Prohorov Mihail Dmitrievich

Date of Birth

May 3, 1965

Place of Birth

Moscow city

Position

Entrepreneur

footnotes

Mikhail Prokhorov is a Russian businessman, according to the data for 2022, he ranks 11th in the rating of billionaires of the Russian Federation according to Forbes (the fortune is estimated at $ 10.3 billion). In 2012, he put forward his candidacy for the post of President of the Russian Federation, took third place with a score of 7.98% of the vote.

Early years

Prokhorov Mikhail Dmitrievich was born May 3, 1965 in Moscow. His family at that time lived in the North-Eastern Administrative District of the capital. Father - Dmitry Ionovich - headed the department of external relations of the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Mother - Tamara Mikhailovna - worked at the Department of Polymers MIHM (Moscow Institute of Chemical Engineering, later transformed into the Moscow State University of Engineering Ecology and included in the Moscow State Technical University "MAMI"). He grew up with his older sister Irina (the age difference is 9 years).

He graduated from special school No. 21 with in-depth study of English, located in the Ostankino area (currently School No. 1531 named after S. K. Godovikov). For excellent studies, he was awarded a gold medal.

He went in for sports, trained according to a special system, but this did not develop into a profession. At the same time, the Russian oligarch still devotes a lot of time to physical development: among his hobbies - milliarder-lovit-ravnovesie-na-myach">tescao (an ancient form of martial arts), windsurfing, kickboxing, aquabike. Every day he spends about two hours in the gym and leads a healthy lifestyle.

Education

Prokhorov is a graduate of the Moscow Financial Institute. He entered the university in 1982 at the Faculty of International Economic Relations.

At the end of the first year, he was forced to interrupt his studies for two years in order to serve in the ranks of the Soviet Army (at that time, MFI students were not granted a deferment). He was drafted into the missile forces.

When he returned, he continued to master the profession, and in 1989 he received a diploma. The final work of the future billionaire was devoted to the topic of forecasting the exchange rate in the capitalist system.

In his student years, he struck up friendly relations with classmates, including Alexander Khloponin (businessman, ex-head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District and deputy head of government). In partnership with him, Prokhorov organized his first small enterprise.

Career

Mikhail Prokhorov started working as a loader while studying at the university. So he accumulated initial capital in order to open a joint business with Alexander Khloponin. MFI students created their own production of “boiled” jeans, which were popular at that time. The income was stable and helped the future billionaire provide for himself and his sister: the Prokhorovs’ parents died with a difference of one year even before after Mikhail Dmitrievich graduated from the institute.

Having received a diploma, Mikhail Prokhorov got a job at the IBEC (International Bank for Economic Cooperation). From 1989 to 1992 he worked as the head of the department of the credit and financial structure.

In 1992, he moved to the International Financial Company, founded by him together with businessman Vladimir Potanin on the basis of IBEC assets. A year later, the partners established a new structure - ONEXIM Bank - in which Prokhorov took the post of chairman of the board, and later president. In 2000, the financial organization became part of ROSBANK, whose president was also Prokhorov.

The successful investments of Potanin and Prokhorov in the acquisition of a number of production assets allowed the bankers to become one of the richest people in the Russian Federation. In the early 2000s, they invested in such enterprises:

MMC Norilsk Nickel;
SIDANCO oil and gas company;
Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works;
Novorossiysk Shipping Company.

Partners purchased shares of these companies for a third of the cost.

Until 2007, Mikhail Dmitrievich Prokhorov headed Norilsk Nickel, holding the posts of general director and chairman of the board of the MMC. He owned a 25% stake in the company, which was a blocking stake. Then the businessman sold his stake to Oleg Deripaska for $5 billion plus a stake in UC Rusal.

In 2006, the Russian billionaire became the owner of a controlling stake in one of the largest domestic and world gold mining companies, Polyus Gold, and until 2010 post of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Another year he worked in the status of CEO.

In 2007, he became a member of the Supervisory Board of the state corporation Rosnanotech. He also founded the ONEXIM Group private investment fund, of which he was president until 2011.

Prokhorov has invested in a number of media projects, including the Zhivi! and RBC TV channels. Acquired the New Jersey Nets basketball club. In addition, he planned to launch the production of the Russian hybrid car Yo-Mobile and even presented it at the SPIEF in 2013, but further work was stopped.

In 2019, the businessman withdrew the assets of the ONEXIM Group holding from the British Virgin Islands to the Russian Federation. Today he owns shares in the Quadra energy company, the Soglasie insurance company, the IFC bank, the rating agency ACRA. In 2020, his stake in Renaissance Credit Bank was increased to 100%.

The fortune of the oligarch, according to the business publication Forbes, is estimated at $10.3 billion in 2022.

Politics

In 2011, the billionaire headed the Just Cause political party, in the development of which he invested about $ 100 million. A few months later, the businessman left the party ranks due to intra-party disagreements.

In 2012, Prokhorov Mikhail Dmitrievich put forward his candidacy for the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. He managed to get a little less than 8% of the votes of the Russians and take third place in the race.

Prokhorov is also the founder of the Civic Platform party, which he headed in October 2012. Its tasks included the creation of a just, free civil society and the strengthening of the positions of the Russian Federation in the international arena. In 2015, the businessman left the political association.

Charity and social activities

In 2004, the businessman founded the Mikhail Prokhorov Charitable Foundation, the leadership of which was taken over by his sister Irina. The organization is engaged in the cultural development of the regions of the Russian Federation. In April 2022, she entered the top ten best charitable foundations of domestic businessmen according to Forbes.