{{short description|Russian-born American businessman (born 1959)}} {{COI|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Alexander Knaster | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|02|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Moscow, Russian SSR, USSR | birth_name = | education = BS Carnegie Mellon University<br /> MBA Harvard Business School | occupation = Investment manager | known_for = Founder of Pamplona Capital Management | spouse = Irina Knaster | parents = | children = Four | family = | website = }}
'''Alexander Knaster''' (born 19 February 1959) is an American billionaire businessman who is the founder of Pamplona Capital Management. He is documented to giving large donations to the Conservative Party in The United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-28450125 |title=UK-based Russians donating large sums to Tories |work=BBC News |date=23 July 2014 |access-date=2023-01-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-22/who-is-alex-knaster-russian-oligarchs-banker-breaks-free-after-making-fortune?leadSource=uverify%20wall |title=Russian Oligarchs' Top Banker Breaks Free After Making a Fortune Himself |newspaper=Bloomberg |date=22 July 2022 |publisher=Bloomberg.com |access-date=2023-01-29 }}</ref>
==Biography== Knaster was born in Moscow in 1959 to a Jewish family of academics.<ref name=RBTH>[http://rbth.com/business/2013/07/12/a_russian_american_invests_in_europe_27997.html Russia Beyond the Headlines: "A Russian American invests in Europe" by Irina Mokrousova] July 12, 2013</ref> His father, Mark Knaster, who held several patents relating to metal coatings, batteries and solar cells, worked in a number of respected scientific institutions, including USC. His mother, Tatyana Knaster, is a civil engineer who taught at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0171538A3/en |title=Patent EP0171538A3 – Compositions and processes for coating ferrous surfaces with copper – Google Patents |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://profiles.sae.org/mark_b._knaster |title=Mark B. Knaster – Profile – SAE International |publisher=Profiles.sae.org |date=1986-02-01 |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref>
Knaster was a graduate of Physics and Mathematics School No. 444 before moving outside the territory of the USSR. Knaster immigrated to the United States at the age of 16 with his family.<ref name=RBTH /> He graduated with a B.S. electric engineering and mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University which he attended on a scholarship.<ref name=RBTH /> In 1980, he accepted a job as an engineer with Schlumberger working on their oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name=RBTH />
After graduating in 1985 with an MBA from Harvard Business School and working at several investment banks, he returned to Russia in 1995 to work as CEO of the Russian branch of Credit Suisse First Boston.<ref name=RBTH /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pamplonafunds.com/portfolio-of-hedge-funds/investment-professionals/alex-knaster |title=Pamplona Capital Management > Alex Knaster |publisher=Pamplonafunds.com |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721083636/http://www.pamplonafunds.com/portfolio-of-hedge-funds/investment-professionals/alex-knaster |archive-date=2014-07-21 }}</ref> He also earned a PhD in Economics from the Russian Academy of Science. In 1998, he resigned from CSFB and accepted an offer from Mikhail Fridman to become CEO at Alfa Bank.<ref name=RBTH /> He was very successful and due to his background in investment banking, Knaster established Pamplona Capital Management in 2004, in which the Alfa Group would invest some of its profit.<ref name=RBTH /> He chose the name Pamplona after the Pamplona San Fermín Festival which he attended after graduating from Harvard Business School.<ref name=RBTH /> His investor pool has since grown beyond Alfa. As of 2021, Pamplona managed $15 billion in assets.<ref name="Trustees.html">{{cite web |title=Trustees.html |url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/leadership-university-administration/board-of-trustees/trustees-g-l.html |website=www.nyu.edu}}</ref> Knaster also serves as Executive Fellow, London Business School, member of faculty at Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pamplonafunds.com/credit-funds/pamplona-credit-opportunities-fund-pco/pco-management-committee/alex-knaster |title=Pamplona Capital Management > Alex Knaster |publisher=Pamplonafunds.com |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508224405/http://www.pamplonafunds.com/credit-funds/pamplona-credit-opportunities-fund-pco/pco-management-committee/alex-knaster |archive-date=2014-05-08 }}</ref>
In January 2021, he acquired a 75% stake of the Italian Serie B football club Pisa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2021/01/25/serie-bs-pisa-latest-italian-club-move-foreign-ownership/|title=Serie B's Pisa is latest Italian club to move into foreign ownership|date=25 January 2021}}</ref> In the 2024–2025 season, Pisa qualified as second in Serie B and was promoted to Serie A.
