Suleiman Kerimov state. How to live in a "golden cage". the wives of the Russian oligarchs Usmanov, Abramovich, Kerimov, Deripaska and Khodorkovsky were labeled. the wife of the latter was called the "wife of the Decembrist". a photo. The history of Uralkali: an excursion not far away
Early years. Family
Suleiman Kerimov was born in Derbent, a Dagestan city with a long history located on the Caspian coast. He became the third and youngest child in the family.His father, Abusaid Kerimovich, was a lawyer, served in the Dagestan Criminal Investigation Department, while his mother worked as an accountant in the Savings Bank. Suleiman graduated from an ordinary Soviet school, like his older brother and sister. According to teachers and classmates, Kerimov loved mathematics and, unlike many schoolchildren, not only studied well, but also devoted a lot of time and effort to sports. Suleiman developed speed of reaction, agility and speed in judo training, and strength and endurance in training with kettlebells. Moreover, these were not momentary hobbies - later, at the institute, Kerimov became a CCM in judo, and in the army he won the division championship in kettlebell lifting.
Karimov graduated from school in 1983, having received a certificate with honors. Success in the exact sciences helped him successfully pass the exams at the Dagestan Polytechnic Institute and enter the Faculty of Civil Engineering. In those years, full-time students did not have a deferment from the army, so in 1984 Suleiman went to serve in the Strategic Missile Forces. The decisiveness and responsibility of Kerimov were repeatedly noted by the commanders, and he successfully completed his service in 1986 with the rank of senior sergeant.
Upon returning from military service, Suleiman transferred from the Polytechnic University to the Dagestan State University, changing the Faculty of Civil Engineering to Economics. Classmates spoke of him as an intelligent, charming and responsible person. Karimov also developed responsibility and the ability to find a common language in public work, in particular, as deputy chairman of the university trade union committee.
Career and first capital
After graduating from the university, Suleiman Kerimov was hired as an economist at the Eltav plant in Makhachkala, one of the largest in Dagestan. For six years, Kerimov's career went uphill: from an ordinary economist, he went all the way to an assistant to the general director. 
After the collapse of the USSR, the Eltav plant became one of the co-founders of the Federal Industrial Bank. The bank was necessary for the interaction of production with related enterprises and consumers located in different countries. Kerimov began to represent the interests of the plant in the bank, eventually moving to the capital completely.
That time, as well as the people who then earned the first capital, can be evaluated in different ways. But regardless of personal preferences and political convictions, everyone who knew Suleiman Kerimov at that time noted his attention to detail, lightning-fast reaction and ability to make non-trivial decisions.
Nafta Moscow
By 1999, Kerimov had acquired and increased to 100% his stake in Nafta Moskva, a Russian oil trader. From that moment, the process of reorganizing the company into a full-fledged investment holding began.According to some counterparties, Suleiman Abusaidovich conducted his business rather harshly. But in business, as in politics, players are judged by a single criterion - by the result. And with this, Kerimov had no problems. In the shortest possible time, his company Nafta Moskva burst into the top three leaders in the mergers and acquisitions market, taking pride of place on a par with Oleg Deripaska's Rusal and Roman Abramovich's Millhouse, with whom he later began to cooperate. Such a neighborhood shows an undeniable result, and only profitability indicators can be more objective. With them, Kerimov is also all right - for some transactions, the indicators reached 600%.
Kerimov understood that huge sums of money could be made in the oil and gas industry. During the period from 2002 to 2008, the interests of Nafta Moskva concerned the acquisition of shares in various domestic enterprises. Representatives and managers of these companies spoke of Kerimov as a tenacious person who always achieves his goal. At the same time, many noted his oriental charm and the pronounced charisma of a born leader.
Since 2006, the interests of Suleiman Kerimov's structures have been reoriented to Western markets and work with foreign securities. By analogy with the financial participation of Sberbank and VTB in domestic projects, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse were involved in cooperation abroad. At that time, starting to buy shares of Western companies (including British Petroleum, Volvo, etc.), Kerimov personally met the directors of leading investment banks and largest companies, in particular, Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
The global economic crisis of 2008, according to various experts, cost Kerimov $ 20 billion. Some associate this with erroneous planning, others with excessive excitement. But regardless of the attitude to what happened, everyone agrees that the huge losses did not unsettle Kerimov, in full accordance with the postulate of Nietzsche - "what does not kill us makes us stronger."
Kerimov's portfolio at different times included shares of a wide variety of companies, from monopolists such as Gazprom, Sberbank, Rosneft and Uralkali, to lesser known ones such as Varyoganneftegaz, Polymetal, Mostelecom, Mercado and others.
Polyus Gold
Kerimov acquired shares in Polyus Gold, the largest gold producer in Russia, in 2009. By 2012, the company entered an IPO on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), and in 2015 Kerimov's structures consolidated the rights to 95% of the company's shares by buying shares from minority shareholders. In April 2016, Kerimov introduced two older children to the board of Polyus Gold. 
The role of Kerimov in Charity
In 2013, the businessman transferred all his assets to the management of the Suleyman Kerimov Foundation, a charitable foundation he established, which closely cooperated with the largest Russian and international charitable organizations. 
The Foundation has existed since 2007 and implements humanitarian, educational and cultural projects not only in Russia, but also in many other countries - Armenia, Belgium, China, Germany, Greece, Israel. The most impressive sums are invested in Dagestan.
Since 2006, Suleiman Kerimov has been contributing to the development of freestyle wrestling in Russia. His charitable foundation, together with the Russian Wrestling Federation and the New Perspective Sports Support Fund, finances the Fight and Win national program for the development of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
He has been the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Wrestling Federation since its foundation in 2006. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the educational center for gifted children "Sirius" in Sochi.
