{{Short description|Russian billionaire businessman}} {{Infobox person | name = Leonid Mikhelson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|8|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Kaspiysk]], [[Russian SFSR]] | image = 11-03-2020 Leonid Mikhelson.png | caption = Mikhelson in 2020 | native_name = {{nobold|Леонид Михельсон}} | native_name_lang = ru | citizenship = {{Unbulleted list|[[Russia]]|[[Israel]]}} | alma_mater = Kuibyshev Civil Engineering Institute [[Bachelor of Engineering|BEng]] [[Master of Engineering]] | occupation = Businessman | title = Chairman & CEO, [[Novatek]] | known_for = Major Shareholder of [[Novatek]]<br> Richest Person in [[Russia]] | spouse = Married | children = 2 }}
'''Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson''' ({{langx|ru|Леони́д Ви́кторович Михельсо́н}}; born 11 August 1955) is a Russian-Israeli [[billionaire]] oligarch, businessman, CEO, chairman and major shareholder of the Russian gas company [[Novatek]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.novatek.ru/eng/about/managementbios/ |title=NOVATEK : Management |publisher=Novatek.ru |date=31 December 2010 |access-date=16 March 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100418203431/http://www.novatek.ru/eng/about/managementbios/ |archive-date=18 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mikhelson obtained a stake in a privatized pipeline construction company out of which he formed Novatek.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Helman |first=Christopher |title=Novatek's Leonid Mikhelson: Surviving Russia's Turmoil |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2015/05/06/novateks-leonid-viktorovich-mikhelson-surviving-russias-turmoil/ |access-date=4 March 2022 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> He is a business partner of Russian billionaire [[Gennady Timchenko]], a close confidante of Russian leader [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref name=":1" />
According to ''[[Bloomberg Billionaires Index]]'' and [[Forbes]], he had a net worth of US$29.5 billion, as of 2025, making him the 64th richest person in the world and the second richest in Russia.<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite news |title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Leonid Mikhelson |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/leonid-mikhelson/ |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |access-date=6 October 2021}}</ref> According to the 2023 Forbes annual rating, Mikhelson is ranked 4th among Russian billionaires with a net worth of $28.5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.ru/milliardery/486924-20-bogatejsih-rossijskih-biznesmenov-v-global-nom-rejtinge-forbes|title=20 богатейших российских бизнесменов в глобальном рейтинге Forbes|language=ru|date=4 April 2023|website=Forbes.ru}}</ref>
==Biography== Born to an Ashkenazi Jewish family,<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/The-worlds-50-Richest-Jews-31-40 The world's 50 Richest Jews: 31-40] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221035945/http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/The-worlds-50-Richest-Jews-31-40 |date=21 February 2014 }}</ref> Mikhelson began his career as an engineer after<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://sibur.com/about/controls/directors/person50/|title =Leonid Mikhelson - Chairman of the Board of Directors|website =Sibur.com|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150203194700/http://sibur.com/about/controls/directors/person50/|archive-date =3 February 2015|url-status =live}}</ref> graduating with a degree in Industrial Civil Engineering from the Samara Institute of Civil Engineering in 1977. He started working as a<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://history.caspianenergy.net/enperson/info/89|title =Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson|website =Caspian Energy|archive-url =https://archive.today/20150204085405/http://history.caspianenergy.net/enperson/info/89|archive-date =4 February 2015|url-status =dead}}</ref> [[Construction foreman|foreman]] at a construction and assembling company in the [[Tyumen]] area of [[Siberia]]. One of his<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url =http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/05/29/leonid-mikhelsons-sibur-buys-25-joint-venture-interest-in-new-siberian-polypropylene-plant/|title=Leonid Mikhelson's Sibur Buys 25% Joint Venture Interest In New Siberian Polypropylene Plant|date =29 May 2014|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150203202440/http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/05/29/leonid-mikhelsons-sibur-buys-25-joint-venture-interest-in-new-siberian-polypropylene-plant/|archive-date =3 February 2015|url-status =live}}</ref> initial projects was work on the Urengoi-Chelyabinsk gas pipeline. In 1985, he was<ref name=":0" /> appointed as Chief Engineer of [[Ryazantruboprovodstroy]]. In 1987, he became General Director of Kuibishevtruboprovodstroy, which, in 1991, was one of the first companies to undergo [[privatization]] after the dissolution of the [[Soviet Union]].{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
