Marina Vekselberg's middle name. Who guards the hearth of the oligarchs
Creator of the foundation with the symbolic name “Good Century”
"Biography"
Education
Graduated from MIIT
Activity
He heads the Dobry Vek charity support foundation (founded in 2002), which helps children and adults with mental disorders.
The main work of the foundation is to support state and public organizations; the foundation oversees more than 100 projects for the rehabilitation of mental patients and helps create rehabilitation centers.
The foundation holds a festival of creativity for people with mental disorders “Ariadne’s Thread”.
Since 2008, together with the Nikita Mikhalkov Foundation, “Urga-Territory of Love” has been helping film veterans.
Family
Married. Children: daughter and son.
"Family"
Husband - Russian entrepreneur, manager, president of the Skolkovo Foundation, chairman of the board of directors of the Renova group of companies. After Rosneft purchased 50% of TNK-BP in October 2012, Vekselberg became the richest man in Russia: his fortune, according to Bloomberg, increased by $1.5 billion and was estimated at $18 billion; Vekselberg beat Alisher Usmanov, who had headed the list of Russian billionaires since March 2012, by $700 million. Currently (as of 2016) lives in Russia.
Son - - Works at the Columbus Nova investment fund, part of the Renova structure, owns two car dealerships in the United States of America
Daughter — — Director of the Specialized Endowment Fund “Faberge Museum”, worked in the structures of “Renova”, as an investment specialist
"Companies"
"Good Century"
"News"
“Our American cousin”: what Vekselberg risks losing in the USA
Viktor Vekselberg and his Renova turned out to be the most unexpected targets of the latest US sanctions. RBC figured out what Vekselberg has in the United States and what damage sanctions could cause to his interests in the West
One among strangers
The main surprise of the new US sanctions against Russia, announced on April 6, was the inclusion in them of the owner of the Renova group, Viktor Vekselberg, perhaps the most loyal Russian “oligarch” to the American establishment with extensive connections and interests in the West. In 2005, an American court called Vekselberg a “permanent resident of the United States.” And last year, it was Vekselberg who told Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum about how the Russia-US business dialogue is going, and on behalf of American and Russian business he expressed hope for the development of economic relations.
What the wives of the richest Russian businessmen and officials look like
Every year, Forbes, the favorite magazine of hunters for big easy money, compiles a list of the richest people in Russia. Their number invariably includes Alisher Usmanov, Andrey Melnichenko, Ziyad Manasir, Vladimir Potanin and other equally famous personalities.
It is noteworthy that almost all of them are happily married. We decided to see what kind of great women are behind the most influential and richest men in our country.
The wives of the majority of participants in the ranking of the richest people in Russia according to Forbes lead an extremely private lifestyle. Their names appear in the press either in connection with high-profile breakups, as in the case of Dasha Zhukova and Natalya Potanina, or in connection with personal successes, as in the case of the President of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Irina Viner or the famous psychologist Elena Feigin.
Non-public personality of Marina Dobrynina
Marina is the institute’s first love, constant life partner and wife of the world-famous Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Today she looks much younger than her 57-year-old husband, although they are almost the same age. And it is not surprising, because any woman, and especially the wife of a famous person, is simply obliged to look perfect, beautiful and charming, even despite the fact that she is not a public figure and tries to appear in public and communicate with the press as little as possible. With Victor, they studied at the university together, after which they got married. And even then the young wife immediately went into the shadows, completely devoting herself to the family and raising two children.
10 oligarchs who love smart people.
Marina Dobrynina, the modest and intelligent wife of Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of the board of directors of the Renova group of companies, decided to devote her life to children. They studied together at MIIT, met on a student trip, got married after graduating from high school.
Who is “covering the rear” of the Russian oligarchs?
Among those who hide their significant other from the general public is multimillionaire, owner of the Renova group of companies and general director of the Skolkovo innovation center Viktor Vekselberg. “His wife Marina Dobrynina never appeared in the gossip sections, you won’t see her on TV, and the press wrote about her only a couple of times, and then only one line at a time. For the first time, the wife of one of the richest people in Russia appeared before the public in the Sverdlovsk region, and not even in Yekaterinburg, but in small Severouralsk, writes Ura.Ru. — Marina Dobrynina really doesn’t look like a socialite
Vekselberg's wife has been declassified. PHOTOS are published for the first time
The spouses of many large businessmen are socialites, extravagant party girls, and queens of prestigious parties. Other oligarchs try not to show their chosen ones to the general public. Among the latter is multimillionaire Viktor Vekselberg. His wife Marina Dobrynina never appeared in the gossip sections, you won’t see her on TV, and the press wrote about her only a couple of times, and then only one line at a time. For the first time, the wife of one of the richest people in Russia appeared before the public in the Sverdlovsk region, and not even in Yekaterinburg, but in small Severouralsk. Exclusive photographs of the billionaire and her love story are in the material “URA.Ru”.