Politics
Since 2008, Kerimov has been representing the Republic of Dagestan in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation in the upper house of Parliament. Represents the legislative body of state power of the Republic of Dagestan in the Federation Council. Since September 2016, the businessman has been re-elected as a senator of the Federation Council from the Republic of Dagestan. 
Prior to being elected as a representative to the Federation Council - Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the IV convocation, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.
Personal life
Suleiman Kerimov has been married since his student years and has three children: the eldest daughter Gulnara (1990), the middle son Abusaid (1995) and the youngest daughter Aminat (2003).Suleiman Kerimov now
In 2016, the Forbes business publication estimated the fortune of Suleiman Kerimov at $1.6 billion. The entrepreneur is one of the richest businessmen in the Russian Federation.Suleiman Kerimov is one of the "old-timers" of the Forbes domestic rating. For many years he has been not only one of the richest businessmen in Russia, but also the richest member of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament, in which he has represented his native republic of Dagestan for many years. Suleiman Kerimov is not only a major businessman and a successful investor, but also an influential political and statesman with many years of experience and experience.
- FULL NAME: Kerimov Suleiman Abusaidovich
- Date of Birth: March 12, 1966
- Education: Dagestan State University, Faculty of Economics (graduated in 1989)
- Start of business activity: 1993
- Type of activity at the start: bank "Fedprombank"
- Current activity: member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation from the Republic of Dagestan
- Current state (2017):$6.3 billion
Suleiman Kerimov enjoys well-deserved authority in his native Dagestan, which he has been representing in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation for many years. At the same time, he managed to build his own business empire, which includes large assets in Russia and abroad. Serious life shocks, such as a terrible car accident and the loss of almost all of his fortune in the 2008 crisis, did not break this strong man. He not only returned to big business, but also restored his leading position in the ranking of the country's richest businessmen.
Dagestan is the small homeland of the Russian oligarch
Suleiman, a Lezgin by nationality, was born on March 12, 1966 in sunny Derbent, into an intelligent family of a lawyer and accountant. A brief biography of Suleiman Kerimov begins with a story similar to many fates of that time.
The Soviet childhood and youth of the future billionaire passed in his native Caucasus. He graduated from high school with honors, gave his military duty to the Motherland, having served in the army, graduated in 1989 from the Faculty of Economics of Dagestan State University.
The young man was seriously fond of weightlifting and wrestling and achieved notable success in this field. The career of a young economist also began quite successfully.
Figure 1. Mathematics and sports are Kerimov's childhood hobbies.
Source: www.uznayvse.ru
Family and clan support is traditionally strong in the Caucasus. Thanks to a successful marriage and the patronage of an influential father-in-law, Kerimov began his career at the Eltav plant, which produces electronic equipment.
The purposeful young man quickly rose through the ranks from an economist to an assistant to the general director. In 1993, Suleiman Kerimov was sent to represent the interests of shareholders in the newly established Fedprombank. Kerimov moved to Moscow. From that moment, a new round began in the biography of Suleiman Kerimov, his ascent to the financial and political Olympus.
By the way, the older brother and sister of Suleiman Kerimov are representatives of the classical professions of a doctor and teacher and have never had a relationship with big business.
Business Features and Sources of Personal Wealth
Soon Kerimov became the head of Fedprombank, and then headed the Soyuz-Finance company. He has gained invaluable experience in operations in the financial markets, as well as lending to enterprises in leading industrial sectors that are experiencing financial difficulties during a crisis.
After overcoming economic problems with the help of additional financing, the enterprises returned loans to the bank with a large marginal return for the credit institution and personally for Kerimov. Probably, it was at this time that an equally successful investor woke up in a smart and successful economist.
The basis of Kerimov's business was transactions for the acquisition of stakes in enterprises of the most promising and profitable industries, and his personal fortune grew on successful transactions for the purchase and sale of various assets.
The first and main acquisition of the oligarch was the Nafta-Moscow company, which still remains the main business structure of Kerimov. He quickly increased his stake in the company to 100% and became its sole owner. Initially, Nafta-Moskva was engaged in oil transportation, but soon reduced this activity to a minimum and turned into a full-fledged investment company.
The main features inherent in Suleiman Kerimov's business are: commitment to first-tier assets (oil, gold mining, telecommunications and development), the creation of profitable enterprises and the ability to resolve business issues with government agencies.
Figure 2. Kerimov has always been able to resolve issues with banks (pictured with VTB President Andrey Kostin).
Source: new.visualrian.ru
The first major income for Kerimov was brought by transactions for the purchase of shares in Gazprom and Sberbank with specially attracted credit money. The favorable situation on the financial market made it possible to quickly repay loans and withdraw large margins from transactions.
| Name of asset (purchase) | |
|---|---|
| 1 Polymetal. A controlling stake was acquired in 2005, in 2007 - an IPO was held on the London Stock Exchange in the amount of $ 2.44 billion | In 2008, 70% (the entire package) of shares was sold to Alexander Nesis (IST Group), Alexander Mamut and Peter Kellner (PPF) |
| 2 The city of millionaires "Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye" - a development project (2003-2008) | The project was sold to Mikhail Shishkhanov (Bin Bank) |
| 3 The five-star Four Seasons Hotel was established in 2009 on the basis of the Moskva Hotel. | In 2015, the hotel was sold to Belarusian entrepreneurs Khotin |
| 4 In 2005, Mosteleseti was created, in 2007 - the National Telecommunications holding | In 2008, the asset was sold to Yuri Kovalchuk for $1.5 billion |
| 5 PIK Group is the largest developer in Russia, in 2009 it acquired almost 40% of the shares. At the time of the purchase, the group's capitalization was $279 million, by 2013 - $1.42 billion | In 2013, a stake was sold to Alexander Mamut and Sergey Gordeev |
| 6 Uralkali, the world's largest producer of potash fertilizers, acquired in 2010 | The company's shares were sold in 2013 to Mikhail Prokhorov and Dmitry Mazepin |
Suleiman Kerimov has long and firmly been among the richest businessmen in the country, although the size of his fortune has periodically undergone significant fluctuations.
