Vladimir Lisin is a very rich man who has gone from a simple locksmith to a shareholder of a metallurgical giant

Vladimir Lisin is considered one of several "real" metallurgists among the industry magnates. The main shareholder of NLMK in the 80s was a deputy general director at the Karaganda metallurgical plant, here he entered as a young specialist.

Vladimir Lisin - biography

The tycoon was born on May 7, 1956 in Ivanovo. Quiet, withdrawn, serious - this was how Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin was in childhood. The billionaire's parents are rarely mentioned in sources, so practically nothing is known about them.

He studied well, but, like everyone else, received bad grades, was short, unprepossessing - such was Vladimir Lisin in his youth. His nationality is Russian.

Once the family moved from Ivanovo to Novokuznetsk. After leaving school, Vladimir entered the Siberian Metallurgical University. The training to become a metallurgical engineer went smoothly. Simultaneously with his studies, the future billionaire managed to earn money. For example, in 1975 he went to BAM, where he and a construction team were engaged in cleaning the flooded area near the Zeyskaya hydroelectric power station.

Start of labor activity

Lisin's career began in 1975 as an electrical fitter at YuzhKuzbassUgl. In 1979-1985 he was a steelmaker, operator of a continuous casting plant, and deputy head of a workshop at TulaChermet. In 1985-1989 he worked in Kazakhstan as a deputy chief engineer of the Karaganda metallurgical plant.

The beginning of a commercial experience

By the beginning of the domination of private capital, the Karaganda plant was headed by Oleg Soskovets, who became a patron in business for the tycoon. Under his leadership, Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin gained his first experience in commercial business. The Karaganda combine with Swiss partners created the TSK-Steel company. Lisin became its general director.

Then Lisin started a joint business with an American businessman. They were the first to use the practice of tolling - they exchanged raw materials at factories for finished products and sent them for export. No fees were paid under this scheme.

But Lisin still remained an employee... Apart from Kislin, only one person had the status of a partner - businessman Mikhail Chernoy.

At the end of 1992, Vladimir Lisin and his colleagues found another decent money bag. The new foreign investor was David Ruben. They created the Trans World Group. Lisin became an employee of the corporation.

Things went uphill

In 1992, the tycoon joined the board of directors of Sayan Aluminum Plant JSC.

In 1993, Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin became a partner in TWG. Soon the largest metallurgical plants of the state were under the control of the group. The tolling scheme made it possible to control enterprises without buying their shares.

In 1995, there were more than one contract killing in the industry. Made an attempt on commercial director Sayan aluminum plant - Lisin was then a member of the board of directors. After these events, TWG's image became demonic.

But the rapid rise of the group was followed by an equally rapid decline. In 1996, TWG began to disband.

Lisin did not miss his own during the partition. When the group existed, he carefully looked at the controlled plant - NLMK. The tycoon was buying up stocks little by little. By the time TWG collapsed, he had accumulated 13% of the securities.

The plant was unprofitable. The owners, closing the TWG business groups, decided to bankrupt the plant. They offered compensation to Vladimir Lisin.

If Lisin had agreed, he would have become a multimillionaire. But he went against them and began to implement his plan, deciding to intercept leadership over NLMK. The plant had modern equipment.

Everything led Lisin to part with partners - with litigation and lawyers. To win this fight, Lisin entered into an alliance with Vladimir Potanin, with whom he reached an agreement on how he would buy out the remaining shares.

In 1998, the tycoon was elected chairman of the management of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. According to Forbes magazine, it was this year that Lisin reached an agreement with foreign companies that own NLMK shares. After purchasing the securities, Vladimir's stake grew to 63%.

Confrontation between Lisin and Potanin

Vladimir Lisin wanted to take the next step in 2000. The meeting of shareholders was presented with a restructuring program for $ 1.1 billion. The funds were to be provided to the plant by Lisin's company for an additional issue of shares. As a result, TWG's share would be halved.

Before the meeting of shareholders held before the closure of the register, the billionaire was in trouble: 34% of the shares that belonged to the TWG group changed ownership. The new owner is the firm of Vladimir Potanin "Interros".

