Alisher Usmanov

Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (born 9 September 1953, Namangan Province, Uzbek SSR, USSR) is a Russian billionaire of Uzbek origin. According to the 2007 edition of "Forbes" magazine, the oligarch is Russia's 18th richest man, with a fortune estimated at US$5.5 billion (£2.696bn), and the world's joint-142nd richest person. [cite web | url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank_6.html | title=The World's Billionaires | works="Forbes" | date=2007-08-03 ] He has accrued his wealth from mining, lumber and investment.cite web | url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_Alisher-Usmanov_GIPI.html | title=Alisher Usmanov | work=Forbes | date=2007-08-03 ] Usmanov is married and is a graduate of Moscow's elite state university. He is the majority shareholder of Metalloinvest, a Russian industrial conglomerate, which he founded to manage Gazprom's metals interests. [ [http://www.metinvest.com/eng/page.aspx?sid=92/ "Founder of the Holding", Metalloinvest corporate website, Undated] .Accessed: 04-15-2007.] He is known in business circles as "the hard man of Russia".cite news |url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/08/31/hard_man_of_russia_who_made_hi.html | work=Guardian Unlimited | title=Hard man of Russia who made his pile through steel | date=2007-08-31] He spent six years in jail during the 1980s for crimes committed in the USSR. Usmanov was named in court documents filed in Denver, Colorado, by lawyers acting for the De Beers diamond corporation of “fraud” and “unjust enrichment” in a dispute over one of the world’s most lucrative diamond mines. As deputy chairman of the Arkhangel Diamond Corporation, he had, the court papers alleged, with others “engaged in fraud in order to deceive”. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2604053.ece "Arsenal tycoon Alisher Usmanov in diamond ‘fraud’ row", David Leppard and Anna Mikhailova, Sunday Times, London, 10-7-2007] .Accessed: 04-16-2008.]

Usmanov is a major shareholder in London's Arsenal Football Club [cite news
author=
title=Usmanov Gunning for Bigger Arsenal Share
url=http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=22883
publisher=St Petersburg Times
date=2007-09-04
accessdate=2007-09-18
quote = Usmanov’s purchase of nearly 15 percent in the club Thursday — the second investment by a Kremlin-friendly oligarch in a leading English Premier League team after Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 — received a mixed reaction from the club’s fans and the British media, with some fearing a Russian takeover.] , following in the footsteps of fellow Russians Roman Abramovich, owner of rival Chelsea, and Aleksandr Gaydamak, owner of Portsmouth. [ [http://russiatoday.ru/news/news/13394 "Arsenal stakeholder aims to boost share", Russia Today TV, TV Novosti, Moscow, 09-01-2007] .Accessed: 04-06-2008.] In February 2008, his Metalloinvest also became sponsor of Dinamo Moscow, the Russian capital's football team once funded by the Soviet secret service. His Metalloinvest group's name replaced the Xerox Corporation's on its players' shirts as part of the $7 million deal. "For me, Dinamo is a first love," said Usmanov, the club's website reported longtime Arsenal fan Usmanov as saying. [ [http://www.mnweekly.ru/sport/20080228/55312758.html/ "Usmanov Funds Dynamo Moscow", Sports, "Moscow News Weekly", Moscow, 02-28-2008] .Accessed 04-16-2008.] The ballet fan [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/18/features/plis.php "Honoring Russia's 'prima, prima' ballerina", International Herald Tribune, Paris, 11-18-2005] .Accessed-04-16-2008.] had sidestepped a conflict of interest with Arsenal, London's "The Sun" reported, 'as Usmanov does not have any shares in the Moscow club. But he is on the board.' [ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article855446.ece "Gunners chief is so Dynam-ic", The Sun, London, 02-28-2008] .Accessed: 04-16-2008.]

Early life, education, criminal conviction and pardon

Alisher Usmanov was born in 1953 in Chust, Uzbekistan. His father was a state prosecutor in the Soviet republic's captal, Tashkent. He studied International Law at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations MGIMO from 1976.

