Are there dollar millionaires in Belarus? If yes, then how did they achieve this and who is the Chief?! Rich Belarusians: top five most successful The richest people in Belarus

The top 200 successful and influential businessmen of Belarus, compiled by the Ezhednevnik publication, have a new leader. For two years in a row, Viktor Kisly, who was at the head of the rating, was replaced by the owner of Santa Bremor and Savushkina Product.

The founder of the gaming empire, Viktor Kisly, who ranked first in the top 200 in 2016 and 2017, is fourth this time. The drop in purchasing power in Wargaming's key market in the CIS due to economic problems led to a sharp reduction in revenue and profit. In 2015, while the business was still growing, Viktor Kisly diverted serious resources to buy out a 17% share from former partner Ivan Mikhnevich. Ivan Mikhnevich, who invests in personal projects and is engaged in political activities in Cyprus, took seventh place in the ranking in 2018.

Unlike 2015 and 2016, last year was not rich in landmark transactions in the IT sector, which allowed several dozen representatives of this industry to be included in the previous lists. The sector in 2017 was in the process of reformatting; the investment activity of one of the initiators of the HTP restart, Viktor Prokopenya (12th place), can be highlighted in it.

Progress was noticeable in “conservative” industries last year

There is a prejudice that the population of Belarus is basically poor people. However, this is not the case. Belarus has a developed industry, there are high-tech industries, commercial and trading enterprises and banks. All this inevitably leads to the accumulation of significant funds in the hands of the owners of successful companies. According to some data in the country more than 10 thousand millionaires(population of Belarus 9.5 million).

The wealthiest people in Belarus prefer not to advertise their wealth. Data about them from official expert organizations is fragmentary and contradictory. Moreover, the economic crisis with its unstable exchange rates adds to the confusion. However, the ubiquitous media manage to find out something. As of 2016, according to open sources, the list of the richest people in Belarus is as follows.

Victor Shevtsov, 100 million dollars

Chairman of the Board of Directors of CJSC Belzarubezhstroy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of CJSC Trustbank. A radio physicist and electronics engineer by training. Started his business in 1991. Professes Orthodoxy. Active public figure and philanthropist. Several temples were built with his personal funds. Member of many government commissions on economic cooperation with countries such as Russia, China, Lebanon.

Pavel Topouzidis, $100 million

Born in Abkhazia. He made his fortune thanks to tobacco production. Chairman of the Board of the tobacco factory Tabak-Invest LLC. His areas of interest also include real estate transactions, transportation services, and agricultural production. Pavel Georgievich also owns shopping centers, health centers, a pharmacy chain and an elite country club near Minsk.

Alexander Moshensky, 46 years old, $150 million

Organized a business importing frozen fish from Europe in 1993. The business has developed, and today Moshensky is mainly engaged in food production, has a chain of restaurants, and transport services. He is interested in sports.

Vitaly Arbuzov, $200 million

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fenox Global Group holding, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fenox Venture Capital. Graduated from the Polytechnic Institute (mechanical engineering). Came into business in 1989. It is engaged in the production and distribution of auto components, international road transportation, construction, and innovative medical developments. He is interested in expensive cars.

Vyacheslav Zarenkov, $0.5 billion

Has academic degrees. He personally patented several inventions and writes monographs. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Etalon group of companies (LenSpetsSMU). Vyacheslav Adamovich founded the first enterprise of the group in 1987. Engaged in the construction of residential complexes, industrial and commercial facilities. Actively helps orphanages. He enjoys drawing and sports.

Mikhail Abyzov, $1.2 billion

Mikhail Anatolyevich, who is currently the Minister of the Russian Federation in charge of the work of the Open Government, is included in this list as a native of Minsk. Known as a high-quality anti-crisis manager. He worked in the management of RAO UES, RAO Kuzbassrazrezugol, and was engaged in independent business in the field of engineering, construction and energy. He is interested in extreme rallies. Raises four children.