For the first time, Lisin's partner himself broke off relations with him, and also began hostile actions. Potanin's representatives were against the issue of shares. After the meeting, Interros began to strike.

Real estate

In 2005, it became known about the largest transaction on the Moscow real estate market - the sale of 38% of City's shares. The contract price is $ 130 million. The seller was the Guta group, and the buyer was associations close to businessman Vladimir Lisin.

This is not the first time the tycoon has shown interest in real estate investments. In October 2000, he gained control over the Moscow "Rubin" and the Palace of Culture. Gorbunov.

Logistics

The Novolipetsk plant acquired two seaports to "protect its export channels." This transaction ensured the smooth transportation of the manufactured goods to Asia and Africa.

In June 2004, Lisin's structures came to the port of St. Petersburg. This acquisition guaranteed exports to Europe and the Americas.

In July 2006, NLMK completed the purchase of a 30% stake in Independent Transport Company. It has become a key logistic asset of the plant, providing the supply of raw materials for production.

Gains and losses

Without losing control of the main asset, Lisin received more than $ 600 million. Part of the funds went to the construction of 5 container terminals in the St. Petersburg port.

In 2006, Lisin acquired 90% of the securities of two coal assets, which could increase the mobility of NLMK. Then NLMK acquired the VIZ-Stal company.

In November 2006, the Lisin and Swiss company Duferco announced a partnership. Documents were signed confirming the creation of a joint venture registered in Luxembourg. The parties received 50% each. The plant paid $ 805 million for its half. In addition, the parties signed an agreement on the expansion and technical development of the enterprises included in the association. NLMK started raising funds. Thus, the plant entered the markets of Europe and the USA. Analysts believe that Lisin managed to get Western assets at a certain discount.

In March 2008, the fortune of a businessman was estimated by Forbes magazine at $ 20 billion, but the global financial crisis, which began in the fall of 2008, dealt a serious blow. Already in 2009, the magazine estimated his funds at $ 5 billion, in February 2010, "Finance" named Vladimir the richest man in Russia. In April, Lisin topped the list of the richest businessmen in Russia with a fortune of $ 15 billion.

Life outside of business

Vladimir Lisin is a doctor of technical and economic sciences, laureate of the prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, vice-president of the International Union of Metallurgists, holder of the Order of Honor.

In 2001, the tycoon became vice president of the National Sporting Federation, in 2002 - president of the Russian Shooting Union. Already in his youth, he became interested in shooting, but now he maintains the Russian national team. Lisin built a rifle complex near Moscow.

Personal life

Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin is well known in sports circles. His personal life is usually hidden from the media.

It is difficult to find a more permanent person. The wife of Vladimir Lisin, Lyudmila, is his first and only love. The couple have three lovely children, all boys. They are now considered to be wealthy heirs. Once it was the children of Vladimir Lisin who gave him an impetus to development. Seeing with what appetite his beloved sons pounce on food, the businessman vowed that he would never allow them to live in poverty and would do the impossible for this! The family of Vladimir Lisin lives in peace, tranquility and harmony.

Lisin's statements

  • “I definitely understand that I was right when I didn’t take this path - take, take, take”.
  • "I am constantly surprised when a person who has appeared out of nowhere begins to talk about professional problems".
  • "Only professionals should work in the main positions, and not people who know a little about everything. It is important to have experience and education, as well as to take additional education courses."
  • "Strategy is not a list of rules. It all depends on the specific situation."
  • "We follow our own words. In companies there is a principle: it is better not to speak, but if you have said, then you need to do it. Many colleagues here ring out, here they beat, and then nothing."
  • "For example, I decide to cut staff and raise the salaries of my remaining employees. And where will the rest go? I think they will wait behind the fence in order to take away from the more successful employees what they have earned."
  • "The economic strength of a firm does not depend only on its size."
  • "The purchase should pursue a specific pragmatic goal. Either it will be pumping up assets, therefore, a speculative factor, or - market development. The choice is not always easy."
  • "I think supermonsters are bad."
  • "One of my business partners joked:" You will polish indefinitely own assets". He said it with irony, of course, but as it turned out, it is precisely the polishing of assets that gives a positive effect."
  • "The depth of optimizations is endless. The market never stops. If you stop pedaling, your path rolls into a losing zone."
  • "It is necessary to understand that the world has changed, information cannot be hidden, not hidden. However, I am not a guru to predict what will happen next."
  • "Many mistakes in the business sphere arise from unwillingness to give up their ambitions. Regardless of the situation, it is difficult to change the decision. But for any leader, their own ambitions should not override the ultimate goal of the business."
  • "Economic laws do not change, any manager should know them."
  • "My work is aimed at improving the performance of the company."