Usmanov was arrested and imprisoned in 1980. The website centrasia.ru reports that he and a friend - the son of the deputy head of the Uzbek KGB - were convicted in August 1980 by the Military Tribunal of the Turkestan Military District for "complicity in an official's receiving bribes and extortion". The website said that the two had extorted 30,000 roubles from an army officer. Another Russian website kompromat.ru said he was sentenced on three charges, including extortion and rape. Both men's parents lost their jobs as a result of the convictions.

Usmanov received an 8 year labor camp sentence. He was freed early in 1986. He was rehabilitated by Uzbekistan's Supreme Court in July 2000. It ruled that the case had been "fabricated".

Usmanov married Irina Viner, a top rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992. In 1997, he attended the Academy of Finance to study banking. [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=478968 Arsenal's oligarch takes on his friend Abramovich] , "Daily Mail", 31 August 2007, retrieved 27 September 2007]

Business interests

Usmanov owns diverse interests including stakes in precious metals, iron ore, steel, natural gas and media companies.

Usmanov is the co-owner of Metalloinvest which he founded along with business partner Vasiliy Anisimov to manage his acquisitions in the metal industry. [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/2O5M.html The world's richest people 2006, Vasiliy Anisimov] , "Forbes" retrieved 29 September 2007] Metalloinvest owns a wide range of Russia metal and mining businesses including Mikhalovsky GOK, Moldavia Metal, Ural Steel, Ormeto-YUMZ, Olenegorsk iron-ore company, pig-iron company Tulachermet, the Oskol electro-metallurgical plants and the Lebedinski mining-processing combines. His combined holdings make him one of the top 10 steelmakers in Russia. [ [http://www.worldsteel.org/?action=storypages&id=151 Top Steel Producers] , "International Iron and Steel Institute", 2006, retrieved 28 September 2007] He is chairman of Gazprominvestholdings, the investment holding subsidiary of Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom, where his role is to manage what Gazprom calls its "most difficult and sensitive financial transactions." ["How the Russians plan to invade Britain", Craig Murray, May 27, 2007. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/newscomment.html?in_article_id=457865&in_page_id=1787] [http://web.archive.org/web/20070620154856/www.craigmurray.co.uk/archives/2007/06/russian_journal.html] First published in the Mail on Sunday, London. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.]

Usmanov is the sole owner of Cyprus-registered Gallagher Holdings, described as a global conglomerate with main investments in mining and steel industry, technology, oil and gas, media and pharmaceuticals. [ [http://www.foreign-press.org.uk/showarticle.pl?id=24;n=141 Sponsors: Gallagher Holdings Ltd] , "Foreign Press Association in London", 2007, retrieved 28 September 2007] Since 2006, Usmanov has also acquired stakes in Australia-based mining companies, Medusa, Mt Gibson and Aztec Resources through Gallagher Holdings. [ [http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?ContentID=32710 Russian steel baron snaps up Medusa stake] , "West Australian", 28 June 2007, retrieved 26 September 2007] He is also the largest shareholder in London-listed Nautilus Minerals, which is prospecting undersea gold and copper deposits off Papua New Guinea.

In August 2006, Usmanov began to invest in media. On the encouragement of the Russian government, he bought "Kommersant", a newspaper formerly owned by Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky who has fallen into disfavour with the Kremlin and is living in exile. The deal was finalised at US$200 million. Usmanov followed this with the US$25 million purchase of a 50% stake in Russian sports TV channel 7TV in November 2006 and bought 75% of Russian TV music channel MUZ-TV for US$300 in June 2007. [ [http://www.kommersant.com/p777507/Muz_TV_Usmanov_Media/ Metals Mogul Buys Music TV Channel] , "Kommersant", 25 June 2007, retrieved 27 September 2007]

He has also recently purchased through Gallagher Holdings a interest in Australian Miner - Strike Resources, whom are currently working on a world class iron ore deposit in Peru. [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24087890-5005200,00.html]

Megafon acquisition

In May 2008 Usmanov purchased a stake in the Russian mobile phone operator Megafon. According to Reuters, 8% were bought from Bermuda-registered IPOC. Also he purchased 58.9% of Telekominvest which controls 31.3% of Megafon. According to Reuters and other sources, Telekominvest was founded in the mid-1990s by Leonid Reiman, who became in 2004 Russian telecommunications minister. Mr. Reiman though repeatedly denied being the beneficial owner of Megafon. [http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSL1237627920080512]

The Megafon sale to Usmanov coincides with Mr. Reiman`s departure from the Russian telecommunication ministry, Mr. Putin did not reappoint Mr. Reiman when he became Russian prime minister.