The wives of Russian oligarchs preferred charity
Marina Dobrynina, wife of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renova CJSC Viktor Vekselberg, founder, together with her husband, of the Good Century charity support foundation. Assistance to patients in psychiatric hospitals and their relatives, activities aimed at reforming the mental health care system as a whole. “Good Century” collaborates with Nikita Mikhalkov’s foundation “Urga - Territory of Love”, helping film veterans. The businessman does not advertise this activity. More famous are his “Link of Times” foundation and Faberge eggs.
The Mikhalkov Foundation allocated about 5 million rubles to help film veterans
“At the last festival we presented our foundation, and today we would like to talk about what we have already managed to do, what specific assistance we have been able to provide,” said Mikhalkov. “The very idea of creating such a fund that could provide financial and medical assistance to film veterans came to me after I despaired of fighting with representatives of the Moscow Union of Cinematographers, who did not want to understand and do not want to understand that it is necessary to create a pension fund.”
Cultural and Historical Foundation “Link of Times”
At the same time, Viktor Vekselberg and his wife Marina established the Dobry Vek family foundation, which provides support to people with mental illnesses and is engaged in reform of the mental health care system.
Serious Conversations of the Film Elite: Film Academy Lunch
Finally, the main organizer of what was happening, Nikita Mikhalkov, appeared. After greeting his acquaintances, he gave several interviews and introduced journalists to Marina Dobrynina, a colleague of the Urga - Territory of Love fund for helping cinema veterans, the head of the Good Century charity organization, and the wife of businessman Viktor Vekselberg.
The wife of... Viktor Vekselberg came to Rossel
Candidate Rossel gives it his all. He has a cold and is tired, but he holds fifteen meetings a day, gets up in the dark and goes to bed late in the evening. Our correspondent continues to accompany the governor on this trip. In the next report - about the meeting of the head of the region with the wife of Viktor Vekselberg, the new political star of the Sverdlovsk region and the first “matyuka” of Eduard Rossel.
Gala reception organized by the Fund for Assistance to Cinema Veterans “Urga - Territory of Love”
The reception was opened by Nikita Sergeevich Mikhalkov and President of the Good Century Foundation Marina Dobrynina. The reception was attended by stars of Soviet and Russian cinema.
Who's whose husband
The famous businessman Viktor Vekselberg met his wife Marina Dobrynina during his student years. The couple have two adult children - a daughter and a son. Marina Dobrynina is a former scientist who now heads the Good Century charity foundation.
Fund for assistance to cinema veterans “Urga – Territory of Love”
Providing assistance to cinema veterans is a joint project of the Fund for Assistance to Cinema Veterans “Urga - Territory of Love” (President – Nikita Sergeevich Mikhalkov, Executive Director – Klim Anatolyevich Lavrentiev) and the V. Vekselberg family foundation – Charitable Support Fund “Good Century” (President – Marina Viktorovna Dobrynina, executive director – Valentina Konstantinovna Timonina).
What girl doesn't dream of marrying a billionaire? Okay, as a last resort - a millionaire. And what are the girls willing to do to meet generally accepted ideas about the wives of the richest! Diets, plastic surgery, first Botox at 19... And all because there is a stereotype: the spouses of billionaires are young, fit, long-legged, busty, high-cheeked, with 30-carat eyes. Hmm, but is that true?
Melinda Gates - wife of Bill Gates
Melinda, 51, has been married to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 60, for more than 20 years. The couple has three children and is actively involved in charity work. Fortunately, there is somewhere to get money for good deeds - Bill Gates still tops the ranking of the richest people on the planet. His fortune in 2015 was estimated at $79.2 billion.
You will be surprised, but the unusual Zuckerberg couple among billionaires is rather the rule than the exception. Let's prove this clearly - we publish photos of the wives of the richest men on the planet.
We took billionaires from the top twenty of the Forbes ranking for 2015, excluding widowers, divorced people and those who, for some reason, hide their spouses from the paparazzi.