Vladimir Lisin Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant (NLMK), the richest man in Russia. At the end of 2011, Lisin is ranked 14th in the list of the richest people in the world, second only to such rich people as Carlos Slim, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett ..., his fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine at $ 24 billion.

Vladimir Lisin is one of two "real" metallurgists among the industry magnates. Where were his current colleagues 15 years ago? Anywhere, but not in metallurgy. The co-owner of Norilsk Nickel, Vladimir Potanin, and the head of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, Iskander Makhmudov, worked as clerks in state foreign trade organizations. The owner of Severstal, Alexei Mordashov, and the founder of Evrazholding, Alexander Abramov, were engaged in scientific work. The owner of Russian Aluminum, Oleg Deripaska, was just a physics student at Moscow State University.

At the end of the 1980s, the main shareholder of NLMK was already deputy general director at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, where he came as a young specialist. Well, first things first.

Success Story, Biography of Vladimir Lisin

Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin was born on May 7, 1956 in the city of Ivanovo. He began his career in 1975 as an electrical fitter at Yuzhkuzbassugol. Graduated from the Siberian Metallurgical Institute in 1979 with a degree in metallurgical engineering. In 1979-1985. - steelmaker, operator of a continuous casting plant, shift supervisor, section, deputy shop manager at Tulachermet. In 1984 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Ukrainian Research Institute of Metallurgy. In 1985-1989. - worked in Kazakhstan as a Deputy Chief Engineer of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, one of the 4 largest plants in the country.

THE FIRST COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE OF VLADIMIR LISIN

By the beginning of the era of private capital, the director of the Karaganda plant was Oleg Soskovets, who became Lisin's patron in business. Under his leadership, Lisin acquired his first commercial experience, which he still recalls with pleasure. The Karaganda plant, together with Swiss partners, created subsidiary"TSK-Steel", the general director of which was Lisin. The firm took advantage of a loophole in the legislation: only state intermediaries had the right to export metals, but substandard metal (containing defects) was allowed to be exported freely. Abroad, such products were bought with a big discount, but the company "TSK-Steel" had its own $ 20-25 million in annual turnover.

In 1991, Soskovets became the Minister of Metallurgy - the last in the USSR, and in 1992 he entered the Russian government. Following him, Lisin moved to Moscow, where he met an American businessman of Soviet origin, the former head of the central grocery store in Odessa, Sam (Semyon) Kislin.

Kislin's company Trans Commodities supplied raw materials to metallurgical plants - partly Russian, partly imported. At some point, his business stalled - several factories at once, as if by agreement, announced to Kislin that they could not pay him either with money or metal. Kislin risked losing the $ 30 million invested in the business. It was then that Vladimir Lisin appeared next to the American, who promised to solve the problem.

It all ended with Lisin pulling out the money, although the story is silent about how exactly he managed to do this, he probably just used his acquaintances.

After the first successful experience, Kislin and Lisin started a joint business. They were the first to put on a large footing the practice of tolling - in exchange for raw materials, they received finished products (mainly ferrous metals) from factories and sold them for export. Customs duties were not paid under this scheme. “I alone, together with my secretary, controlled 50% of the export of Russian pig iron, except for state foreign trade associations, I had no competitors,” Lisin recalls. The turnover of the business has already been measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.

In spite of successful work, Lisin remained only a salaried employee at Trans Commodities. Apart from Kislin himself, only one person had the status of a partner - a businessman from Tashkent, Mikhail Chernoy. Another “simple” employee of the company was Iskander Makhmudov, the current owner of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, a major copper producer.

