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Boris Berezovksy, 57, helped popularize the term "oligarch" and
is perhaps the most controversial of the group. Born in Moscow
in 1946, Berezovsky was the only child of a factory builder and
a pediatric nurse. He earned his Ph.D. in mathematics and physics
and landed his first research position at the prestigious Institute
of Control Sciences. Berezovsky, by his own admission, wasn't
a brilliant scientist, but he was an ambitious and skilled networker,
constantly giving speeches and organizing seminars and trips abroad.
He began in business selling and importing computer software,
then cars. Berezovsky made his first millions from assets of state
auto manufacturer Avtovaz. Later, he took over the management
of the Russian airline Aeroflot, the oil company Sibneft, much
of Russia's aluminum industry, and ORT, the state's largest and
most influential television network. Through his close relationship
with the longtime chief of staff to Boris Yeltsin, Berezovsky
became part of the former president's inner circle. In 1996, he
led Russia's most powerful tycoons to back Yeltsin's reelection.
Yeltsin appointed Berezovsky deputy secretary of the National
Security Council, then secretary of the Organization for Coordinating
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS.) In 1999, he won
a seat in the State Duma (the lower chamber of the Russian parliament),
but six months later, amid unrelenting pressure from the new regime
of President Vladimir Putin, Berezovksy resigned and soon fled
Russia. The Russian Prosecutor General's office charged Berezovsky
in absentia with complicity to fraud, complicity not to return
hard currency from abroad, and money laundering. He now lives
in self-imposed exile in France and Britain. In March, Berezovsky
was arrested on a warrant alleging that he defrauded the Russian
region of Samara of nearly $2 billion in 1994 and 1995. After
the arrest, a London court granted Berezovsky political asylum,
protecting him from extradition.
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Estimated Worth:
Before his exile from Russia, Forbes
Magazine valued Berezovsky's worth to be $3 billion
Current Position:
Chair, Foundation for Civil Liberties
Major Holdings:
When Berezovsky left Russia, he sold most of his oil and
media interests to his protégé Roman Abramovich.
Political Connections:
Once dubbed the "Grey Cardinal" of the Kremlin, Berezoksy
forged a close relationship with Yeltsin and acted as
the coordinator of the family of close advisors to the
former president. In 1996, Berezovsky teamed up with other
powerful Russian bankers to form the Big Seven, a group
of oligarchs that underwrote Yeltsin's reelection campaign.
Berezovsky viewed himself as a king-maker, and he was
a major force in ousting some senior officials and electing
others. Berezovksy also was instrumental in Putin's 2000
election victory before the two men's falling-out, which
began over Berezovsky's public criticism of Putin for
his slow response to the deadly sinking of the Russian
nuclear submarine Kursk.
New Plays:
While in exile, Berezovsky launched the Liberal Russia
Party, with an anti-Putin platform. Recently he has taken
out full-page advertisements in The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post,
warning the United States not to trust Putin. He also
has stated his interest in running in the December 2003
election for a seat in the State Duma (the lower chamber
of the Russian parliament), but has yet to announce his
official candidacy.
Lifestyle:
Today, Berezovksy divides his time between his London
office and his reportedly $30 million home on the Cap
d'Antibes in the South of France.
Notoriety:
Since 1996, when Forbes Magazine alleged Berezovsky
to be the head of the Russian mafia, the tycoon has battled
a poor public image. He's used the courts to dispel such
accusations, and this year, Berezovsky finally reached
a settlement in a five-year libel suit against Forbes,
with the magazine agreeing to run a correction. |
Next: Oleg Deripaska - Aluminum
King
Previous: Vagit Alekperov -
Oil Magnate
Photo Credits
Photo of Vagit Alekperov - Photographer/Getty Images
Photo of Vladimir Potanin - Photographer/Getty Images
Photo of Roman Abramovich - AP / Wide World Photos
Photo of Mihail Fridman - AP / Wide World Photos
Photo of Vladimir Gusinsky - AP / Wide World Photos
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