Mikhail Khodorkovsky is a businessman, an ex-owner of Yukos. In 2003, he became the richest citizen of the country. His assets were valued at $ 15 billion. Two years later, he was accused of tax evasion and sentenced to 13 years in prison. And the Yukos company went bankrupt. In this article, we will find out who Khodorkovsky is and briefly describe his biography. So let's get started.
Childhood
1963 - the year when Mikhail Khodorkovsky was born. The family of the future oligarch lived modestly and even poorly. The boy’s parents worked as simple engineers at the Caliber plant, which was engaged in the production of precision measuring equipment. Until 1971, the Khodorkovsky family lived in a communal apartment. Then they got their own apartment.
Study
From childhood, the boy was fond of chemistry and natural experiments. Parents decided to develop this talent in their son. They sent little Khodorkovsky to school with an in-depth study of mathematics and chemistry. The boy studied very well. After leaving school, Mikhail entered the University of Chemical Technology. He was considered the best student of the course. And this despite the fact that due to lack of funds he had to earn extra money. In 1986, the hero of this article received a diploma of a process engineer.
Immediately after graduation, Mikhail Khodorkovsky organized the Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of Youth (NTTM). This was the young man’s first business project on which he made good money. In parallel with this activity, Mikhail received the second highest at the Plekhanov Institute. There he met Alexei Golubichev, who was a relative of a major official of the USSR State Bank. This predetermined the fate of Khodorkovsky.
Bank Menatep
Acquaintance with Golubichev helped Mikhail to organize his own business. In 1989, Khodorkovsky opened the Menatep Commercial Bank, becoming the head of the board. He also received a license from the State Bank, which allowed him to conduct monetary operations at Rosvooruzhenie, the Ministry of Finance and the Tax.
New position
By 1992, many businessmen already knew who Khodorkovsky was. Having secured acquired ties, Mikhail decided to expand the business and switched to the oil sector. Soon he was appointed to the post of chairman of the fuel and energy complex and the Investment Fund of Industry. Thanks to this position, Mikhail Borisovich received all the powers and rights of the Deputy Minister of Energy and Fuel. A few months later, the future tycoon took this post officially. To get this job, Khodorkovsky had to abandon the position of the head of the Menatep bank. But in fact, the reins remained in his hands.
Change of strategy
At that time, Mikhail Borisovich seriously thought about the reorganization of the Menatep Bank. He decided to review his strategy. Now the bank focused solely on large customers who not only carried out financial transactions, but also used organizational services in terms of resolving issues of a state nature. Over time, Menatep completely switched to the investment industry. The main areas of activity were building materials, metallurgy, as well as the chemical and food industries.
Yukos
In 1995, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets received an offer from Khodorkovsky to exchange 10% of Menatep Bank for a 45% stake in Yukos. At that time, this state-owned oil refinery was in a state of crisis.Soon, an auction was held, as a result of which the agreed percentage of shares passed into the possession of Bank Menatep. Then Mikhail found several investors and bought another 33% stake in Yukos. According to some sources, it cost him $ 300 million. Later, the hero of our story brought the size of his package to 90%.
Now everyone has learned who Khodorkovsky is. Mikhail Borisovich became the full owner of Yukos. He immediately began to take the company out of the crisis. But for the implementation of the task, the assets of Menatep were few. The oligarch attracted money from third-party banks and within six years brought Yukos out of the crisis. The company led the global energy market with a capital of approximately $ 40 million. And the hero of this article became one of the wealthiest people in the Russian Federation.
The Case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky
In October 2003, the oligarch was arrested at the Novosibirsk airport. Mikhail was charged with tax evasion and embezzlement of state funds. After that, a search was carried out in the Yukos office, and all the accounts and shares of the company were arrested by the State Office of Public Prosecutor. Subsequently, the court confirmed the version of the investigation, according to which Khodorkovsky organized a criminal group in 1994. Her main activity was aimed at seizing illegally by shares of various companies at a lower cost. Securities were then sold at market rates.
As a result of the lawsuit, the Yukos company began to "fall apart." Oil export was stopped, and all the assets of the enterprise went to pay off debt to the state. The sentence was handed down to Khodorkovsky in May 2005. Mikhail was sentenced to 8 years in prison. The investigation into other Yukos managers has continued.
Second case
Its first results appeared in 2006. In relation to Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev (head of the Menatep board of directors) instituted a second criminal case. This time they were charged with theft of oil. The indictment consisted of 14 volumes. Khodorkovsky himself called it complete absurdity. After all, if he could steal all the oil, which is about 350 million tons, how would he be able to pay taxes and salaries to employees, as well as develop new fields?
The trial lasted four years. In 2010, Lebedev and Khodorkovsky were found guilty and, on the aggregate of charges, were sentenced to 14 years in prison. A little later, the term was reduced by 12 months. Convicts were escorted to Segezha (Karelia). In Russia, a public discussion of this criminal case began. Several famous people have condemned the former oil tycoon. Among them were Boris Nemtsov, Yuri Luzhkov, Boris Akunin and many others.
After release
In December 2013, Khodorkovsky was pardoned. The corresponding decree was personally signed by Vladimir Putin. As soon as the former head of Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovsky left the prison, he went to Berlin to speak at a press conference. There, an ex-businessman declared his unwillingness to engage in politics or sponsor the opposition of the Russian Federation. Mikhail Borisovich planned to engage exclusively in public activities aimed at the release of Russian political prisoners.
In 2014, after a coup in Ukraine, he arrived on the Maidan and announced his readiness to become a peacemaker. He spoke to the people with harsh criticism of the Russian authorities. He called Ukrainian nationalists wonderful people who were able to defend their freedom.
In December 2015, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was put on the international wanted list and arrested in absentia. He was charged with the murder of two or more persons. Currently, the ex-businessman lives in Switzerland.
Personal life
Now you have an idea of who Khodorkovsky is. It remains only to talk about his personal life. Michael was married twice. With his first wife, Elena, he met while still studying at the institute. In 1985, the girl gave birth to Khodorkovsky’s son Pavel, who currently lives in the United States.According to Michael himself, his first marriage was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he still maintains friendly relations with his ex-wife.
In 1991, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose biography was presented above, married a second time. The chosen one of the oil tycoon was an employee of the Menatep bank named Inna. In the second marriage, Michael gained prosperity, mutual understanding and love. Soon Inna gave birth to Khodorkovsky's daughter Anastasia, and in 1999 the twins Ilya and Gleb (now they study and live in Switzerland).