By the way, in an interview, Bill Gates said that when they met, Melinda charmed him... with flat shoes. The fact is that a little earlier he had read that the lower the girls’ heels, the higher their intelligence. And he believed this controversial statement.
But in the case of my future wife I was not mistaken!
Astrid Menks - wife of Warren Buffett
In second place in the Forbes ranking for last year is 85-year-old American entrepreneur Warren Buffett ($72.7 billion). 9 years ago he married Astrid Menks, a native of the USSR. The age difference between the “young” is 16 years: he is 85, she is 69. Before the wedding, the couple spent 29 years together! The couple met in a cafe in Nebraska, where Astrid Menks worked as a simple waitress.
Flora Perez Marcote - wife of Amancio Ortega
Last year, Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega was in fourth place in the Forbes world ranking - his fortune was estimated at $64.5 billion. The rich man married for the second time in 2001.
His chosen one was Flora Perez Marcote, who had previously worked for Ortega as a secretary for a long time.
Julia Koch - wife of David Koch
David Koch owns a substantial sum of $42.9 billion. Much more is known about his fortune than about his wife, Julia Margaret Flesher. The couple got married in 1996. They are raising three children. The brilliant Julia could become the star of social events, but instead she devotes her time to her family and the Koch charitable foundation. Julia appears publicly very rarely.
Melanie Walton - wife of Robson Walton
Robson Walton, the son of the founder of the Wal-Mart chain of stores, is in 12th place in the Forbes ranking at the end of 2015. His fortune is estimated at $39.1 billion. Robson Walton married for the third time in 2005. His beloved Melanie will turn 42 this year, and Robson himself will be 72 in October.
Hélène Mercier - wife of Bernard Arnault
French businessman Bernard Arnault, whose fortune is estimated at $37.2 billion, is married for the second time - to the famous pianist from Canada Hélène Mercier. In her marriage, the owner of the fashion houses Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Kenzo had three sons. In an interview, the pianist says that she was captivated by the way Bernard Arnault plays Chopin, and not by his money.
By the way, it is from Bernard Arnault’s son, Antoine, that model Natalia Vodianova is now expecting her fifth child.
Diana Taylor - girlfriend of Michael Bloomberg
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is ranked 14th in Forbes' 2015 ranking. His fortune is $35.5 billion. Officially, 73-year-old Bloomberg is now divorced, but since 2000 he has been in a civil marriage with 60-year-old Diana Taylor (she is a successful investment banker). The couple has repeatedly stated that they see no point in officially registering their relationship.
By the way, the day before it became known that Michael Bloomberg is ready to compete for the presidency of the United States. Perhaps, if he wins, he will still give Diana a gift in the form of the official status of First Lady?
Priscilla Chan - wife of Mark Zuckerberg
The 31-year-old founder of Facebook is in 16th place in the Forbes ranking for 2015 with a fortune of $33.4 billion. Billions are shared with him by 30-year-old Priscilla Chan, whom Zuckerberg married in 2012.
And recently - in December 2015 - Priscilla gave her husband a daughter, who was named Max.
As the couple admitted, they took a very long time to have a child - Priscilla had 3 miscarriages. But, thank God, now they have charming Max, whom the famous parents, judging by their Facebook posts, simply dote on!
Miriam Oxhorn - wife of Sheldon Adelson
The 82-year-old American businessman with $31.4 billion in his account is married for the second time - to 71-year-old Miriam Oxhorn. The couple has been together for 25 years. But the story of their acquaintance cannot be called happy. Sheldon and Miriam met at a drug clinic. The king of the gambling business visited his son from his first marriage there, and his future wife was a doctor. Alas, in 2005, Sheldon Adelson’s son died of a drug overdose; he was never cured. Miriam Oxhorn continues to conduct research on the fight against drug addiction.
Lucinda Southworth - Larry Page's wife
The fortune of one of the founders of the Google search engine was estimated at $29.7 billion in 2015 and it continues to grow steadily. 9 years ago, Larry Page, after just a few months of dating, married Lucinda Southworth, who is 7 years younger than him. Not much is known about Page's chosen one - she avoids publicity. The media only managed to find out that the girl studied biomedical informatics.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER FOREIGN RICH PEOPLE?
Melania Knavs - wife of Donald Trump
American businessman Donald Trump, who aspires to the presidency, did not make it into the top twenty richest people on the planet. His fortune is $10 billion. But I still want to mention his spectacular wife. The outrageous entrepreneur decided on a third marriage in 2004. He married Melania Knavs from Slovenia, who is 24 years younger than him. Two years later, the beautiful Melania gave Trump a fifth son.