Victor Kisly, more than 1.5 billion dollars

The youngest Belarusian billionaire. He is a physicist by education. Founder and CEO of Wargaming, which gave the world World of Tanks. The office is located in Cyprus. The company also develops and successfully implements other projects. Sponsors military history museums and finances the restoration of military equipment. He is interested in computer games.

Vladimir Peftiev, 1 billion dollars

Since 1993 he organized his own business. He was engaged in the sale of weapons that remained on the territory of Belarus after the collapse of the USSR. Owns an aircraft factory, a lottery company, and has invested in Internet technologies and mobile communications. He is interested in tennis.

Dmitry Mazepin, $1.4 billion

He has two degrees – translator and financier. She worked in many companies in the energy sector, as well as banks. Currently engaged in business in the chemical industry in Russia (Uralchem). He spends a significant portion of the money he earns on charity, helping large families and educational institutions.

Andrey Klyamko, $1.9 billion

Co-owner of the Smart Holding group of companies, whose enterprises belong to the construction industry, agriculture, oil and gas and mining and metallurgical industries. He is interested in sambo.

Andrey Melnichenko, $11.4 billion

A native of the city of Gomel. He started as a banker, then unexpectedly sold a successful business, becoming interested in industry. Among his assets are a coal company, an electric power company, and Eurochem OJSC, one of the largest producers of mineral fertilizers in the world. As a sponsor, he supports sports and education.

In recent years, Belarusian and Russian journalists have assigned the status of dollar millionaires to Arkady Dobkin, Yuri Chizh, Oleg Khusaenov, Anatoly Ternavsky, Sergei Kostyuchenko, Alexander Shakutin, Evgeniy Baskin, Vladimir Vasilko, Sergei Litvin, Alexey Zhukov, Alexey Oleksin.

The richest women in Belarus doing business for 2017. As you can see, not all wealthy women have photos on the Internet. They work, and don’t sit on the Internet, like you and me.

1. Natalia Lutsenko

Citizen of Belarus Natalia Lutsenko, together with her husband, owns 90% of the Sodrugestvo Group of Companies (the largest soybean processor in the CIS). In 2012, Japanese trader Mitsui acquired a 10% stake in the company, valuing it at $2 billion. Last year, the Russian franchise of Forbes magazine once again included Natalia Lutsenko in the top 10 richest Russian women. She took 8th place in it, and her fortune is estimated at $400 million.

Her husband took 131st place in the Forbes list of the richest businessmen in Russia with a capital of $800 million. Alexander Lutsenko also has a Belarusian passport.

2. Lyudmila Antonovskaya

Antonovskaya is the owner of a 94% share in the Polimaster group (development and production of equipment for radiation monitoring), an architect by training. She headed this business in 2006 after the death of her father.

Lyudmila Antonovskaya in 2017 became one of the initiators of the creation of the Innovative Instrument Making Association, which included Polimaster and the largest private instrument-making companies in Belarus.

3. Alma Jauntsemene

In 2017, one of the six owners of a retail and restaurant holding (distributor Stima, Sosedi stores, Pizza Tempo, Vasilki and Sushi Vesla chains) was included for the first time in the top 500 richest businessmen in Lithuania. Alma Jauncemene is a citizen of Lithuania, but, according to the Daily Report, she has a residence permit in Belarus and spends quite a lot of time here. The Lithuanian magazine TOP estimated her fortune at 20 million euros.

4. Svetlana Berezovskaya

Svetlana Berezovskaya, together with her husband, owns the NP-Service food distribution company. Since the mid-2010s, their holding opened a chain of stores near the house “Domashny” and bought out the “Tsentralny” supermarket. However, at the beginning of 2018 it became known that the tax authorities had filed claims against the business owners and a case had been initiated against them. The Berezovsky family was in London at that time.

