Valeri Belokon

Infobox Person
name = Valeri Belokon

---

image_size = 200px
caption = Valeri Belokon at Bloomfield Road
birth_name = Valeri Belokon
birth_date = birth date and age|1960|02|14
birth_place = Riga, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
death_date =
death_place =
death_cause =
resting_place =
resting_place_coordinates =
residence =
nationality = Latvian
other_names =
known_for = President of Blackpool F.C., Chairperson of Baltic International Bank
education =
alma_mater =
employer =
occupation = Businessperson
home_town = Riga
title =
salary =
networth = £200M
height =
weight =
term =
predecessor =
successor =
party =
boards =
religion =
spouse =
partner =
children =
parents =
relations =


website =
footnotes =

Valeri Belokon ( _lv. Valērijs Belokoņs) (born 14 February, 1960 in Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian businessman, chairperson of the board, and shareholder in the Baltic International Bank and president of English football club, Blackpool. cite news
title= Exclusive interview with Valeri Belokon
publisher=24 Kg News Agency
date=2006-10-13
url=http://www.eng.24.kg/community/2006/10/13/353.html
accessdate=2008-06-04]

Business career

Belokon studied at the University of Massachusetts in the United States and the University of Latvia, Faculty of Philology. He is the chairperson of the board of the Baltic International Bank, and his corporation Belokon Holdings has interests in finance, media, the Food industry, social projects and geology in Latvia and Krygzstan as well as football in England. These include cite web
title= Our Businesses
publisher= Belokon Holdings
url=http://www.belokonholding.com/eng/business/
accessdate=2008-09-08]

*Finance
**Baltic International Bank - founded in 1993, based in Riga
**Manas Bank - founded in 2008 in Bishkek, Krgyzstan
**B&R Golbal One - founded by Belokon and former Prime Minister of Latvia, Einars Repše, a financial investment business.
*Food industry
**Brīvais Vilnis - a fish processing company founded in 1949.
*Media
**Telegraf - a daily Russian language newspaper.
**Novo News - a daily Internet newspaper.
**Valery Belokon's Publishing House Ltd - Founded on 31 March, 1995 publishes "Who is Who in Latvia" and the "The Encyclopedia of Latvia".
*Social Projects
**Baltic Institute of Strategic Studies - a non-profit scientific research organization founded in 2004.
**Riga Golf School - Founded in 2004, the first golf school in Latvia, specialising in teaching six to sixteen year olds.
*Geology
**Baltic Gold - An operating partner in Molotash, making geological researches and leading extraction of gold in Dzhalal-Abadskaya Province, Kyrgzstan

In June 2008 Belokon sold his 30% stake in the Latvian television station TV5 to the News Corporation owned by Rupert Murdoch.cite news
last = Kolyako
first = Nina
title = Murdoch takes over Latvian TV5
publisher = The Baltic Course magazine
date = 2008-06-02
url = http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=2116
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

The Sunday Times Rich List, which anually lists the 2,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom has Belokon's wealth at £200M making him the 397th richest in the country.cite news
title = Valery Belokon
publisher = Sunday Times
date = 2008-04-27
url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/article3769311.ece
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

Blackpool FC

Through Belokon Holdings and VB Football Assets,cite news|title=VB Football Assets|url=http://www.belokonholding.com/eng/football/|publisher=Belokon Holdings|accessdate=2007-03-06] , Belokon bought a 20% stake in Blackpool Football Club in 2006, and is the club's president. cite news |last=Canavan |first=Steve |title=The president of blackpool|publisher=Blackpool Gazette |date=2006-05-19 |url=http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=64&ArticleID=1514297|accessdate=2007-03-06] In June 2007 he stated that he was prepared to increase his stake in Blackpool from 20% to 50% following the clubs promotion to The Championship. cite news |last=Stocks |first=Rob |title=Belokon to increase stake?|publisher=Blackpool Gazette |date=2007-06-12 |url=http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news?articleid=2945228|accessdate=2007-06-13]

On 8 July 2008, Belekon announced that he and Owen Oyston would be personally financing the construction of the new South Stand and South-west corner at Bloomfield Road, with work to start immediately.cite news
title = Official Club Statement
publisher=Blackpool F.C.
date=2008-07-08
url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1340591,00.html
accessdate=2008-09-08] On 8 September, 2008 it was confirmed that, Normunds Malnacs, who was Belokon's representative at Blackpool FC and his right hand man, had stood down as a director of the club and his role with Belokon, who stated that he had already started advertising for a recruit in Latvia to replace Malnacs.cite news
title = Director Steps Down
publisher=Blackpool F.C.
date=2008-09-08
url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1387330,00.html
accessdate=2008-09-08]

Personal life

Belokon is married with three children.

Notes

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/6219357.stm "Tangerine dream"] - a Q&A with Belokon from BBC Sport [http://www.belokonholding.com/ Belokon Holdings website]