In addition to five children, the youngest of whom is only 10 years old, Trump currently has 7 grandchildren.
Tamika Bolton - wife of George Soros
No. 29 on the Forbes world list - George Soros - owns $24.2 billion. At the moment, he is 85 years old, which does not prevent the financier from leading an active life. Personal, including. In 2013, the billionaire married Tamika Bolton, who sold dietary supplements and vitamins and also taught yoga. This is already the third marriage for George Soros. The chosen one is 42 years younger than him!
WHAT ABOUT OUR BILLIONAIRE?
We also studied the personal lives of the top five Russians in the Forbes world ranking for 2015. The first two places went to divorced businessmen - Vladimir Potanin ($15.4 billion) and Mikhail Fridman ($14.6 billion).
And fifth on the list, Alexey Mordashov ($13 billion), reliably hides his second wife Elena from camera flashes. Perhaps the desire to avoid publicity is dictated by the bitter experience after the first marriage of the general director of Severstal OJSC. Let us remember that the businessman divorced his previous wife (also Elena) in 1996, but until 2003 all newspapers wrote about their litigation. Mordashov's ex-wife demanded a share in his property. The court rejected her. Almost nothing is known about Alexei’s second wife, except her name and the fact that she gave birth to two sons to the billionaire.
And we can show you the beautiful wives of the other two billionaires of the top five.
Irina Winner - wife of Alisher Usmanov
Since 1992, entrepreneur Alisher Usmanov (net worth: $14.4 billion, 71st place in the Forbes world ranking) has been married to rhythmic gymnastics coach Irina Viner.
Alisher Usmanov proposed to his beloved beautifully. He sent her a handkerchief. And according to Uzbek traditions, this means a marriage proposal.
Marina Vekselberg - wife of Viktor Vekselberg
The fortune of the president of the Skolkovo Foundation, Viktor Vekselberg, is estimated at $14.2 billion (73rd place in the Forbes world ranking for 2015). The billionaire hides his soulmate, Marina Vekselberg (nee Dobrynina), from the general public. The paparazzi managed to photograph her only a few times. Vekselberg's wife turned out to be a surprisingly sweet and pleasant middle-aged woman. As the plastic surgeons who were shown Marina’s photo noted, no traces of any intervention were visible either on her face or on her figure. It is known that the couple met during their student years. During their marriage, Marina and Victor raised two children.
The exact date of birth of Marina Dobrynina did not appear in the media, but she is almost the same age as her husband, who was born in 1957.
You won’t see Viktor Vekselberg’s wife on the covers of glossy magazines; she doesn’t give interviews or attend social events. There is almost no information about it in the public domain.
It is only known that the future spouses met in their youth. They were students at the Moscow Institute of Railway Transport Engineers (MIIT) and met on one of the hikes. And after graduating from university, they got married. The couple has two adult children: the eldest daughter Irina (b. 1979) and the youngest son Alexander (b. 1988).
Marina was engaged in scientific activities, and now heads the Good Century charity foundation. This organization, founded in 2002, helps children and adults with mental disorders.
For the first time, the public saw in person the wife of one of the richest people in Russia at the opening of a children's somatic clinic in Severouralsk, where Sevuralboxytrud, the brainchild of Viktor Feliksovich, was located. The clinic staff did not immediately realize that this was the wife of a billionaire, she behaved so modestly.
Vekselberg himself rarely appears with her in public, trying not to make his personal life known to journalists.
The wives of most participants in the Forbes ranking of Russia's richest businessmen avoid publicity. Their names appear in the press either in connection with high-profile divorces, as in the case of Elena Rybolovleva and Natalia Potanina, or - much less often - in connection with personal successes, as in the case of Irina Viner and Stella Kesaeva.
The most discussed event in the personal lives of billionaires last year was the second wedding of Vladimir Potanin. Tatler magazine spoke about the ceremony. According to the publication, the new leader of the Forbes ranking married for the second time three months after divorcing his first wife, the mother of his three children, Natalia Potanina. Very little is known about the new wife of Russia’s richest businessman. According to rumors, she is 39 years old and was a subordinate of Potanin. Due to a lack of information, Ekaterina Potanina was not included in this list.
Irina Viner, wife of Alisher Usmanov
Husband: Alisher Usmanov, founder and main shareholder of USM Holdings, worth $14.4 billion (No. 3 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes).
