhmetov (who had served as Bragin's right-hand man and himself narrowly missed the attempt on his life), subsequently inherited operation of the Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
football club. On 11 October 1996, Akhmetov was appointed president of the team[Shakhtar.com](_blank)
''club history 1996–2006''. Rinat Akhmetov envisioned Shakhtar as a winner of European cups, so he began restructuring the club to achieve this goal. He changed the approach to the club management and transferred the operational management to the professionals. Under his leadership, FC Shakhtar became the country's champion thirteen times, won the Ukrainian Cup
The Ukrainian Cup ( uk, Кубок України) is an association football national knockout cup competition run by the Ukrainian Association of Football. The competition is conducted almost exclusively among professional clubs. Since the 2003 ...
thirteen times, took the Ukrainian Super Cup
The Ukrainian Super Cup ( uk , Суперкубок України) is an association football game of the Ukrainian Premier League in traditional super cup format that acts as the grand-opening for every new football (soccer), football competiti ...
nine times, and won the UEFA Europa League Cup for the first time in the history of Ukraine.
In 2009, Donbas Arena
Donbass Arena ( uk, Донба́с Аре́на ; is a stadium with a natural grass pitch in Donetsk, Ukraine, that opened on 29 August 2009. The facility is located in the center of the city, in the Lenin Comsomol park. With a capacity of 52,187 ...
stadium was built in Donetsk at Rinat Akhmetov's initiative. It's the first stadium in Eastern Europe that was designed and built to the elite UEFA standards; its capacity is over 50,000 people. Donbas Arena was named the best stadium of Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
. It ranks among 25 best stadiums in the history of the Champions League.
FC Shakhtar had to leave its home city of Donetsk due to the War in Donbas
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in Ukraine. Since the spring of 2014, its training base has been located in Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
. The team changed multiple home stadiums, moving to Lviv (Arena Lviv
Arena Lviv ( uk, Арена Львів) is a football stadium in Lviv, Ukraine. It was one of the eight UEFA Euro 2012 venues, where it hosted three of the group-stage games. According to the official plans, the stadium has a total seating capacit ...
, 2014–2017), Kharkiv ( Metalist, 2017–2020), and finally Kyiv ( NSC Olimpiyskiy, since 2020). Meanwhile, from August 2014 and until losing control of the stadium in 2017 the club's home stadium Donbas Arena
Donbass Arena ( uk, Донба́с Аре́на ; is a stadium with a natural grass pitch in Donetsk, Ukraine, that opened on 29 August 2009. The facility is located in the center of the city, in the Lenin Comsomol park. With a capacity of 52,187 ...
served as a centre of humanitarian aid in Donetsk. Volunteers were unloading the food products, forming the individual sets and passing them to people in need there. During the fighting the Donbas Arena was seriously damaged as a result of shelling several times, the humanitarian aid distribution was continued.
In March 2017, a spokesperson for Akhmetov's foundation reported that humanitarian aid had been discontinued in the region after rebel organizations blocked access to the Shakhtar FC stadium, which serves as a center for relief efforts in the area.
Personal life
Rinat Akhmetov is married to Liliya Nikolaievna Smirnova (born 1965), and has two sons with her, Damir (born 1988) and Almir (born 1997).[
Akhmetov owns London's most expensive penthouse at ]One Hyde Park
One Hyde Park is a major residential and retail complex located in Knightsbridge, London. The development includes three retail units (Rolex, McLaren Automotive and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) and 86 residential properties marketed with prices starti ...
, which was originally purchased for a reported $213 million as a portfolio investment and spent another reported $120 million to fix them up. The information about the deal was disclosed only four years later, in April 2011, after the asset has shown a steady annual rise. In May 2013, the property was transferred from his company, SCM, to himself.
Through System Capital Management, he has an Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final assem ...
Corporate Jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pu ...
registered P4-RLA.
Philanthropy
Researcher Natalya Kolosova believes that Rinat Akhmetov is one of the first modern Ukrainian philanthropists who switched from spontaneous aid to a systematic approach. Since 2006, Akhmetov has been among the leading philanthropists of Ukraine. According to various sources, he is among the first in terms of the amount of funds allocated to charity.
In 2005, on the initiative of Rinat Akhmetov, the SCM corporate charitable foundation Development of Ukraine was created (since 2018, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation). Main areas of its activity: national health, family, targeted assistance, dynamic culture, modern education. Since March 2008, the fund has been separated from the company and operates as a personal charitable foundation of Rinat Akhmetov, it maintains a partnership with SCM. This Foundation is one of the most famous charitable organizations in Ukraine.
During 2007–2013 there was the Foundation for Effective Governance founded by Rinat Akhmetov. The organization was supporting the authorities and civil society institutions of Ukraine in the development of programs for the long-term economic development of the state. During its work, the Foundation was preparing ''The Ukraine Competitiveness Report'' for the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
and created two clusters in Lviv (IT and woodworking).