Source: Forbes
So, in 2008, a real disaster happened in the financial empire of the oligarch. But it was preceded by an even more terrible event that happened in sunny France.
Two catastrophes: life before and after
This news immediately spread around the world. In 2006, a terrible accident occurred in Nice. An elite Ferrari car crashed into a tree at high speed. Behind the wheel was the Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. The collision was so strong that the car after the accident could not be restored.
Figure 3. Ferrari after the accident was sent to a landfill.
Source: kpcdn.net
The life of the oligarch was saved by the impeccable security system of an expensive foreign car. But, unfortunately, a fire broke out in the cabin, the fire immediately spread to the driver. Eyewitnesses said that Kerimov was literally on fire when he got out of the car and tried to put out the flames on his own. Suleiman Abusaidovich was urgently taken to the clinic. They saved him. But ahead was a long treatment and recovery. They say that the consequences of the accident affect the health of the oligarch so far.
Reference. Kerimov's companion on that fateful trip was the well-known Russian television personality Tina Kandelaki, who, surprisingly, was practically not injured.
Despite the terrible consequences of a terrible accident, Suleiman Kerimov did not let go of managing his business empire for a minute. By that time, he had transferred almost all of his assets abroad and made grandiose plans to expand investments in foreign companies. Not only built, but also actively implemented.
Although there is practically no open information on the size of the money he placed at that time, one can imagine the scope of the operation if Kerimov was named Morgan Stanly's largest private investor.
The oligarch believed in the success of his undertakings so much that, despite the alarming news from the world's largest stock exchanges, a steady decline in stock prices, he continued to buy securities of large enterprises. But this time, Kerimov's impeccable business sense let him down. The global financial market collapsed, burying about 20 billion dollars of Kerimov under the ruins.
Many experts even assumed the end of Suleiman Kerimov's success story after such losses. But Suleiman Abusaidovich earned a reputation as a strong and intelligent player for a reason. Big business carries big risks. And to be able to adequately survive the loss, collapse - this is a quality inherent in large-scale personalities. The battle was lost, but not the war. Kerimov continued his business, slightly adjusting his strategy. He now sought to acquire operational control over his assets.
It is noteworthy that Kerimov was able to triumphantly return to the leaders of the Forbes rating literally within a couple of years.
To date, he has practically managed to enter the top twenty of the richest businessmen in Russia. Over the past year, Kerimov's fortune has grown by more than 200%. The oligarch gradually transfers his assets to his son Said, including Polyus Gold and the airport in Makhachkala, increasingly focusing on social activities and charity.
Political career
Karimov is not only a successful businessman who knows how to adequately survive the fall and take off again. The uniqueness of his personality lies in the fact that for a long time he has been a political centenarian, and of the highest level.
Suleiman Abusaidovich - Deputy of the State Duma of 2 convocations (1999-2003, 2004-2007) from the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2008 to this day, Kerimov represents his native Dagestan in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.
Of course, formally Kerimov transferred the management of business assets to a fund named after himself, having entered the civil service. But in fact, he continued to control and influence the processes in his structures. Moreover, as time has shown, he successfully combines all areas of his various activities.
Strong family and beautiful personal life
Suleiman met his wife Firuza in his youth. For a long life together, they raised three children, who are currently continuing their father's work. The wife of the oligarch has always been for him a reliable rear and a true friend. Firuza Kerimova is a non-public figure, but, in addition to maintaining a home and raising children, she takes part in her husband's charitable activities, especially in Dagestan.
As for any Caucasian, the family for Kerimov is sacred. His marriage is strong and indestructible, although attempts to destroy it were still made by other women. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that Suleiman Abusaidovich himself gave rise to such attempts, being a connoisseur and lover of beautiful women.
But his relationship outside the family cannot be called adventures in the vulgar sense of the word. Firstly, as a true Caucasian, Kerimov knows how to romantically and on a grand scale to care for women. Secondly, next to him were some of the most famous and beautiful women in the country. Thirdly, he never really hid his romantic relationship from the public, which, as you know, greatly reduces her interest in such stories.
The oligarch's friends at various times were the singer Natalia Vetlitskaya, the scandalous ballerina Anastasia Volochkova, Tina Kandelaki already mentioned in the article, and the actress Olesya Sudzilovskaya. Each story resembles a fairy tale about a handsome prince, but with the same ending: the prince ends his relationship and stays with his family. The memory of a beautiful girl is apartments, planes, jewelry and boutiques.
Suleiman Abusaidovich is a well-known billionaire (his fortune as of April 2019 is estimated at $ 6.3 billion), is a member of the Federation Council from the Republic of Dagestan, leads the Nafta-Moscow financial and industrial group, and owns the Anji football club.
Childhood
He was born on March 12, 1966 in Derbent, where Sulik (as his close friends called him) spent his childhood. His father, a lawyer by education, worked in the criminal investigation department, and his mother was an accountant in the Sberbank system. He has a brother, who is now a doctor, and a sister, a teacher of Russian language and literature.
In his youth, he was fond of judo and kettlebell lifting, he was repeatedly the champion of various championships.
Education and military service
He studied very well, and his favorite subject at school was mathematics. In 1983, he graduated with honors from secondary school No. 18 and entered the Dagestan Polytechnic Institute at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
After all, he was drafted into the army. The young man served in Moscow, in the Strategic Missile Forces. In 1986, being a senior sergeant in the position of head of the calculation, he was demobilized.
Upon returning from the service, he continued his studies, but already at the Faculty of Economics at DSU.