Mikhelson continued as managing director at the company, which has been renamed [[NOVA (Kuibishevtruboprovodstroy)|NOVA]], until October 1994. He then became General Director of its holding company, [[Novafinivest]], which later became known as NOVATEK. From 2008 until 2010 Mikhelson was chairman of the board of directors for OAO [[Stroytransgas]] and OOO Art Finance. He currently holds the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of ZAO [[Sibur|SIBUR]] and serves on the supervisory board of OAO [[Russian Regional Development Bank]]. SIBUR is a gas processing and petrochemicals company operating 26 production sites across Russia with headquarters in [[Moscow]]. Mikhelson owns 57.5% interest in Sibur. He also holds a 25% stake in Novatek.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2015/05/06/novateks-leonid-viktorovich-mikhelson-surviving-russias-turmoil/#3dadaf8d63b2|title=Novatek's Leonid Mikhelson: Surviving Russia's Turmoil|last=Helman|first=Christopher|work=Forbes|access-date=15 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730032729/https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2015/05/06/novateks-leonid-viktorovich-mikhelson-surviving-russias-turmoil/#3dadaf8d63b2|archive-date=30 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He also owns a megayacht, Pacific.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.superyachtfan.com/superyacht/superyacht_pacific.html|title=[Leonid Mikhelson]: Inside his Crazy US$ 150,000,000 Yacht PACIFIC|first=Peter|last=Yachtfan|website=www.superyachtfan.com|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701164904/https://www.superyachtfan.com/superyacht/superyacht_pacific.html|archive-date=1 July 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-08 |title=Oligarchen-Jachten live verfolgen: Einige Schiffe beschlagnahmt, andere sind auf der Flucht, ein paar hängen fest – zwei in Hamburg |url=https://www.stern.de/digital/online/beschlagnahmung--flucht-und-wartung--hier-sind-die-oligarchen-jachten_31694042-31665198.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=stern.de |language=de}}</ref> He is considered to be one of [[Russian oligarchs|Russia's oligarchs]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chan |first=Wilfred |date=2022-03-04 |title=Meet the oligarchs: the Russian billionaires whose jets, yachts and mansions are now in the crosshairs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/meet-the-oligarchs-sanctions-russian-billionaires |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Mikhelson has a strong interest in art,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://vk.com/vicgallery | title=Галерея Виктория | VK |website=vk.com|accessdate=27 December 2023}}</ref> stating that “99 per cent” of his interest is in [[Russia]]n and [[contemporary art]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/cae2ece2-be3f-11e2-9b27-00144feab7de?mhq5j=e1|title=Laying the foundations|website=Financial Times|date=24 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629211547/https://www.ft.com/content/cae2ece2-be3f-11e2-9b27-00144feab7de?mhq5j=e1|archive-date=29 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> He also established his own foundation, the [[V-A-C Foundation]], which promotes contemporary Russian art, and has international ties with the [[New Museum]] in [[New York City|New York]], the Tate museums in the UK, and London's Whitechapel gallery.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/v-a-c-foundation-leonid-mikhelson-ne-site-540011|title=Moscow's V-A-C Foundation's Local and Global Reach - artnet News|date=5 July 2016|work=artnet News|access-date=15 June 2017|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706154123/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/v-a-c-foundation-leonid-mikhelson-ne-site-540011|archive-date=6 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2017, the foundation also opened an exhibition space in [[Venice]] and work is underway to develop V-A-C's first major art centre in Moscow, whose main site is an historic power station on the banks of the [[Moskva River]]. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the new centre for contemporary arts and culture in Moscow is due to open in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theartnewspaper.com/news/museums/russian-billionaire-s-v-a-c-foundation-opens-space-in-venice/|title=Russian billionaire's V-A-C Foundation opens space in Venice|website=theartnewspaper.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510163258/http://theartnewspaper.com/news/museums/russian-billionaire-s-v-a-c-foundation-opens-space-in-venice/|archive-date=10 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Notable Partnerships == Mikhelson often partners with Russian billionaire [[Gennady Timchenko]]<ref>{{Cite web|url =https://www.forbes.com/profile/gennady-timchenko/|title =Gennady Timchenko|website =Forbes|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170906140329/https://www.forbes.com/profile/gennady-timchenko/|archive-date =6 September 2017|url-status =live}}</ref> on business and investment projects. They are partners and majority shareholders in Novatek and Sibur. In 2013, Mikhelson and Timchenko sold 12% of Sibur to management partners. Both Mikhelson and Timchenko appear on the [[Forbes]] list of billionaires.<ref>{{Cite web|url =https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/|title =The World's Billionaires|website =Forbes|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20141129074957/http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/|archive-date =29 November 2014|url-status =live}}</ref>
In 2012, he was listed as the second-richest Russian<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://richestrussian.com/1-100/leonid-mikhelson/|title =Leonid Mikhelson|website =Richest Russian|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150203200949/http://richestrussian.com/1-100/leonid-mikhelson/|archive-date =3 February 2015|url-status =live}}</ref> in a number of articles including Bloomberg.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-21/billionaire-mikhelson-becomes-russia-s-second-richest-man.html|title = Billionaire Mikhelson Becomes Russia's Second-Richest Man|date = 21 August 2012|website = Bloomberg Business|last = Shiryaevskaya|first = Anna|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130521213418/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-21/billionaire-mikhelson-becomes-russia-s-second-richest-man.html|archive-date = 21 May 2013|url-status = live|df = dmy-all}}</ref> Mikhelson and Novatek are the main sponsors of the [[Russian Football Union]].