What she does: head coach of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team, trained several Olympic champions, including Alina Kabaeva.
How they met: Irina Viner-Usmanova and Alisher Usmanov met in a gym in Tashkent, where she practiced rhythmic gymnastics from the age of 11, and he practiced fencing. They later met in Moscow, when Wiener was already working as a gymnastics coach, and Usmanov was a student at MGIMO. Soon they began to live together. Usmanov made a marriage proposal while sitting in prison, after he was sentenced to 8 years in prison in the so-called “cotton case” (In 1989, the court overturned Usmanov’s conviction, and in 2000, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan recognized that the conviction 1980 is unfair. Thus, the billionaire was found innocent of the crimes charged to him and has no criminal record). From the conclusion, Usmanov sent Wiener a handkerchief, which, according to Uzbek custom, means a marriage proposal. They got married in 1992.
Children: Irina has a son, Anton Viner, but no children together.
“I think that a loved one, a favorite activity is happiness given from above. Therefore, you need, no matter what, not to give up or betray this happiness” (in an interview with Forbes Woman).
“The wife makes the husband. At the request of a woman, a man becomes the same person she imagined him to be. I always told Alisher: “You are a genius! You're great!" And he became like this, although he went through many trials” (in an interview with Hello! magazine).
Marina Dobrynina, wife of Viktor Vekselberg
Husband: Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of the board of the Renova group of companies, worth $14.2 billion (No. 4 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes).
What he does: heads the Dobry Vek charity support foundation (founded in 2002), which helps children and adults with mental disorders. The main work of the foundation is to support state and public organizations; the foundation oversees more than 100 projects for the rehabilitation of mental patients and helps create rehabilitation centers. The foundation holds a festival of creativity for people with mental disorders “Ariadne’s Thread”. Since 2008, together with the Nikita Mikhalkov Foundation, “Urga-Territory of Love” has been helping film veterans. Vekselberg also has his own charitable foundation, “Link of Times.”
How we met: Marina and Victor studied together at MIIT, met on a student trip, got married after graduating from university.
Children: daughter and son.
Lyudmila Lisina, wife of Vladimir Lisin
Husband: Vladimir Lisin, chairman of the board of directors of the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works, fortune $11.6 billion (No. 8 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes).
What she does: owner of the Seasons gallery on Sretensky Boulevard. “Seasons” is a chamber gallery where, as a rule, works from private collections closed to the general public are exhibited. Lyudmila collects Russian artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The hobby is already more than ten years old; the impetus for the collection was a painting by her favorite artist Petrov-Vodkin, a gift from her husband.
How we met: Lyudmila and Vladimir Lisin were classmates, sitting at the same desk.
Children: three sons
Quote: “I believe that a collector is constantly learning. I myself can call myself a novice collector and strive to constantly expand my knowledge about the authors that interest me” (in an interview with Forbes Woman).
Elena Timchenko, wife of Gennady Timchenko
Husband: Gennady Timchenko, member of the board of directors of OJSC Novatek, net worth $10.7 (No. 9 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What he does: co-founder of the Elena and Gennady Timchenko charitable foundation. Elena Timchenko is a citizen of Finland. Several years ago, she was listed as the president of the Swiss foundation for socio-cultural orientation Foundation Neva, registered in 2008. Together with her husband, she was co-director of the Luxembourg companies Carring Finance S.A., Maples S.A. and Sogeco Holding S.A., and also owned with him on a parity basis the company Sogeco Perticipation S.a.r.l. In December 2012, Elena Timchenko and her daughter Ksenia Frank received the Order of Friendship for strengthening cooperation with Russia.
How we met: no information
Children: a son and two daughters, the youngest daughter is Ksenia Frank, the wife of Gleb Frank, the son of Sofcomflot CEO Sergei Frank.
Quote: “I can honestly say that I don’t use a computer. So Lena, my wife, took courses, mastered the Internet and now communicates with employees by e-mail. One and a half hundred letters arrive a day, and each one must be answered. This is the custom among educated people. Imagine how much they will send me! I don’t have time to correspond with the whole world” (Gennady Timchenko in an interview with TASS).
Alexandra Melnichenko, wife of Andrei Melnichenko
Husband: Andrey Melnichenko, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eurochem, worth $9.1 billion (No. 13 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What she does: Alexandra Melnichenko, nee Sandra Nikolic, is a former model and lead singer of the Belgrade group Models. Now he takes care of his family and enjoys fashion and design. Alexandra loves Moscow and plans to open a boutique restaurant in the city that will sell eco-products and eco-cosmetics.