Labor activity
After graduating, in 1989 he got a job at the Eltav plant as an ordinary economist, where in five years of work he managed to get the position of assistant general director for economic issues. In 1993, the management of the plant with partners established a bank and registered it in Moscow. Suleiman was sent to represent their interests in the new Fedprombank. Soon the banker already had a controlling stake in the credit institution.
In 1995, Suleiman Abusaidovich was appointed to the post of head of the Soyuz-Finance trading and financial company.
In the spring of 1997, he became a fellow at the International Institute of Corporations, and two years later he headed this autonomous non-profit organization as president.
Business and investment projects
In 1999, a new stage in his life began - he bought shares in the Nafta-Moscow oil trading company and began to actively engage in investment and resale transactions. A year later, the company made its first purchase - Varyoganneftegaz.
In November 2005, it acquired 70% of one of the largest gold and silver miners in Russia, Polymetal. A couple of years later, Polymetal was listed on the London Stock Exchange, after which Nafta resold its stake in this holding.
At the same time, his company continued to develop successfully and, through profitable investments made by him during the first years of her leadership, already had a stake in Gazprom and Sberbank (by 2008 it was 4.25% and 5.6%, respectively). However, by mid-2008, Suleiman Abusaidovich himself completely withdrew from the share capital of both structures.
In 2003-2008 Nafta developed the Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye project, also known in the press as the "city of millionaires". In April 2006, she became a co-owner of Mosstroyekonombank, which owns Smolensky Passage, in June she gained control over SEC Razvitie, which unites three construction companies, and in July she announced that she owns 17% of Mospromstroy. All packages were then also resold.
In 2007, the entrepreneur invested in Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and other foreign financial institutions. At the same time, Forbes named him the largest private investor in Morgan Stanley.
In parallel, he was engaged in completely different projects. So, in 2005, together with the capital's mayor's office, a joint telecommunications open joint-stock company Mosteleset was created - the only shareholder of Mostelecom. Two years later, these assets were merged into the National Telecommunications holding and a year later they were sold to a consortium of investors led by Yuri Kovalchuk's National Media Group CJSC for $1.5 billion.
At the end of 2006, together with the government of the capital, it was announced the creation of the United Hotel Company, to which the shares of more than 20 hotels on the balance of the city were transferred (including Balchug, Metropol, National and Radisson-Slavyanskaya ). Nafta was supposed to be one of the leaders in the Moscow hotel market.
Among the other Russian assets of the businessman at that time were the Metronom AG firms and the operator of the Mercado supermarket chain.
In February 2009, Nafta became the owner of 75% of Glavstroy SPb. In the spring of 2009, under the auspices of the entrepreneur, the reconstruction of the Moskva Hotel began, as a result of which a five-star Four Seasons hotel with offices and apartments was opened there, as well as the Fashion Season shopping gallery. In 2015, he first sold the gallery and then the hotel to Alexei Khotin.
In the second quarter of 2009, its structures bought 25% of PIK Group, the largest developer in Russia, whose financial position at that time was precarious. During the first couple of years of his leadership, the group regained financial stability and strengthened its position in the market. In the winter of 2013, the entire stake (which at that time was 38.3%) was sold to Sergey Gordeev and Alexander Mamut.
In the same 2009, Nafta-Moskva bought 37% of Polus Gold, the largest gold producer in the country, from Vladimir Potanin. Over time, this figure increased to 40.22%. In 2012, Polyus held an IPO on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), and at the end of 2015, the rights to 95% of the holding were transferred to it.
In April 2009, having bought out 19.71% of the shares, he became one of the owners of the IFC bank.
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In June 2010, together with partners, he acquired 53% of Uralkali (the size of the transaction was estimated at $5.3 billion). For this purchase, he had to take a decent loan from VTB. In December 2013, he sold his stake in Uralkali to Mikhail Prokhorov (21.75%) and Dmitry Mazepin (19.99%).
In January 2011, Anji Makhachkala, which is part of the Russian football Premier League, passed into his possession. In addition, near Makhachkala, at the expense of the billionaire, a modern Anji-Arena stadium was built with a functioning children's football academy.
In 2013-2014 he sold most of his resources, while his son, a young businessman Abusaid, bought Cinema Park, a large-scale chain of cinemas, from V. Potanin (the deal was valued at $300 million).
Political activity
From 1999 to 2003, he was a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the III convocation, was a member of its security committee. Then, until 2007, he was a deputy of the Duma of the IV convocation, and also served as deputy chairman of the committee on physical culture, sports and youth affairs.
Since 2008, he has been a member of the Federation Council (SF), since March 2011 he has represented Dagestan in the upper house of the Russian parliament.
At the end of September 2016, it became known that the oligarch was re-elected to the Federation Council. The decision was made at the People's Assembly, all 86 deputies from the republic voted "for".
Charity and patronage
In November 2006, in Nice, he was in a car accident and received severe burns. After that, the entrepreneur donated 1 million euros to the Pinocchio charity, which helps children cope with burn injuries.
At the end of 2013, all the assets of the enterprises owned by him were transferred to the Suleyman Kerimov Foundation, which was founded by the billionaire in 2007. One of his most ambitious undertakings is the reconstruction of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, the annual hajj for several thousand Muslims, international youth and cultural festivals, and more.
In 2014, according to Forbes magazine, he was the third richest person in Russia who provided financial assistance to charity projects in 2013.
Among other things, he has headed the board of trustees since the founding of the Wrestling Federation of the Russian Federation in 2006. For many years, his foundation has been the main sponsor of this organization, funding, along with the New Perspective support fund, the national program for the development of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Awards
On March 10, 2016, he was awarded the badge of honor of the Dagestan Republic "For the love of his native land."
In turn, FILA awarded him with its most prestigious award - the "Golden Order".