The meteoric rise of Trans Commodities looks incredibly easy. Lisin explains this by the fact that Kislin was the first person who brought big money into the industry. " We specifically paid, - explains Lisin, bearing in mind that the shipment of the goods was paid for with "real" money. "At that time, nobody was interested in metallurgy anymore, there was a complete ass."

But already at the end of the same 1992, Lisin and his Russian colleagues found a heavier money bag. British non-ferrous metals trader David Ruben is their new foreign investor. He was brought to Russia by the younger brother of Mikhail Cherny Lev. The two brothers, as well as Ruben, created the Trans World Group (TWG), whose sphere of interests included not only ferrous, but also non-ferrous metals. Lisin and Makhmudov became members of the group. And Sam Kislin's brothers somehow persuaded to leave the business - he left for the USA.

Later, the novice stock trader Oleg Deripaska joined this group. He managed to convince Chernykh that he would be able to organize the purchase of a controlling stake in the Sayan aluminum plant, and received money for this operation. (Now Deripaska, with his company Russian Aluminum, owns a dozen aluminum and alumina refineries). So Lisin had new temporary allies.

BUSINESS GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN

In 1992, Lisin became a member of the board of directors of JSC Sayan Aluminum Plant, in 1992-1993 he was chairman, then left this post, but remained a member of the board until 1997 inclusive.

Already in 1993 Vladimir Lisin received the status of a partner in TWG. Soon, most of the largest metallurgical plants in the country fell under the control of the group. TWG became the third largest supplier of aluminum to the world market - annual sales in 1993 were estimated at $ 4-5 billion, and the group did not yet own a single plant at that time. The tolling scheme made it possible to control enterprises without buying shares. And the main defender of tolling in the government was considered the same Oleg Soskovets, who had already taken the post of Deputy Prime Minister.

Lisin, as a representative of TWG, was a member of the boards of directors of five plants: three aluminum and two steel - Magnitogorsk and Novolipetsk plants. The TWG was not legally structured as one company... It was a typical conglomerate of Russian firms and offshore companies of that time, formally independent of each other.

In 1995, a wave of contract killings swept through the industry. In April, an attempt was made (failed) on the commercial director of the Sayan aluminum plant Valery Tokarev - Lisin was a member of the board of directors there at that time. In the same year, the heads of firms that had interests in aluminum plants were killed - the head of the Yugorsky bank Oleg Kantor, his deputy Vadim Yafyasov and the manager Russian business another major exporter metals, the company AYUS Felix Lvov. After these murders, TWG's image in the business community became demonic.

However, TWG's meteoric rise was followed by an equally precipitous decline. Already in 1996, the group began to break up. This happened a few months after the scandalous resignation of Oleg Soskovets from the government post. The most influential people at that time in the corridors of federal power - the head of the presidential administration Anatoly Chubais and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin - did not favor TWG. The position of the Blacks in Russia has become precarious, and their opaque business is too vulnerable to the security forces. And then the brothers quarreled with each other and began to share the business.

Vladimir Lisin didn’t let go of his own. While working at TWG, he looked more and more closely at one of the controlled plants - NLMK. In parallel with the Cherny brothers, he gradually bought up shares. By the time TWG collapsed, the brothers had accumulated 34% of the plant's securities, Lisin - 13%.

The plant was unprofitable, like many others. The tolling scheme made it possible for export control structures to earn billions, but did not help the factories themselves very much. The Cherny brothers, closing the TWG business, decided to bankrupt the plant and sell its assets to someone. Vladimir Lisin was offered compensation for his work and 13% of the shares.

If Lisin agreed, he would become a multimillionaire, but he would never have made billions. However, he went against his former partners and began to exercise own plan... He decided to take over control of NLMK.

« I had to concentrate on one thing, but in Lipetsk I already had a large package“- this is how Lisin explained his choice in an interview. In addition, the plant had equipment that was modern by Russian standards.

In a word, everything led him to part with partners. Without sentimentality, but with litigation - " with lawyers, lawyers, with all personal belongings“, - as Lisin himself says. To win this fight, he entered into a temporary alliance - with Vladimir Potanin (who managed part of NLMK's shares), with whom he reached an agreement on how he would buy out the remaining shares. Lisin created his own offshore company to sell metal for export and transferred all financial flows NLMK at own company Worslade Trading, incorporated in Ireland.