==Philanthropy== Knaster is an active philanthropist, who has made significant contributions to different academic institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard Business School, where he serves as a regional Campaign Leadership volunteer. In 1993, Knaster established the Alexander M. Knaster Scholarship Fund for undergraduates in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2011, in partnership with fellow alumnus Bruce McWilliams, Knaster helped to establish the Knaster-McWilliams scholarships, which allow for increased access to faculty and early research opportunities in addition to tuition assistance. The Alexander M. Knaster Professorship in Mathematical sciences is named in his honor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thetartan.org/2013/4/15/news/campusnews |title=Campus News in Brief – The Tartan Online |publisher=Thetartan.org |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmu.edu/mcs/news/magazine/pdf/mcsnews-2007dec.pdf|title=MCS Science Connection Magazine – Mellon College of Science – Carnegie Mellon University}}</ref> He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of NYU.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/leadership-university-administration/board-of-trustees/trustees-g-l.html | title=Trustees }}</ref>
Knaster along with Stan Polovets as well as three Russian Jewish oligarchs, Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven, and German Khan, founded the Genesis Philanthropy Group whose purpose is to develop and enhance Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/world/europe/russians-establish-1-million-jewish-prize-with-israel.html?_r=0 New York Times: "Russians Join Israel to Start Jewish Prize of $1 Million" by David M. Herszenhorn] June 26, 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/about/events/2009/project_genesis.asp Yad Vashem: "Ceremony Marking the Cooperation between Yad Vashem and the Genesis Philanthrophy Group"] June 12, 2009</ref> Knaster later served as chairman of the board for the Genesis Philanthropy Group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpg.org/gpg-media/press/item/162-genesis-philanthropy-group-to-promote-jewish-identity-in-russian-speaking-children-through-summers-at-camp.html?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czo3OiJrbmFzdGVyIjt9 |title=Genesis Philanthropy group to promote Jewish identity in Russian-speaking children through summers at camp :: Genesis Philanthropy Group |publisher=Gpg.org |access-date=2014-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502003027/http://www.gpg.org/gpg-media/press/item/162-genesis-philanthropy-group-to-promote-jewish-identity-in-russian-speaking-children-through-summers-at-camp.html?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czo3OiJrbmFzdGVyIjt9 |archive-date=2014-05-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Knaster has also generously supported the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Dr. Maria I. New Children’s Hormone Foundation, which supports research, physician education, and the cost of care for children suffering from genetic hormonal disorders.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dana-farber.org/uploadedFiles/Library/modules/publications/2012-honor-roll.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025716/https://www.dana-farber.org/uploadedFiles/Library/modules/publications/2012-honor-roll.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Genotype–phenotype correlation in 1,507 families with congenital adrenal hyperplasia owing to 21-hydroxylase deficiency |date=2013-01-28 |pmc=3574953 |pmid=23359698 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1300057110 |volume=110 |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |pages=2611–6 | last1 = New | first1 = MI | last2 = Abraham | first2 = M | last3 = Gonzalez | first3 = B | last4 = Dumic | first4 = M | last5 = Razzaghy-Azar | first5 = M | last6 = Chitayat | first6 = D | last7 = Sun | first7 = L | last8 = Zaidi | first8 = M | last9 = Wilson | first9 = RC | last10 = Yuen | first10 = T|issue=7 |bibcode=2013PNAS..110.2611N |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newchf.org |title=newchf.org |publisher=newchf.org |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref>
Alex Knaster is Recognized Among The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-20 |title=Alex Knaster Recognized Among The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 – OncoDaily |url=https://oncodaily.com/community/alex-knaster-427315 |access-date=2026-01-24 |website=oncodaily.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2014 Knaster established The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research [https://themarkfoundation.org/]. He has transferred the bulk of his assets to it and has rapidly positioned The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research as one of the most consequential private funders of innovative cancer science worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alexander Knaster |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/alexander-knaster/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Knaster is married to Irina Knaster; they have four children.<ref name=ForbesBillionaires>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/alexander-knaster/ |title=Alexander Knaster |work=Forbes |date=2011-03-29 |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref> He lives in New York City, New York.<ref name=ForbesBillionaires />
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.newchf.org}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTrKnf63mk Carnegie Mellon: "Leading Innovation – London Panel Discussion"] February 14, 2013
{{Privatization in Russia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knaster, Alexander}} Category:American billionaires Category:American investment advisors Category:American philanthropists Category:Russian Jews Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering alumni Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States Category:Russian emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Russian businesspeople in the United Kingdom