According to the Forbes list, the businessman's prosperity came in 2007-2008: at first he was the seventh richest businessman in the Russian Federation - his fortune was estimated at $ 12.8 billion. The following year, he took eighth place in the rankings, while his fortune grew to $18.4 billion.
In 2016, he was in 45th place with a mark of $ 1.6 billion, in 2017 he became 21st, increasing his fortune to $ 6.3 billion. In 2018, he climbed one line, taking 20th place (the fortune was estimated at $6.4 billion).
Hobbies
In addition to football and martial arts, he loves to surf the sea - for this he owns two yachts - Ice and Millenium, acquired in 2005-2006. One curious fact is connected with the four-deck ninety-meter yacht Ice - for example, in 2012, her crew saved nine people whose pleasure boat capsized. In the media, the owner of the ship was credited with another medal for this - "For the salvation of drowning people."
To travel by air, they use an equally luxurious vehicle - the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 737-700.
Family status
He met his future wife, Firuza Nazimovna Khanbalaeva, at the university - they studied at the same faculty. The couple have three children. In 1990, a daughter, Gulnara, was born, five years later, a son, Abusaid. The youngest daughter, Aminat, was born in 2003.
Suleiman Abusaidovich Kerimov was born on March 12, 1966 in Derbent (Dagestan). In 1983 he graduated from high school (with a gold medal) and entered the construction department of the Dagestan Polytechnic Institute. After the first year, he was drafted into the army (the deferral for full-time students of universities was then canceled). In 1984-1986 he served in the Strategic Missile Forces. He received the rank of senior sergeant, was the head of the calculation of the Strategic Missile Forces. In the army he went in for sports a lot - he became the champion of the kettlebell lifting division.
Returning from the army in 1986, Kerimov transferred to the Faculty of Economics of the Dagestan State University (DSU). During his studies, he was deputy chairman of the trade union committee of the university. In 1989 he graduated from the university, having received a diploma in the specialty "Accounting and analysis of economic activity", and went to work at the "Eltav" plant of the Ministry of Electronic Industry - one of the best enterprises in the defense industry. He worked at the plant until 1995, having gone from an ordinary economist to an assistant to the general director for economic issues.
In 1995, thanks to the established circle of acquaintances among Moscow businessmen and officials, Kerimov received an offer to become deputy general director of the Soyuz-Finance company. This Moscow-based company worked in the domestic aviation business, raw materials industries and the banking sector. Kerimov accepted the offer.
In April 1997, Kerimov became a researcher at the International Institute of Corporations (Moscow), and in February 1999 he was appointed vice president of this non-profit organization.
It was in the 1990s that Kerimov, according to media reports, earned the initial capital. In October 1998, for $50 million, Kerimov acquired a 55 percent stake in the investment company OAO Nafta-Moskva (traded in oil and oil products, was established on the basis of the Soyuznefteexport association) from its management, increased his stake in the company to 100 percent in a year and so became the owner of the company.
In December 1999, Kerimov was dismissed from the post of vice president of the International Institute of Corporations in connection with his election as a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (he entered the Duma of the third convocation on the federal list from the Zhirinovsky Bloc).
Having become a deputy, Karimov did not retire. According to his acquaintances, he still fully controlled his company, and the purchase of assets became the source of Kerimov's capital. At that time, according to media reports, a "soft" (without affiliated structures) business alliance was formed between Kerimov and Roman Abramovich, and later business relations were established with the owner of "Basic Element" Oleg Deripaska (according to some reports, the alliance existed by November 2006).
In 2000, Nafta-Moskva bought the Varyoganneftegaz company. In 2001, Kerimov, together with the structures of Abramovich and Deripaska, received a share in the business of Andrey Andreev, which consisted of more than a hundred companies: Avtobank (by 2006 it had become part of the Uralsib corporation), Ingosstrakh, IC Ingosstrakh-Russia (now " Russia"), Ingosstrakh-Soyuz Bank (now Soyuz), Nosta and others. At the same time, Kerimov's company, once one of the largest oil traders in Russia, was moving further and further away from its original activities and in 2002 practically curtailed oil trading.
December 7, 2003 Kerimov was again elected to the State Duma. He entered the Duma of the fourth convocation on the federal list from the Liberal Democratic Party. The deputy was appointed deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on physical culture and sports, and was also included in the security committee.
At the end of 2003 and in 2004, Nafta began buying up land in the Moscow region on Novorizhskoye highway. It was planned to build 2.7 million square meters of luxury housing and entertainment complexes on these lands. The cost of the project was estimated at $3 billion. The project was named the private city "Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye". By 2006, he already occupied 430 hectares of land.
In November 2005, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) presented Kerimov with one of the most prestigious awards - the Golden Order. FILA President Rafael Martinetti expressed his desire to personally present the award to the deputy in order to "express gratitude and respect to the person who supports wrestling in Russia and around the world" (by 2005, Nafta-Moskva became the general sponsor of the Russian national freestyle wrestling team).
In late 2005, Nafta bought Polymetal, Russia's second gold mining company, for $900 million and planned to list about 25 percent of its shares on the stock exchange. In February 2006, Kerimov decided to turn Nafta-Moskva into a full-fledged investment company, turning it into a leading private equity fund.
By 2006, Nafta, according to official figures, owned more than 6 percent of Sberbank (about $1.6 billion in current prices) and more than 4 percent of Gazprom ($10.4 billion), cable television operators in Moscow and Petersburg - Mosteleset (Nafta owns 59 percent of the company's shares) and National Cable Networks, almost 20 percent of the shares of Bin-Bank, two percent of the shares of OJSC MGTS and 91 percent of the shares of the Krasnopresnensky sugar refinery (in August 2006, shares of the plant, bought by Nafta from two rival companies were sold to the PIK group (according to media reports, Kerimov earned on resale),... In addition, the company owned a 50 percent stake in the Mercado supermarket chain.