How we met: with friends in the south of France in 2003. Then the businessman came to visit his friend, whose girlfriend invited Sandra for company. In 2005, Melnichenko and Nikolic had a luxurious wedding on the Cote d'Azur, which cost the groom $30 million. A copy of the ancient Russian chapel where they got married was built especially for the newlyweds. For three hundred guests, planes and a five-star hotel in Cannes were booked, in the rooms of which evening dresses and tuxedos for men were waiting for guests. Julio and Enrique Iglesias, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera performed at the wedding. The famous French chef Alain Ducasse was in charge of the treats.
Quote: “The wife of a billionaire is a full-time job! Every day is a working day for me: I think about, plan and create the style and lifestyle that suits both of us. We have three houses in three countries - and every chair, every plate was chosen by me” (in an interview with Tatler magazine).
Elena Perminova, wife of Alexander Lebedev
Husband: Alexander Lebedev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Reserve Corporation, fortune $0.4 billion (No. 188 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What she does: Alexander Lebedev’s common-law wife, model Elena Perminova, is 27 years younger than the billionaire. Perminova was born in the city of Berdsk, began working as a model early, and at the age of 16 she got a job in one of the capital's modeling agencies. Perminova still participates in fashion shows and shoots for glossy magazines. In 2011, the model replaced Dasha Zhukova at the main post of Pop magazine. Elena Perminova lives with her children in London.
How we met: According to one version, Elena’s father wrote to Lebedev, who at that time was a deputy working on a bill on witness protection. When Perminova was 17 years old, she was charged with drug distribution, which threatened her with a criminal sentence of up to 6 years in prison. The father asked the deputy to help his minor daughter get out of the situation. The billionaire not only saved Elena from criminal liability - she was sentenced to probation - but also eventually started a family with her.
Children: three children together, two sons and a daughter
Quote: “I raise children purely intuitively. And Sasha, my husband, we completely agree on. We have our own view of life, and I try to raise my children according to this principle” (in an interview with the Daughters-Mothers website).
Dasha Zhukova, wife of Roman Abramovich
Husband: Roman Abramovich, private investor, net worth $12 billion (No. 12 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What she does: founder of the Garage Center for Contemporary Art museum, was editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Pop, heads Garage Magazine, one of the creators of the Kova & T clothing brand.
How we met: Before meeting Abramovich, Dasha dated Russian tennis player Marat Safin. Zhukova and Abramovich met in 2005 at a party in Barcelona, at the Hilton Hotel, after the victory of the Chelsea football club, owned by a businessman, over Barcelona. Neither Zhukova nor Abramovich give interviews about their personal life together. Only in January 2015, Zhukova mentioned in a conversation with the editor of The Wall Street Journal that they got married a couple of years after they met, that is, about six years ago.
Children: Son Aaron Alexander (born in 2009) and daughter Leah (born in 2013). Roman Abramovich has 5 more children from a previous marriage.
“I can’t say if I’m a good cook. I don't cook at all. When I was in college, we made a lot of Mexican food: omelettes and simple appetizers. But I love to bake, I love making cookies, cupcakes and cakes.”
“For me, work is not just work, it is always pleasure” (in an interview with The Guardian).
Galina Tsvetkova, wife of Nikolai Tsvetkov
Husband: Nikolai Tsvetkov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FC Uralsib, fortune $1.25 billion (No. 66 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What she does: since 2002, owner and chairman of the board of directors of OJSC Imperial Porcelain Factory. owner of the Lomonosov porcelain factory. It was Tsvetkova who returned the historical name “Imperial” to the plant. In this position, she implemented several strategic projects related to the revival of Russian porcelain art. In 2012, the general meeting of shareholders elected a member of the board of directors of FC Uralsib.
How we met: When Galina and Nikolai met, he was a career military man. When Tsvetkov graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, he was sent to serve in the Far East. Galina went through all the difficulties of garrison life with him, the family lived in dormitories, and during the business trip the Tsvetkovs had children.
Children: two daughters
“To be honest, when we decided at the family council that I would head the supervisory board of the IPP, I had no idea of the degree of responsibility. Firstly, for the team - many have been working here for decades, this is their life... How to make redundancies? What to do with extremely unprofitable divisions? There are obligations to the city. In front of the country, in the end."
“For our family, this project is not only commercial. This is the history and pride of Russia.” (interview with Vedomosti newspaper).