In August 2014, on the basis of the Foundation for Development of Ukraine, Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center ''Pomozhem'' was created, which provides humanitarian assistance in the form of food packages, medicines, and psychological assistance to citizens. More than 800 thousand people received 12-kilogram packages every month. For three years, the Humanitarian Center saved more than 1,139,000 people from death, hunger and disease in eastern Ukraine and became the largest humanitarian mission in the country. More than 39 thousand people were evacuated from the combat zone by the resources of this organization. Since February 2017, the Humanitarian Center has been working only on the territory controlled by Ukraine. In the Donetsk region, the Humanitarian Center is one of the most famous charitable organizations (2018).[
Starting from the year 2000, Rinat Akhmetov and his friend ]Igor Krutoy
Igor Yakovlevich Krutoy (russian: Игорь Яковлевич Крутой) or Ihor Yakovych Krutyi ( uk, Ігор Якович Крутий, born on July 29, 1954), is a Ukrainian and Russian music composer, performer, producer and musical p ...
have been involved in a charity campaign on Saint Nicholas' Day in Donetsk and Donetsk Oblast, visiting children deprived of parental care, orphans and children in hospitals. In 2012, he donated $19 million to build an oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
research center.
According to Akhmetov's spokeswoman, Olena Dovzhenko, Akhmetov' salary for being a member of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...
(parliament) was traditionally deferred to charity.
In March 2020, Rinat Akhmetov began to financially help in the fight against COVID-19. After meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, he began to oversee a number of regions (Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...
, Luhansk
Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...
and Lviv Oblast) and individual cities (Kryvyi Rih).
Controversies
Euromaidan
During the 2013–14 Euromaidan anti-government protests, Akhmetov became a target of protest as he was seen as a symbol of oppression. In December 2013 protesters picketed his residence in London on several occasions, urging him to cut ties with incumbent president Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...
. In response, Akhmetov issued a statement condemning police brutality. On 31 December, Akhmetov reprimanded a group of protesters in public near his home in Donetsk.
Following the Euromaidan Revolution and Donbas War, Akhmetov lost more than half of his wealth. His net value went down from $11.2 billion to $2.9 billion in 2017. News reports suggest that much of his former wealth has been redistributed to Russian oligarchs.
Disputes in the media
When dealing with public criticism and allegations concerning his past, Akhmetov has utilized a team of PR consultants and lawyers to protect his image and name. His team often contests reports on him that they consider to be libelous, scandalous, or inaccurate. Critics accuse Akhmetov of going beyond protecting his name, but rather fear mongering investigative journalists. As many court cases occur in London for its lax free speech laws, critics accuse Akhmetov and his legal team of abuse of libel tourism. In January 2008, Akhmetov won a London libel court case "for damage to his reputation" for such claims, while several other statements about his "criminal past" have been retracted by the media.
In a statement issued by Akhmetov's lawyer Mark MacDougall, "Akhmetov has done a lot of work to protect his good name from false accusations, which might hurt the reputation of his family and business. As the result of it, many publications in Ukraine and other European countries had published retractions and apologies… [and] admitted that their claims are false. We think that these facts speak for themselves".
In 2007, the ''Kyiv Post'', the primary English language daily newspaper in Ukraine, published an article relating to Mr. Akhmetov's business transactions relating to the Dniproenergo thermoelectric generator and the Kryvorizhstal steel mill.[ The newspaper published an apology stating that "on closer examination, we concluded these allegations relating to Mr. Akhmetov were untrue and have no basis in fact."][''Kyiv Post'']
21 February 2008, "Rinat Akhmetov – The Kyiv Post's apology".
In 2007, the German language Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung ("NZZ") retracted defamatory statements from published earlier article regarding Mr. Akhmetov's early business career in the 1990s, noting that "there is no connection between Akhmetov … and organized crime in Ukraine" and "[t]he economic success of Akhmetov is not based by any means on criminally acquired starting capital."[The Free Library.com]
21 June 2007, "Swiss newspaper issues retraction of false news report and apologizes to Rinat Akhmetov."
In 2008, a judgment was obtained from the High Court of Justice in London after Obozrevatel, a Ukrainian language Internet publication refused to retract false and libelous statements alleging that Mr. Akhmetov was connected to criminal activity and violence. The Obozrevatel reporter (Tetiana Chornovol)[ interviewed his former classmates and neighbors, and delved into his early years.] Following court pressure Obozrevatel issued an official apology stating: "The editorial hereby admits that there was unchecked and false information about Rinat Akhmetov present in the … articles … We hereby give our apologies to Rinat Akhmetov for the problems resulted from the above-mentioned publications." Tetiana Chornovol refused to issue an apology or acknowledge any wrongdoing.[Kyiv Post]
January 2012, ''Investigative journalist runs for parliament to fight corruption'', by Oksana Grytsenko.