5. Svetlana Siparova

Co-owner of the Mark Formelle group of companies, which she owns equally with her husband Andrei Serikov. Previously, Siparova’s father owned the Mark Formelle company.

6. Ksenia Shuravko

Co-owner of Onliner, who received a controlling share of the Internet resource after the divorce. Lives in two countries - Belarus and Great Britain.

7. Elena Shigalova

Owner of a controlling stake in the Zhdanovichi trading house. After the death of her husband in 2014, she inherited a controlling stake (67.55%) of the shopping complex. The business is run by her children, who have been reorganizing the company in recent years.

8. Tatyana Koltsova

Co-owner of construction hypermarkets Mile. In 2017, the Astomstroy company, controlled by Tatyana Koltsova and her family, opened the largest construction hypermarket Mile in its network. On January 1, 2018, due to the reconstruction of Aquabela, Novoselkin on the Logoisky Trakt, the first construction hypermarket where the business of the Koltsov family began, ceased operation. A business owner plans to open a new Mile across the street.

9. Svetlana Pomaleyko

Co-owner of the Kashtan group of companies (production of plastic packaging). Her son Kirill is a well-known restaurateur in Gomel; he owns Burger Loft. Last year, Kirill Pomaleiko came into the limelight thanks to ordering a logo for the John Fedor burger joint from Artemy Lebedev’s studio.

10. Vera Reshetina

Director and co-founder of the IT company CactusSoft (another co-founder is husband Andrey Reshetin). In 2014, they opened an office in New York; clients include Yandex, Mail.ru, Yves Rocher, Wargaming.net, etc.

11. Irina Kangerli

Co-owner of the Green Pharmacy chain. The wholesale and retail business it created in the early 1990s includes over 100 pharmacies. The business is managed by her daughter Rugia.

12. Tatyana Krepchuk

In 2007, the owner of Emir Motors (official Toyota dealer in Belarus) Igor Krepchuk came under investigation. His wife became the head of the company, and in 2014, Emir Motors entered the top ten leading dealers in terms of sales volume.

Last year, the Daily Diary notes, was not very successful for the co-owner of a car dealer: the Toyota brand, despite significant market growth, lost several positions in the top ten best-selling new cars and took ninth place. In 2017, 820 units were sold; in 2016, this figure was 1,261 cars.

13. Maria Prokopovich

Owner of a minority share in the Zhdanovichi trading house (32.45%). The asset went to Maria Prokopovich after the death of one of the co-founders of this business, Mikhail Prokopovich. The businessman passed away at the end of 2016.

14. Elena Skripel

Co-owner of the Helen & Valery chain (duty free shops).

15. Tatiana Sanchuk

She owns the Toloka publishing house, founded in 1990. Distributed in the CIS, Baltic countries, Germany, USA, etc. The total annual circulation is more than 72 million copies.

Photo: pixabay.com, 20th Century Fox, probusiness.io, tut.by, facebook

In Belarus, there are often cases when successful businessmen from the chairs of directors of companies and enterprises end up in a prison cell.

Nasha Niva has collected the most high-profile cases of recent years:

Evgeny Shigalov

The owner of the Zhdanovichi market, Evgeny Shigalov, was detained in April 2008. He was charged under criminal article 424, part 3, “Abuse of power or official authority.”

Shigalov had health problems at that time, so the family actively lobbied for the businessman’s release with a request to release him to carry out an operation in London. As a result, Shigalov was released on bail in the amount of $4.5 million. Shigalov later paid another $40 million in damages to the state. In October 2009, Lukashenko released Shigalov from criminal liability. Two years ago, Evgeny Shigalov passed away at the age of 61.

Victor Shevtsov

This “oligarch” was taken into custody in October 2011. Shevtsov implemented projects related to Venezuela. He owned the Belzarubezhstroy company, as well as Trustbank. The company was involved in construction projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Korea. He personally knew Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez.