By that time, resale transactions, including in the real estate market, had become Karimov's strong point. In April 2006, his Nafta became a co-owner of Mosstroyekonombank, which owns Smolensky Passage, in June gained control of the SEC Razvitie, which unites three construction companies, and in July informed the mayor of Moscow that it owns 17 percent of the holding's shares " Mospromstroy". None of these acquisitions remained with Nafta: Razvitie bought out Deripaska's Basic Element, Mospromstroy and Mosstroyekonombank - the BIN group.
In May 2006, Kerimov headed the Board of Trustees of the Russian Wrestling Federation. According to the president of the federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, the decision to establish the Board of Trustees and appoint its head was made because long-term interaction with state sports authorities and large national business structures has become crucial for the effective implementation of the tasks facing the Wrestling Federation of Russia.
Shortly thereafter, information appeared in the press that the Dynamo football club could be bought by Kerimov, since the owner of this club and Fedcominvest, Alexei Fedorychev, intended to completely abandon his sports business in Russia. This information was based on the fact that Kerimov had repeatedly tried to enter the football business. In 2004, representatives of Nafta-Moscow were negotiating the purchase of a controlling stake in the Italian Roma (the deal did not take place), a little later, Kerimov almost concluded an agreement with the government of the Moscow Region on financing the Saturn football club (a deal worth 60 million dollars broke at the last moment). In 2005, Nafta-Moskva became one of the sponsors of the Russian Football Union.
In July, Kerimov, together with Deripaska and Abramovich, acquired a stake in the state oil company Rosneft (the company that bought Yuganskneftegaz, the former subsidiary of Yukos Oil Company, at the end of 2004). And in August 2006, there were reports in the press that Nafta-Moskva intended to buy out the debts of Yukos (August 1, the Moscow Arbitration Court declared Yukos bankrupt, and from that moment on, any third-party investor could, having paid off creditors " Yukos", to actually gain control over its assets). Kerimov was said to have negotiated such a possibility with Yukos President Stephen Theede. Later, the press service of Nafta officially denied these reports.
In mid-November 2006, journalists became aware that Kerimov decided to go into the hotel business in Moscow. On November 21, 2006, the Nafta company and the Moscow government announced the creation of OAO United Hotel Company (authorized capital - $ 2 billion), to which the shares of more than 20 hotels on the balance of the city were transferred (including Balchug, Metropol ", "National" and "Radisson-Slavyanskaya"). It was assumed that participation in the project would make Nafta one of the leaders in the Moscow hotel market.
In the list of the richest people in the world, compiled by Forbes magazine in 2006, Kerimov ranked 72nd. His fortune, according to the magazine, has reached 7.1 billion dollars,. In addition, according to media reports, back in August 2005, Kerimov was among the 50 richest Russians who have their own planes - he purchased a BBJ airliner (a business version of the Boeing 737-700, costs approximately $ 50 million).
November 25, 2006 Kerimov got into a car accident. According to the Nice Matin newspaper, the car in which the deputy and his companion were driving along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice crashed into a tree and caught fire. Karimov with severe burns was taken to the specialized hospital de la Timone in Marseille. According to eyewitnesses of the accident, he managed to get out of the car himself and tried to knock the flames out of his clothes. The businessman's companion, TV presenter of the STS channel Tina Kandelaki, according to journalists, suffered less. She was taken to the Saint-Roch hospital and was discharged the same day.
Sources close to Kerimov told reporters that nothing threatened his life. At the same time, an employee in the leadership of the hospital de la Timone told Vedomosti that Kerimov was connected to a respirator and was in an artificial coma. The doctor did not predict the patient's condition, saying only that Kerimov "is stable and is under medical supervision." It was also reported that in addition to burns, the deputy also received a head injury. As for Kerimov's companion, according to Alexander Rodnyansky, president of CTC Media (the company where Kandelaki works), she was already in Moscow on November 26.
Initially, the investigation suggested that Kerimov, who was driving the car, lost control when he went to overtake. The police were inclined to this version because the speed limit on the embankment was 50 miles per hour, that is, about 70 kilometers per hour. According to the police, as a result of Karimov's maneuver, the car - a Ferrari Enzo worth 675,000 euros - hit the pavement, then it was thrown into a tree, and the blow fell on the gas tank.
Kandelaki did not confirm her participation in the traffic accident for some time, insisting that she had not been to Nice at all, but was at home, in Moscow, as she fell ill with mumps. Later, the TV presenter admitted that she was with Kerimov in his car, and added that she only told about the pig in order to hide her relationship with the deputy. Kandelaki told reporters that a man suddenly jumped out on the road in front of Karimov's car. In order not to knock him down, the deputy abruptly turned the steering wheel, and this caused the accident.
On December 5, 2006, the Belgian newspaper RTL, citing a representative of the Belgian Ministry of Defense, announced that Karimov had been transferred to the Queen Astrid military hospital in Brussels. According to the publication, Karimov was transported to Belgium at the request of Professor Jean-Louis Vincennes from the Erasme hospital, who even asked Belgian Defense Minister Andre Flao to allocate "as an exception" a specially equipped aircraft and a team of Belgian military doctors to transport "one patient." In addition, the professor promised that all costs associated with transportation "will be fully reimbursed by the patient or his relatives."
On January 24, 2007, it became known that Kerimov returned to Moscow and set to work. According to the Interfax news agency, a source close to the management of OAO GNK (former Nafta-Moskva), owned by Kerimov, the businessman has "almost completely recovered from the accident" and "is working on a daily basis and in full."