The website GoLocalProv.com, based in Providence, Rhode Island, published in 2010 allegations that Akhmetov had ties to organized crime.[ Subsequently, PolitiFact engaged in a review of the allegations on GoLocalProv's site and disputed the sources on which they were based, stating that "key elements of the [GoLocalProv] story are false or unproven" and that the story presented "suspicions, suggestions, innuendo, and conspiracy theories" as fact.] The GoLocalProv articles and audio shortly after their publishing were removed from the site. The publisher, Josh Fenton, explained that they disappeared for "technical reasons" and the radio station which aired the interview containing the allegations refused comment.
In 2010, the French daily newspaper ''Le Figaro'' issued a retraction of false allegations it published on 18 January 2010 regarding Akhmetov, due to a lack of evidence to support their claims, and issued an apology.,[''Kyiv Post'']
/ref> 29 January 2010, "French newspaper issues apology to Ukrainian businessman Akhmetov for false report". Akhmetov's U.S. lawyer, Mark J. MacDougall, stated that "the editors and publisher of Le Figaro have acted responsibly in issuing a swift apology and correcting the false statements published about Mr. Akhmetov <...> Mr. Akhmetov values his reputation throughout Europe, and today’s action by Le Figaro recognizes that Mr. Akhmetov’s good name was put at risk when false accusations were published," he added. Le Figaro had claimed that Akhmetov was "a scandalous Ukrainian oligarch" and that he was "a bandit in the past".
In 2013, Akhmetov's legal representatives issued a press release in response to accusations in the media, which cited politicians and journalists, that implicated Akhmetov in the 1996 murder of Donetsk-based Ukrainian oligarch Yevhen Shcherban. The official statement stated that they "have not found any proof suggesting that Akhmetov was involved in Scherban's or other businessmen's killings. To be honest, some of the businessmen killed in the 1990s were Mr. Akhmetov's close friends."
Connection to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign
In January 2019, Paul Manafort
Paul John Manafort Jr. (; born April 1, 1949) is an American lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney. A long-time Republican Party campaign consultant, he chaired the Trump presidential campaign from June to August 2016. Manafort served ...
's lawyers submitted a filing to the court, in response to the Robert Mueller Mueller special counsel investigation, Special Counsel's accusation that Manafort had lied to investigators while supposedly co-operating with the investigation. Through an error in redacting, the document accidentally revealed that while Manafort was Donald Trump's campaign chairman, Manafort met with Konstantin Kilimnik
uk, Костянтин Килимник
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Soviet Union
, death_date =
, death_place =
, citizenship = UkraineRussiaSoviet Union
, oc ...
, gave Kilimnik polling data related to Donald Trump's Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, 2016 United States Presidential campaign, and discussed a Ukraine-Russia peace plan for the Russo-Ukrainian War with Kilimnik. As a Russian Main Intelligence Directorate GRU (G.U.), GRU agent, Konstantin Kilimnik is a known member of Intelligence agencies of Russia, Russia's intelligence community. Although most of the polling data was reportedly public, some was private Trump campaign polling data managed by Brad Parscale. Manafort asked Kilimnik to pass the data to Ukrainians Serhiy Lyovochkin and Rinat Akhmetov.
Awards
* Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the V class (2010)
* Full Chevalier of Order of Merit (Ukraine), Order of Merit: I class in 2006, II class in 2004, III class in 2002
* Full Chevalier of the Miner's Glory Medal
* Honoured Worker of fitness and sports of Ukraine (1999)
* Award from President of Pakistan Sitara-e-Pakistan (2007) for merits to Pakistan
* Donetsk Citizens Recognition Prize in 2008 (est. by Donetsk City Council), in the nomination "Caring for the future"
* Honorary citizen of Donetsk (2006)Украинское рейтинговое агентство (Ukrainian Rating Agency)
, 12 August 2006, ''Президент получил официальные атрибуты Почетного гражданина Донецка'' (The President received formal accreditation as an honorary citizen of Donetsk)
See also
* Business oligarch
* Ukrainian oligarchs
* History of post-Soviet Russia#The "loans for shares" scheme and the rise of the "oligarchs", History of post-Soviet Russia: The "loans for shares" scheme and the rise of the "oligarchs"
* Viktor Pinchuk
* Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corru ...
* FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was ...
* Donbass Arena
* Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2019)
* 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election
* 2007 Ukrainian parliamentary election
Notes
References
External links
*
Foundation for Development of Ukraine
Foundation for Effective Governance
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akhmetov, Rinat
1966 births
Living people
Businesspeople from Donetsk
Ukrainian people of Tatar descent
Party of Regions politicians
Fifth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada
Sixth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada
Ukrainian oligarchs
Ukrainian mass media owners
Ukrainian billionaires
Ukrainian philanthropists
Ukrainian football chairmen and investors
Tatar people
FC Shakhtar Donetsk non-playing staff
Ukrainian Muslims
People of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
Donetsk National University alumni
Chevaliers of the Order of Merit (Ukraine)
Pro-Ukrainian people of the war in Donbas
SCM Holdings people
20th-century Ukrainian businesspeople
21st-century Ukrainian businesspeople
Politicians from Donetsk