Lukashenko reacted to the initiation of the case as follows: “If he doesn’t pay the money, he’ll go to jail.” Moreover, the head of state said that Shevtsov must pay two or three times the amount. Shevtsov was accused of embezzling $10 million. In December 2012, the businessman was amnestied.

Yuri Dankov

The owner of the Dankov Club entertainment establishment was arrested right at his workplace in September 2012. The Moskovsky District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 8 years in prison, which he is still serving. A number of charges were brought against Dankov, from tax evasion to involvement in prostitution.

Dankov tried to run for president of Belarus in 2001, but did not collect the required 100 thousand signatures.

Vitaly Kostogorov

A member of the Council of the Republic, businessman Kostogorov had Russian citizenship and also owned luxury real estate in Moscow. His apartment in the Russian capital was valued at $1.5 million.

Kostogorov headed Politex CJSC in Mogilev, which was engaged in the production of “environmentally friendly modern non-woven materials for the textile, light, furniture, and automotive industries.”

In the summer of 2014, Vitaly Kostogorov was detained by Belarusian special services. He was accused of tax evasion. The businessman was released on December 30, 2014, after he paid 340 thousand euros. After that they stopped talking about the criminal case.

Anna Shareiko

Shareiko, like Vitaly Kostogorov, was a member of the upper house of parliament. She headed the Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Farm.

She was stripped of her parliamentary immunity. A trial is currently taking place in the Supreme Court. Anna Shareiko and the feed supplier for her enterprise, Valdemaras Norkusu, are being tried at the same time. On March 15, it turned out that the defendants had filed an application with the registry office. Shareiko strongly denies allegations of corruption.

Vladimir Yaprintsev

The right hand of Yuri Chizh, the head of the judo and sambo federation, Vladimir Yaprintsev was considered one of the richest people in the country. He ended up behind bars in August 2015. His son Kazbek was arrested along with him. KGB head Valery Vakulchik said that Yaprintsev is accused of fraud. According to the unofficial version, Yaprintsev tried to withdraw capital outside of Belarus. He continues to be in jail under investigation.

Andrey Pavlovsky

One of the most successful businessmen in the Grodno region, owner of the Biokom company, Andrei Pavlovsky, is accused of evading taxes in the amount of about $8 million. Pavlovsky spent less than a month in the pre-trial detention center and is currently under house arrest.

Yuri Chizh

This is not the first time that the most famous businessman in Belarus has found himself in a pre-trial detention center. Chizh was already detained in May 2007 in the case of the general director of Belneftekhim Borovsky. However, everyone learned about that incident after the fact.

Now everyone knew about Chizh’s arrest on the same day. Chizh built a powerful business empire, Triple, which was involved in petroleum products and construction. They say that the businessman has recently experienced financial difficulties. Chizh was closely acquainted with Alexander Lukashenko. Since March 11, he has been kept in a KGB pre-trial detention center.

Evgeniy Baskin

Baskin is among the top 10 richest people in Belarus. In the Mogilev region there was no one at all who could compare with Baskin. He built his business on chicken and feed. Everyone in the country knows his brands “Brothers Grill” and “Petrukha”. Baskin was detained on March 14. So far, the security forces have not provided information about what exactly Evgeniy Baskin is accused of.

The ranking includes 25 names. The businessmen who were included in the list showed themselves in entrepreneurship in the period from 1992 to 2017. These bright personalities were at the origins of the formation of new companies, technologies, and industries. These are large taxpayers and employers. Through their activities, they in one way or another influenced the development of the country’s economy.

The authors of the rating are the portal “Daily” and Idea Bank. This project reflects the history of entrepreneurship in Belarus. Businessmen themselves, representatives of social movements, and journalists from other media also participated in this work.