Ella Yakobashvili, wife of David Yakobashvili
Husband: David Yakobashvili, private investor, net worth $0.95 (No. 102 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes).
What she does: Ella Yakobashvili is the niece of one of the founders of Wimm-Bill-Dann, Gavriil Yushvaev, lives in France.
How we met: In the 90s, Yakobashvili and his partners opened the Ginseng beauty salon and the Trinity company, where the businessman’s future wife came to work as a secretary. Ella and David got married in 1991.
Children: son
Quote: “All life is business. But what is a private life: eating, drinking, socializing and riding a motorcycle? Why divide it somehow, everything is too interconnected” (David Yakobashvili in an interview with Posta Magazine).
“My wife is in France. Whenever possible, I fly to her on weekends. I love being on the road. Besides, I have my own real estate business in Europe... I don’t feel lonely. We are talking. Now there are many electronic devices for this. Over these twenty years I have already gotten used to it. My whole life is in the office. I come home literally for a few hours - to sleep. I get up and go back to work. Work is the most important thing in my life” (David Yakobashvili in an interview with Itogi magazine).
Stella Kesaeva, wife of Igor Kesaev
Husband: Igor Kesaev 34, owner of the Mercury group of companies, fortune $3 billion (No. 34 in the ranking of the richest Russians according to Forbes)
What he does: Contemporary art collector, philanthropist, publisher. Founder of the Stella Art Foundation, commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale. Owns the largest collection of Western and Russian artists in Russia, which includes 1,500 works. Stella’s husband helps finance the gallery. In 2004, Kesaeva organized the first exhibition of Ilya and Emilia Kabakov in Russia - “An Incident in a Museum and Other Installations” in the Hermitage.
Children: three children
Quote: “I grew up in the North, where my father worked as a geologist - there was no art there, only stones and the northern lights. During the holidays I went to Moscow and Leningrad, stood in lines at film festivals. And after getting married and moving to Moscow, there was absolutely nothing to do: children, housekeeping, no money, and it was unclear how to live further. In the early 1990s, we moved abroad, and I started visiting museums in New York and Geneva. Contemporary artists have become a real discovery for me. In general, what is more interesting to me is what cannot be explained, then the brain begins to work” (in an interview with “Dog” magazine).
“I am constantly adding to my collection, I love it, and I know that my children will be very happy to inherit these works. In 30 years they will probably go down in history” (in an interview with Forbes).
1 place. Irina Viner
Husband: Alisher Usmanov, founder of USM Holdings, general director of Gazprom Investment Holding, fortune $18.6 billion (1st place in the list of the richest businessmen in Russia 2014 according to Forbes)
Wiener sees the secret of her happy marriage in the fact that she is a real Eastern wife. “Someone is always next to my husband, it’s not like that with us,” admits
“StarHit” Irina Aleksandrovna Viner, President of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics. – Alisher Burkhanovich and I live in different houses. But if he calls, I'll drop everything and come. Alisher is such a busy person that he cannot be disturbed again and his freedom infringed. We met in Moscow 40 years ago. He was a student at MGIMO, and I was an honored rhythmic gymnastics coach. But it turns out that Alisher had seen me before, when we were training at the Tashkent Sports Palace, and was in love from afar. Having met in the capital, we never parted again.”
2nd place. Marina Dobrynina
Husband: Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of the board of directors of the Renova group of companies, worth $17.2 billion (3rd place in Forbes).
Marina looks much younger than her 57-year-old husband, but they are almost the same age. We studied together at MIIT, met on a student trip, got married after graduating from university. She immediately went into the shadows, preferring to raise two children. She first appeared before the public in 2007 at the opening of a children's somatic clinic in Severouralsk. “We decided that she was from the government,” recalls Svetlana Shvets, an employee of the clinic. “And when she introduced herself as “the head of the Good Century charity foundation, Marina Dobrynina,” her name didn’t tell us anything. Only after she left did they find out and were surprised: she was so modest...”
3rd place. Lyudmila Lisina
Husband: Vladimir Lisin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works, fortune $16.6 billion (4th place in Forbes)
At school they sat at the same desk. The future billionaire sought Lyudmila’s favor for a long time. Already when she became his wife and gave birth to three sons, he admitted in an interview that his reliable rear was “a family built on love and trust.” They say it was she who instilled in her husband a love of art. Today, 58-year-old Lyudmila has a private gallery “Seasons” on Sretensky Boulevard. “She prepares thoroughly for each exhibition, it’s not easy - to bring paintings, hang them, insure them, coordinate everything...” gallery employee Valeria shared with StarHit. “Lyudmila is demanding and fair, she absolutely loves her work and her team.”