On April 6, 2007, it became known that Kerimov wrote a statement about his withdrawal from the LDPR faction. According to a representative of the State Duma committee on regulations, Kerimov did not substantiate his decision in any way. According to the Committee on Regulations, Kerimov did not write any additional statements about joining another Duma faction. On the same day, it became known that the faction (and at the same time the LDPR party) left the deputy Oleg Malyshkin, who ran in 2004 from the LDPR for the presidency of Russia. The parliamentarian told reporters that he intends to continue to remain an independent deputy. Vice Speaker of the State Duma, leader of the Liberal Democrats Vladimir Zhirinovsky, commenting on Kerimov's departure, told reporters that the reason for his exit from the faction was a gross violation of party discipline. According to Zhirinovsky, the deputy did not take proper part in the election campaigns in his region.
On April 12, 2007, the media reported that Kerimov wrote another application - this time about joining the United Russia faction (his consideration was scheduled for April 17).
On April 19, 2007, the rating of the richest citizens of Russia was published in the Russian version of Forbes magazine. The list of the 100 richest Russians was headed by the governor of Chukotka, Roman Abramovich, whose fortune by the spring of 2007 had reached $19.2 billion. Karimov, with 12.8 billion dollars, took seventh place.
On May 11, 2007, it became known that the presidium of the United Russia faction decided to admit the deputy to the faction. Formally, the issue of accepting Kerimov was to be discussed at a meeting of subgroups of factions, but in fact the issue could already be considered resolved.
In December 2007, Kerimov was elected as a representative of the People's Assembly of Dagestan in the Federation Council. His candidacy was supported by all 56 deputies present at the meeting of the republican parliament. Magomed Suleimanov, the speaker of the Dagestan parliament, proposed to elect Kerimov. According to him, Kerimov is a fairly well-known politician who "supports Dagestan, especially the athletes of the republic." On February 20, 2008, Kerimov became a senator: the Federation Council confirmed his powers as a representative of the People's Assembly of Dagestan.
In June 2008, the Kommersant newspaper reported that structures controlled by Kerimov had sold their large stakes in Gazprom and Sberbank. The value of shares at the beginning of the year was 15.37 and 5.4 billion dollars, respectively. The newspaper also reported that Kerimov's structures "sold or are negotiating the sale" of other Russian assets of the businessman - Metronom AG, the operator of the Mercado supermarket chain (sold to X5 Retail Group in the fall of 2007 for $ 200 million), National Telecommunications (the acquirer was the National Media Group, the main shareholder of which was Yury Kovalchuk's Rossiya bank) and shares in the Polymetal company (the founder of the ICT group Alexander Nesis, as well as the Russian financier Alexander Mamut and the structures of the Czech fund PPF were mentioned as the acquirers). In addition, according to sources from Kommersant, Kerimov was going to sell the elite village Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye, which is under construction. After the sale of land, telecommunications, metallurgical and other assets, according to the publication, the businessman should have practically no investments left in Russia. It was also reported that Kerimov would invest the funds released as a result of the sale of Russian assets in foreign financial institutions (according to the newspaper, at that time he had already acquired about 3 percent of the shares of Deutsche Bank, as well as the papers of Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, UBS).
However, in February 2009, information about Kerimov's acquisitions in Russia was published. It was reported that his Nafta-Moskva became the owner of 75 percent of Glavstroy SPb, the company that owns development projects in St. Petersburg of the Glavstroy corporation (the construction division of Deripaska's Bazel). A Kommersant newspaper source close to Kerimov's company, who reported on the purchase, confirmed that Nafta-Moskva was "interested in consolidating" all shares of Glavstroy SPb LLC, whose portfolio of projects was estimated at 6 million square meters of various real estate. In the same month, it became known that the Moscow government offered Nafta-Moskva a controlling stake in Dekmos OJSC, which was engaged in the construction of the Moskva Hotel. However, Nafta-Moskva only gained partial control of OAO Dekmos in January 2010, when it acquired 50 percent of the shares of Konk Select Partners, the company that owned 51 percent of OAO Dekmos. In the future, Kerimov continued to buy up Russian development companies. Thus, in April 2009, one of the country's largest developers, the PIK group of companies, officially admitted that Nafta-Moskva had received 25 percent of its shares and filed a petition with the Federal Antimonopoly Service to purchase another 20 percent of PIK. In May of the same year, a source of the Vedomosti newspaper reported that Kerimov's Nafta Ko became a co-owner of the Moscow Voentorg, and several of its representatives became members of the board of directors of CJSC Trading House TsVUM, which owns Voentorg. In August, the financial director of Nafta Ko confirmed the information that Nafta Ko owns almost 100 percent of CJSC Trade House TsVUM (Voentorg), adding that the deal was closed in autumn 2008. it was not named, but a Vedomosti source reported that the department store cost Kerimov's company about $ 300 million - with the condition that it enter the project only after the completion of the reconstruction of Voentorg.
In March 2009, Kommersant reported that Vladimir Potanin, the owner of the Interros holding, was selling 22 percent of Polyus Gold shares to Kerimov's structures. The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but the newspaper provided data on the value of Polyus shares based on market quotations on the date of the deal - 22 percent was worth $1.42 billion. Analysts agreed that Kerimov acquired these assets "for a certain period of time for further resale." In June, the leadership of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) reported that the purchase of a stake in Polyus Gold by Kerimov's company had been approved by the government commission on foreign investment. In July 2009, when Polyus Gold disclosed its ownership structure, it became known that Kerimov was the beneficiary of 36.88 percent of the company's shares: it was reported that he controlled this package through Wandle Holdings Limited. Despite the fact that 24.59 percent of the shares from this package were sold under a repo transaction (a type of loan, a transaction for the sale of securities with the obligatory subsequent repurchase of securities of the same issue in the same amount after a certain period at a predetermined, higher price - ed.), Kerimov retained the right to vote on it. With whom the REPO agreement was concluded and when the businessman has the right to return these shares to himself, it was not reported.
