{{Short description|Russian billionaire businessman}} {{Infobox person | image = | image_size = | name = Alexander Svetakov | caption = | birth_name = Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov | birth_date = 15 February 1968 | birth_place = [[Moscow]] | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | education = | alma_mater = [[Moscow Institute of Electronic Machine Building]] (MIEM) | occupation = Founder and chairman, Absolut Group | known_for = Banking, property development | spouse = | parents = | children = 3 | relatives = | website = }} '''Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov''' ({{langx|ru|Александр Александрович Светаков}}; born 15 February 1968 in [[Moscow]]) is a Russian billionaire property developer, the founder and chairman of Absolut Group<ref>{{cite web|title=Александр Светаков|url=http://www.vedomosti.ru/persons/23088/Александр%20Светаков|website=[[Vedomosti]]}}</ref>
==Early life== Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov<ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite web|title=Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=33802658&privcapId=30279346|website=Bloomberg|accessdate=24 February 2015}}</ref> was educated at the [[Moscow Institute of Electronic Machine Building]] (MIEM), where he earned a BA in engineering.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|title=Alexander Svetakov|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/alexander-svetakov/|website=Forbes|accessdate=24 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="RR1">{{cite web |url= https://www.richestrussian.com/101-500/alexander-svetakov/ |title= Alexander Svetakov |date= 6 February 2019 |access-date= 18 March 2019 |archive-date= 25 March 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190325170541/https://www.richestrussian.com/101-500/alexander-svetakov/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>
==Career== While attending MIEM, Svetakov partnered with fellow students Gleb Galin and Andrew Truskov to import electronics from Singapore and sell them wholesale. This enterprise became Absolute Trade House (Absolute LLP), now the largest electronics wholesaler in Russia.<ref name="RR1"/>
In 1993, Svetakov partnered with Galin and Truskov to found Absolute Bank.<ref name="RR1"/> He sold Absolut-bank in 2007 to a Belgian group for almost $1 billion. Since then, he has shifted to property development, and in 2013 was developing five projects in London and New York City.<ref name=Forbes/> In 2015, Absolute Group received the International Property Award for Best Office Architecture in Europe for their Noble Business Centre in Limassol, Cyprus.<ref name="Gold">{{cite web |url= http://www.goldnews.com.cy/en/companies/absolute-investment-group-awarded-at-the-cipa-international-investment-awards-2016 |title= Absolute Investment Group Awarded at the CIPA International Investment Awards 2016 |date= 7 September 2016 |access-date= 18 March 2019 |archive-date= 3 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200203131708/http://www.goldnews.com.cy/en/companies/absolute-investment-group-awarded-at-the-cipa-international-investment-awards-2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
==Personal life== He is divorced with four children and lives in [[Larnaca]], Cyprus. He owns the yacht Cloudbreak.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tognini |first=Giacomo |title=Biden And Allies Are Coming For Russian Billionaires' Yachts: Forbes Tracked Down 51. Here's Where To Find Them |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2022/03/01/biden-and-allies-are-coming-for-russian-billionaires-yachts-forbes-tracked-down-51-heres-where-to-find-them/ |access-date=2022-08-21 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
Svetakov founded the Absolute-Help foundation in 2002 to help orphans, children with disabilities, and children with grave illnesses.<ref name= "RR1"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Svetakov, Alexander}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Moscow]] [[Category:Russian billionaires]] [[Category:1968 births]]