Prior the sale the ownership of Megafon had been disputed. A former Megafon shareholder, Leonid Rozhetskin had filed a court case in New York against IPOC relating to a 25.1% stake in Megafon. He alleged that he had been threatened with physical harm unless he transferred his Megafon stake. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-549614/My-son-killed-Kremlin-agents-says-mother-missing-oligarch.html]

Mr. Rozhetskin disappeared in March 2008 from his vacation home in Latvia. Latvian police found bloodstains in his home. His whereabouts are unknown. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/leonid-rozhetskin-international-man-of-mystery-802514.html]

Although Mr. Rozhetskin is missing, his New York lawyers have settled in May 2008 the outstanding legal dispute with IPOC, thereby removing legal uncertainties regarding the ownership of Megafon. [http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=23210]

Arsenal F.C.

Usmanov moved into the football arena in August 2007 by acquiring a 14.58% stake in the English team Arsenal Football Club. He and his business partner Farhad Moshiri bought the stake in the club owned by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein for £75 million. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6971124.stm | work=BBC News | title=Russian buys Dein's Arsenal stake | date=2007-08-30 | accessdate=2007-08-30] David Dein was appointed as head of their investment vehicle Red and White Holdings, which became the largest shareholder in the club outside of members of the board of directors.

On 28 September 2007 it was announced that Red & White Holdings had increased its shareholding to 23%, making it the second largest shareholder in the club behind Danny Fiszman on 24%. [cite news | url=http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_2761362,00.html| title=Usmanov increases stake | work=SkySports | date=2007-09-28 | accessdate=2007-10-03 ] As of February 15th 2008 he has increased it further to over 24 per cent, giving him a stake just short of Arsenal non-executive director and major shareholder Danny Fizman's 24.11 per cent. [cite news | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/02/15/ufnusmanov115.xml | work= Telegraph | title=Alisher Usmanov increases Arsenal stake |date=2008-02-15 ] However there was speculation that Usmanov might already be the club's largest shareholder at 24.2%. [cite news | url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2259392,00.html | work= Guardian | title=Arsenal warn Usmanov to beware of derailing the club's title bid |date=2008-02-23 ] On 28 February 2008, Usmanov's investment vehicle, Red and White holdings, confirmed that it was the club's largest shareholder and the company said Red and White has the necessary funding to increase its stake further [but] it has no current intention to make' a full takeover bid for Arsenal 'for six months'. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7268970.stm | work= BBC | title= Usmanov 'no plans on Arsenal bid' |date=2008-02-28 ] If the stake were to reach 30%, Red and White Holdings would have to launch a formal takeover. Usmanov said he had been an Arsenal fan for seven years and he had a great love for Arsenal. On Saturday 20th October 2007, prior to their Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal fans marched to the Emirates Stadium in protest at Usmanov's involvement with the club.

Usmanov's interest precipitated a 'lock-down' agreement by the Gunners' board, whereby Chairman Peter Hill-Wood announced that club directors could sell their stakes only to 'permitted persons' before April 2009 and had to give fellow board members 'first option' on shares until October 2012. [cite news | url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=475647&cc=3436 | work= ESPN Soccernet | title=Kroenke content with Gunners 'partnership' |date=2007-09-01 |accessdate=2007-10-25] However, there was a termination clause in the agreement in October 2010. [cite news | url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=475647&cc=3436 | work= ESPN Soccernet | title=Kroenke content with Gunners 'partnership' |date=2007-09-01 |accessdate=2007-10-25] "The lockdown...makes us bullet-proof," said Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7268970.stm "Usmanov 'no plans on Arsenal bid' ", BBC News, 02-28-2008] .Accessed 04-16-2008.]

Other activities

On 17 September 2007, Usmanov paid more than £20 million for an art collection owned by the late Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, days before it was to be auctioned by Sotheby's in London. He intended to give all of the artwork to the Russian state. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6999330.stm | work=BBC News | title=Billionaire buys entire auction | date=2007-09-17 | accessdate=2007-09-17] However there are reports that Usmanov has no intention of giving the collection to the state, and is instead keeping the collection for himself. [ [http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070918/79274074.html/ "Billionaire Usmanov to keep Rostropovich collection - advisor -1", RIA Novosti, Moscow. 09-18-2007] .Accessed:04-16-2008.]