In February 2010, Polyus Gold, which Kerimov actually owned together with Mikhail Prokhorov, acquired an 11.4 percent stake in RBC Information Systems, the parent company of the RBC media holding. In April of the same year, Karimov, having bought out 19.71 percent of the shares, became one of the co-owners of the International Financial Club (IFC) bank, which is part of the Onexim group owned by Prokhorov.
Suleiman Kerimov is the youngest child in the family. He has a brother, a doctor by profession, and a sister, a teacher of Russian language and literature. Parents and other relatives of Kerimov live in Moscow. The wife of the entrepreneur Firuz Kerimova is the daughter of a CPSU functionary; according to some reports, it was to her marriage that Kerimov owed much of his early career. According to various sources, Suleiman and Firuza have two or three children. Pop singer Natalya Vetlitskaya was also erroneously indicated as Kerimov's wife, who, according to some sources, has a daughter from him. In 2008, it was reported that another hobby of Kerimov, designer Katya Gomiashvili, was waiting for his daughter.
One of the richest people in Russia, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Suleiman Kerimov, was born on March 12, 1966 in the city of Derbent, Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (now the Republic of Dagestan). Father - a lawyer, worked in the criminal investigation department; mother worked as an accountant in the system of Sberbank of the Russian Federation.
In 1983, S. Kerimov entered the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Dagestan Polytechnic Institute, in 1984, after completing his first year at the institute, he was drafted into the army and completed military service in the Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR Armed Forces (RVSN VS USSR). After being transferred to the reserve, he continued his studies at the Faculty of Economics of the Dagestan State University (DSU) named after. VI Lenin, who graduated in 1989 with a degree in Accounting and Analysis of Economic Activity.
In 1989-1995, he worked in positions from an economist to an assistant to the general director for economic issues at the Eltav plant of the Ministry of Electronic Industry.
Since 1995 - General Director of the company "Soyuz-Finance" (Moscow).
Since April 1997, he has been engaged in scientific activities.
In February-December 1999, he was deputy director of the autonomous non-profit organization "International Institute of Corporations".
Since December 1999 - Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the third convocation on the federal list of the electoral bloc "Zhirinovsky Bloc", was a member of the Security Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
On December 7, 2003, he was elected to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the fourth convocation on the federal list of the LDPR electoral association. In the State Duma, he became a member of the LDPR faction, is the Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for Physical Culture and Sports.
In April 2007, he left the LDPR faction and became an independent deputy.
Suleiman Kerimov heads the Board of Trustees of the Russian Wrestling Federation. In his youth, he was fond of judo and weightlifting, was a multiple champion of various championships. The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) awarded him the "Golden Order" - one of the most prestigious awards.
On April 19, 2007, the Russian version of Forbes magazine published a rating of the richest citizens of Russia, in which Kerimov took seventh place with $ 12.8 billion.
Under his control through OAO GNK Nafta-Moskva and other companies - the mining holding Polymetal (99.5%), National Cable Networks, the Moscow cable operator Mostelecom. He owns a 4.5% stake in Gazprom ", 5.7% of the shares of Sberbank, about 2% of the shares of MGTS. Invests in the city of Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye near Moscow (2 million square meters of luxury housing).
He is the owner of the yacht Ice, built at the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen, Germany. This is a four-deck ship with a length of 90 meters. The seven tubs and sinks in the owner's cabin and guest cabins are made from solid pieces of limestone, with oak interiors. The owner's bedroom extends from one side of the yacht to the other. On board - a swimming pool and a helipad. The cruising range is more than 11,000 km. According to some reports, the interior decor alone, including painting, cost $25 million, and the total cost of the yacht could be about $170 million.
As a personal liner, Suleiman Kerimov uses a luxuriously finished medium-range passenger liner Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 737-700, which takes only 16 people on board, and the owner has an office, shower room and bedroom on board. The cost of such an aircraft reaches $50 million, its non-stop flight range is up to 12,000 km.
Suleiman Kerimov is married. His wife, Firuza, is the daughter of a high-ranking Dagestan official. He met her while studying in Derbent, and soon the lovers got married. According to rumors, father-in-law helped Kerimov get a good job as an economist at the Eltav electronic plant, one of the largest enterprises in Dagestan. Firuza has always been a real "eastern" wife, does not like to appear in public, does not want to communicate with the press. She is raising three children.
Suleiman Kerimov loves social events, parties with pop stars, riding on his own Ice yacht, which is off the coast of Spain. He likes to arrange luxurious parties, give beautiful gifts. He is credited with novels with famous singers, ballerinas, actresses. Kerimov's name has often appeared in the press recently in connection with an accident in France.
On November 25, 2006, on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, the billionaire and his companion, who, according to some media reports, was the famous Russian TV presenter Tina Kandelaki, got into a car accident. For some unknown reason, in a section where the maximum allowable speed is 50 km / h, Karimov's Enzo Ferrari sports supercar lost control, flew off the road at high speed, crashed into a tree and caught fire. Embraced by flames, Kerimov was able to get out of the cab on his own and rolled on the grass, trying to bring down the fire. He was assisted by eyewitnesses of the accident. The burning car was put out only by firefighters at Nice Airport. "Ferrari" worth about 675 thousand euros is not recoverable. His companion, Tina Kandelaki, escaped with minor burns and injuries. She was admitted to Saint-Roch Hospital. and after providing her with medical assistance, she flew to Moscow that evening. Kerimov, who received severe burns, was sent by helicopter to one of the Marseille clinics, and then transported to a clinic in Belgium, where he underwent a course of treatment and returned to Moscow at the end of January 2007 and started work. To date, he has fully recovered from the accident and is working on a daily basis and in full.