In 1998, Lisin was elected chairman of the board of directors of OJSC Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and since then has been repeatedly re-elected to this post. According to Forbes magazine, it was in 1998 that Lisin reached an agreement with foreign companies that owned NLMK shares. After buying securities from them, Lisin's stake grew to 63 percent.

CONFRONTATION OF LISSIN AND POTANIN

Lisin planned to take another big step in 2000. The June meeting of shareholders was offered a restructuring program for $ 1.1 billion. The plant was ready to provide the company with Lisin's own money in exchange for an additional issue of shares. After their release, TWG's share would be cut in half.

Judging by the fact that the issue of the issue of new shares was included in the agenda of the meeting of shareholders, Lisin had reason to believe that his former colleagues from TWG would not or could not object.

But on the eve of the meeting of shareholders, just before the closing of the register, Lisin was in for an unpleasant surprise: 34% of the shares owned by TWG changed the owner. The new owner is Vladimir Potanin's company Interros.

For the first time in biographies of Vladimir Lisin the strategic partner severed relations with him. Moreover, he began hostile actions. At the meeting of shareholders, representatives of Potanin voted against the issue of new shares. After that, Interros struck blow after blow. In October 2000, NLMK announced the sale of a 100% stake in the Stinol refrigerator plant to the Italian Merloni Elettrodomestici for $ 119.3 million. Potanin's lawyers immediately began to challenge (without success) this deal. A little later, the auditors of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation raided the plant and counted damage in the amount of more than $ 160 million, which NLMK allegedly inflicted on the state. However, this was even before Lisin - the Accounts Chamber discovered that the company's charter capital did not take into account the funds that the state once invested in the construction of Stinol, and besides, NLMK's property was illegally (according to the Accounts Chamber) included educational institutions.

The actions of state auditors had no consequences, but it all looked like an attempt to create maximum problems for Lisin.

Vladimir Potanin at that time felt pretty confident. He was not afraid to wage a war on two fronts: in addition to the Novolipetsk combine, he fought for control of the Sidanko oil company against the Tyumen oil company(TNK).

Lisin accepted the challenge and even launched a counterattack. He chose not to overpay Potanin for NLMK shares, but to use the money to buy up securities of Norilsk Nickel, Potanin's main asset. Then 8% of the shares of Norilsk Nickel, bought by Lisin, cost almost half the price of 34% of NLMK.

And in 2001, Vladimir Potanin seemed to be replaced. The co-owner of Interros has ended all corporate conflicts. He sold the controversial Sidanko shares to TNK for $ 1.1 billion. And he offered NLMK shares to Lisin for the same amount he paid for them in 2000. (Analysts of the United Financial Group estimated this deal at about $ 180 million.) Lisin also sold his shares in Norilsk Nickel in 2003 - at open market through the Swiss bank UBS.

Since then, both metallurgical magnates are only interested in their factories. And they earn themselves a new reputation. Increase business transparency and management efficiency.

Lisin succeeded in this matter. Having invested about $ 30 million in the reconstruction of its own CHP, which meets almost half of the plant's energy needs, it has reduced production costs. Energy now costs him 15% less.

TIME OF GREAT SHOPPING

In 2004, Lisin received an influential partner - Boris Ivanishvili. In February of this year, NLMK bought the Stoilensky Mining and Processing Plant (GOK). For a controlling stake in the GOK, Lisin gave it to former owner, the founder of the bank "Russian Credit" Boris Ivanishvili 15.5% of its 97% shares of NLMK. However, later, for some unknown reason, the deal was modified. Boris Ivanishvili raised $ 510 million for Stoilensky GOK. The purchase of Stoilensky GOK provided NLMK with its own ore for many years - the main raw material for metallurgical production.