4th place. Sandra Melnichenko
Husband: Andrey Melnichenko, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eurochem, SUEK, SGK, fortune $11.4 billion (9th place in Forbes)
They met while visiting mutual friends and got married three years later, in 2005. The magnificent ceremony cost the groom $30 million. After getting married, the Serbian top model left the catwalk and devoted herself entirely to her family. In one of her interviews, 37-year-old Sandra says: “A wife is a full-time job! Every day is a working day for me: I think about, plan and create the style and lifestyle that suits both of us. We have three houses in three countries - and every chair, every plate was chosen by me.” Sandra is in love with Moscow and plans to open a boutique restaurant here with only eco-products and eco-cosmetics.
5th place. Dasha Zhukova
Husband: Roman Abramovich, private investor, net worth $9.1 billion (14th place in Forbes) They do not give interviews about their personal life together, and one can only guess what impression Dasha made on Abramovich if he decided to leave his family for her sake. Dasha was not interested in his wallet: by the time they met in 2005, she was one of the creators of the Kova & T clothing brand, which Hollywood celebrities happily wear. Having become Abramovich’s friend, Zhukova took the post of editor-in-chief of fashion magazines Pop and Garage Magazine... And of all her business projects, 33-year-old Dasha’s favorite brainchild is the Garage Center for Contemporary Art.
6th place. Polina Yumasheva (Deripaska)
Husband: Oleg Deripaska, CEO of UC Rusal, chairman of the supervisory board of Basic Element, fortune $6.5 billion (20th place in Forbes) Oleg Deripaska married Polina Yumasheva before her father became Boris Yeltsin’s son-in-law. There was never any calculation in their relationship. They didn't even sign a marriage contract. “Two beautiful children born in love - that’s our contract,” Polina said in an interview. Now 34-year-old Polina is the head of the Forward Media Group publishing house (formerly OVA Press), which her husband once helped her acquire.
7th place. Ulyana Sergeenko
Husband: Daniil Khachaturov, President of Rosgosstrakh Group, fortune $2.6 billion (40th place in Forbes)
Ulyana's name became known 7 years ago, when Khachaturov, celebrating his 35th birthday, introduced his 26-year-old beloved to the guests. And she, in a white wig a la Marilyn Monroe, sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President... A girl from Ust-Kamenogorsk became the wife of a billionaire, he helped her create the Ulyana brand
Sergeenko, and she gave birth to his daughter.
8th place. Irina Agalarova
Husband: Aras Agalarov, president of Crocus Group, net worth $1.8 billion (56th place in Forbes)
“We studied in the same class, and got married when we graduated from college: I am a pedagogical student, Aras is a polytechnic student,” says 59-year-old Irina. In a relationship between two people, she believes, “sincerity of feelings plus a little bit of intelligence” are important. And her husband is also attentive to her wishes. “When my son was little, I dreamed out loud about a dacha by the sea. And Aras built it...” 2 years ago she opened the Olivem beauty salon. But she asked her husband to help
only with renovation.
9th place. Galina Tsvetkova
Husband: Nikolai Tsvetkov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FC Uralsib, fortune $1.8 billion (58th place in the Forbes ranking) Galina married not a billionaire, but a career military man and experienced all the delights of garrison life with two little daughters in her arms. Everywhere she was accompanied by a mascot from her parents' house - a porcelain bear produced in the 1950s by the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory. As soon as free money appeared, Galina began collecting a collection of porcelain. In 2000, I went to the LFZ and was upset: the plant was dying. The Tsvetkovs decided to invest money in it. Now 54-year-old Galina is the owner of the plant, she has returned its historical name “Imperial” and produces elite tableware.
10th place. Elena Perminova
Husband: Alexander Lebedev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Reserve Corporation, fortune $0.6 billion (165th place in Forbes) 28-year-old Elena is Lebedev’s second wife. Her husband is 27 years older, but this never bothered her. In one of her interviews, she says: “Next to me is my beloved husband, given to me by God, three charming children, and we are not going to stop. I couldn’t even dream of such happiness!” She grew up in the provincial Siberian city of Berdsk. At the age of 16, she was invited to work at one of the capital's modeling agencies. She still participates in fashion shows, and not only in Russia, and shoots for glossy magazines.