Mikhelson is a recipient of the Russian Federation's Order of the Badge of Honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/novatek-to-sponsor-russian-football-union/488777.html|title = Novatek to Sponsor Russian Football Union|date = 31 October 2013|website = themoscowtimes.com|publisher= The Moscow Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2013/11/04/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Novatek.aspx|title = Natural Gas Company Novatek Takes Over Sponsorship Of Russian Football Union|date = 4 November 2013|website = Sports Business|last = Kozlov|first = Vladimir|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150203193344/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2013/11/04/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Novatek.aspx|archive-date = 3 February 2015|url-status = live|df = dmy-all}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mikhelson is married, with two children, and lives in Moscow.<ref name="forbes.com">{{cite web |title=Forbes profile: Leonid Mikhelson |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/leonid-mikhelson/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313031908/http://www.forbes.com/profile/leonid-mikhelson |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 March 2011 |website=Forbes |access-date=17 December 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-11-06 |title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/leonid-v-mikhelson/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref> His daughter Victoria studied art history at [[New York University]] and London's [[Courtauld Institute]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/mar/13/future-sounds-of-russia-geometry-of-now-festival-ges2-moscow-leonid-mikhelson|title=Prawn sex … and other future sounds of Russia|first=Alex|last=Needham|date=13 March 2017|website=the Guardian|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701164912/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/mar/13/future-sounds-of-russia-geometry-of-now-festival-ges2-moscow-leonid-mikhelson|archive-date=1 July 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> His VAC Foundation Victoria, the Art of Being Contemporary, is named after her.<ref name="auto"/> Mikhelson also holds Israeli citizenship.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2022 |title=On the hunt for oligarchs in the 'wild west' of corporate intelligence |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c36f76da-b75f-43d7-b807-43812ac60ac8 |access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MIKHELSON Leonid Viktorovich |url=https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/Q1819424/ |access-date=3 March 2023 |website=opensanctions.org |date=11 August 1955 |language=en}}</ref>
=== Sanctions === Mikhelson is one of many Russian "oligarchs" named in the [[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act]], CAATSA, signed into law by President [[Donald Trump]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 241 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 Regarding Senior Foreign Political Figures and Oligarchs in the Russian Federation and Russian Parastatal Entities|url=https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rJRW6xrdtLJE/v0|date=29 January 2018|format=PDF}}</ref> He was sanctioned by the British government in 2022 in relation to [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1150217/Russia.pdf |access-date=16 April 2023}}</ref>
== See also == *[[List of Russian billionaires]] * [[Energy policy of Russia]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121001103028/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=12071910&ticker=NOTK:RM Stocks - Bloomberg] {{in lang|en}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100422234938/http://www.bfm.ru/yellowpages/celebrities/94/ Leonid Viktorowitsch Mikhelson] {{in lang|ru}} * [https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/The-worlds-50-Richest-Jews-31-40 The world's 50 Richest Jews: 31-40] By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, 09/07/2010
{{Privatization in Russia}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikhelson, Leonid}} [[Category:Russian oligarchs]] [[Category:Russian Jews]] [[Category:1955 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Kaspiysk]] [[Category:Russian billionaires]] [[Category:Russian people of Israeli descent]] [[Category:Russian people of Jewish descent]] [[Category:People named in the Paradise Papers]] [[Category:Russian businesspeople in construction]] [[Category:Russian businesspeople in Israel]]