Also in September 2007 he purchased the rights to a large collection of Soviet cartoons, which for 15 years had been owned by Russian-born actor Oleg Vidov, who emigrated to the United States in 1985. After the deal, valued at $5-10 million, Usmanov donated the cartoon collection to a newly formed Russian children's television channel.

He now owns the Sutton Place estate, near Guildford, a Tudor mansion in extensive grounds, once owned by J. Paul Getty.

He is the owner of the 66m yacht Dilbar, built by Oceanco in 2005. In July 2008 it was revealed that Usmanov is the owner of the brand new 110m yacht Project Opal completed by Lurssen in May 2008 and very similar to Roman Abramovich's Pelorus. Project Opal will be renamed Dilbar (this is the name of Alisher Usmanov's mother) and the older 66m yacht will probably be sold or renamed.

Legal action over criminal conviction and pardon

On 2 September 2007, Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and self-proclaimed dissident, referred to Alisher Usmanov's conviction for various crimes – of fraud, corruption and theft of state property – in the former USSR, for which he had been jailed for six years during the 1980s, as well as making further allegations of criminal activity. Usmanov's lawyers claim he was a political prisoner pardoned after Mikhail Gorbachev became president, though Murray claims the pardon was actually the work of Uzbekistan President Islom Karimov on the instructions of Uzbekistani power broker and alleged drug trafficker Gafur Rakhimov. [ [http://archive.muslimuzbekistan.com/eng/ennews/2003/02/ennews20022003.html Renaissance of "Power Broker" of Uzbek Policy] ,Muslim Uzbekistan, 20 February 2003, retrieved 26 September 2007] , and "The Sunday Times" states that his pardon came from the Uzbekistan Supreme Court. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2652774.ece Arsenal billionaire, Alisher Usmanov, recalls six years in penal colony, The Sunday Times, published 14 October 2007, retrieved 19 October 2007] ] . 'He was in no sense a political prisoner, but a gangster and racketeer who rightly did six years in jail,' wrote Murray. The article was subsequently removed by Murray's web host under pressure from Usmanov's legal team, London's Schillings law firm - defamation specialists who have acted for celebrities, including BP's Lord Browne, Congolese president's son Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso, actor Keira Knightley, UK TV personality Jonathan Ross and models Caprice Bourret and Naomi Campbell.cite web | url=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/380565.html | title=Craig Murray censored for attacking Alisher Usmanov, potential Arsenal chairman | work=UK Indymedia | accessdate=2007-09-18 ]

Schillings also contacted independent Arsenal blogs and websites warning them to remove any references to Murray's allegations, and any reproduction of the blog posting.cite web | url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2167952,00.html | title= Usmanov aims legal arsenal at bloggers | work=The Guardian | date=2007-09-13 ] The move to remove Murray's posting led to other blogs reproducing the article. On 20 September 2007, Bloggerheads.com, the weblog of Tim Ireland, was taken down for reproducing Murray's article. The removal of the host server also caused the loss of other blogs belonging to the MP Boris Johnson, councillor Bob Piper and Clive Summerfield – none of which themselves had reproduced the article.cite web | url=http://www.chickyog.net/2007/09/20/public-service-announcement/ | title=Public Service Announcement | work=Chicken Yoghurt | accessdate=2007-09-20 ] However, this move by Usmanov to suppress discussion of his past has only served to unify various blogs against him. On 25 September 2007 Summerfield and Piper were interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live about the controversy. cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/pods/ | title=BBC Radio Interview with Councillor Bob Piper and Clive Summerfield | work=BBC | date= 2007-09-25| accessdate=2007-09-28 ]

UK Indymedia reported that they were one of the sites that had been issued with a take down notice on the 10 September 2007 and again on 21 September cite web | url=https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/382951.html | title=Indymedia UK Facing Legal Censorship… again! | work=IMC-UK | date= 2007-10-06 | accessdate=2007-10-06 ] . Although the article in question has been temporarily hidden, a number of others have been prominently linked to.

References