The rating is replete with famous and high-profile names. We'll start with the top three finalists. Third line took Oleg KHUSAENOV (known from Zubr Capital and Atlant-M). His story begins with... window cleaning in the 90s. Later, while studying at the Moscow Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers, he opened one of the largest car dealer companies in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine - the Atlant-M holding. In 2010, Khusaenov left the automobile business and began investing. The company he heads, Zubr Capital, manages the first private equity funds in Belarus - SMH and Zubr Capital Fund I.

Silver went to Arkady DOBKIN (EPAM Systems). After leaving the Institute of Powder Metallurgy, he founded a software production cooperative. In the early 90s, Arkady Dobkin emigrated to the USA, and a couple of years later he created EPAM Systems. An important boost to the software development business was the contract for SAP. In 2012, Arkady Dobkin and his partners brought EPAM Systems to the New York Stock Exchange, over which the flag of Belarus appeared for the first time in history.

And the first line and the title “The Best” went to Alexander MOSHENSKY. (“Santa Impex Brest”, “Santa Bremor”, “Savushkin Product”, “Russian Sea”).

The graduate of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of BSU did not go to graduate school, but chose a family business. Together with his father, he went from a small company to one of the leaders in the food market of the former Soviet Union. In 2000, Alexander Moshensky became the head of the business and launched the Santa Bremor plant in Brest. In 2012, the businessman acquired a large fish processing plant in Russia - Russian Sea. Since 2006, he has been the owner of a controlling stake in Savushkina Product.

-Then in this top ten the names appear in this order: Valentin BAIKO

(“Conte Spa”, Brest Hosiery Factory, Turov Dairy Factory). Initially he worked as a primary school teacher, then together with his family he sold cosmetics and household chemicals.- Yuri CHIZH

(“Triple”, FC “Dynamo-Minsk”, ProStore, “Kvartsmelprom”, Berezovsky Plant of Silicate Products, “Danprod”, “Aquatriple”, Minsk Sparkling Wine Factory). The USSR Master of Sports in Greco-Roman wrestling started his business in the 90s with the production of double-glazed windows and soft drinks.(“Puchet”, “Olympus”). He is a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. The Pushe brand existed for less than 10 years, but was remembered by many.

- Vitaly ARBUZOV(Fenox Automative Components, Fenox Venture Capital, Preston). The young engineer made a lucrative deal with Siemens, purchasing from him virtually the entire East German Bremse Hydraulik plant.

- Alexander CENTER(“A-100”). A mechanical engineer in the 90s started from a niche that was difficult for that time. However, now the A-100 gas station network is the largest private gas station business in Belarus.

11. Alexey Zhukov (Alutech, Guenther Tore Systems).
12 Evgeniy Baskin (“Servolux Agro”, “Smolevichi Broiler”, “Ekomol”, “Agrolink”, “Unimit”, “Belatmit”).
13. Victor Prokopenya (VP Capital, Viaden Media).
14. Alexander Shakutin (Amkodor, Saleo, Interservice, PMI Group, Spamash Group, Absolutbank, Shanter, Iskamed, Oil Bitumen Plant, Kupalovskoye).
15. Pavel Topuzidis (“Tabak-Invest”).
16. Sergey Litvin (“Eurotorg”, Minsk Grape Wine Factory, “Statusbank”).
17. Yuri Zisser (“TUT BY Media”).
18. Mikhail Moshensky (“Nila”, “Santa Impex Brest”, “Santa Bremor”).
19. Yuri Gursky (Haxus, Viaden Media).
20. Vladimir Vasilko (“Eurotorg”, Minsk Grape Wine Factory, “Statusbank”).
21. Pyotr Martsev (“Marat”).
22. Evgeny Shigalov (Trading house “Zhdanovichi”).
23. Nikolai Martynov (“Marco”, “Dvinsky Brovar”).
24. Adam Palyukhovich (“Dainova”).
25. Vladimir Peftiev (“Beltechexport”, “Beltech Holding”, “Mobile Digital Communications”, “Business Network”, “Sports Pari”, “BT Telecommunications”).