Finally, in October, Lisin bought a package of licenses for the exploration of gas condensate fields on the shelf of the Kara Sea. In the same month, Northern Oil and Gas Company was bought from Kakha Bandukidze, the main asset of which is 62% of shares in the small Samara oil producing company Volganeft. In a press release, NLMK stated that the purpose of this deal is to create a new platform for future investments in the energy sector. It was also said that NLMK considers investment projects in the energy sector to be promising, meeting the objectives of providing energy resources for the entire production complex of the NLMK Group.

In December 2005, Novolipetsk Steel completed its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange. For a 7% stake in the metallurgical plant, $ 609 million were raised.

As a result of the IPO, the company's capitalization amounted to $ 8.7 billion. According to some reports, shares for placement were provided by one of the offshore companies of Vladimir Lisin, the main owner of NLMK. The latter, according to the investment memorandum of the metallurgical plant, before the public offering owned 89.85% of NLMK's shares.

REAL ESTATE

In July 2005, it became known about the largest transaction on the Moscow real estate market - the sale of 38% of the shares of OJSC City. The value of the signed contract is $ 130 million. The seller was the Guta group, the buyer - structures close to the businessman Vladimir Lisin, who controls NLMK.

OJSC City is the managing company for the project of the Moscow government, the Moscow International Business Center (MIBC) Moscow City. Within the framework of the project, construction is being carried out on a grand scale on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment; it is assumed that this area will become the largest business center of the capital of Russia. The total investment is estimated at USD 11-12 billion.

And this is not the first time that Lisin has shown interest in real estate investments capital Cities. In October 2000, he acquired control over the Moscow Rubin plant and the DK im. Gorbunov with the adjoining territory, the so-called "humpback", About 60% of the shares of OJSC "MTZ Rubin" was bought by the entrepreneur for $ 10 million from Alexander Milyavsky, who collected this package in the mid-90s.

Over time, Rubin sold its television production, but retains the Gorbushkin Dvor shopping center.

LOGISTICS

In June, Novolipetskiy Kombinat bought two seaports to "protect its export channels." 69.4% of shares of OJSC Tuapse Commercial Sea Port were purchased for $ 190 million from Severstaltrans. In addition, NLMK took control of its subsidiaries: Tuapse Shipyard OJSC, Tuapsegrazhdanstroy OJSC and other assets. This transaction allowed to ensure the smooth transportation of NLMK products to Asia and Africa, as well as to reduce the costs associated with port operations.

Again, in June 2004, the structures of Vladimir Lisin came to the port "St. Petersburg". The Danish company Jysk Staalindustri Aps, friendly to Mr. Lisin, acquired 50.01% of shares of OJSC Seaport SPb from the offshore company Nasdor, according to unofficial data, controlled by State Duma deputy Vitaly Yuzhilin and his partner Andrey Kobzar. Market participants estimated the deal at at least $ 100 million. And in November 2005, the offshore company Chupit Limited, close to Mr. Lisin, bought another 49% of the port's shares at a privatization auction for $ 30 million. This purchase guaranteed an export channel to Europe and America.

In July 2006, Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant completed the acquisition of a 30% stake in Independent Transport Company LLC (NTK LLC). After the completion of this transaction, NLMK's share in the authorized capital of NTK LLC was 100%. The seller of the package was Eurasian transport company».

LLC NTK is a key logistic asset of NLMK, ensuring the timely supply of raw materials for metallurgical production and delivery of finished products to consumers, both in Russia and abroad. LLC NTK coordinates cooperation with JSC Russian Railways and port administrations in the field of export supplies.

LATEST ACQUISITIONS AND LOSSES

Now, without losing control over his main asset, Mr. Lisin received more than $ 600 million in his hands. In addition, investment analysts in 2005 indicated that at that time there were about $ 2 billion in the company's bank accounts, which together gave Mr. Lisin has excellent opportunities to finance his new projects.

Part of the funds was invested in the beginning of the construction of 5 new container terminals in the St. Petersburg seaport, about which in February 2005 the investment program until 2010 was approved with the government of the “northern capital”.

In January 2006, NLMK sold an 11.96% stake in Lebedinsky GOK to the structures of its main shareholder (Alisher Usmanov) for $ 400 million.

In the same month, NLMK acquired 100% of the shares of Danish steel producer DanSteel A / S (Dunstil) for $ 104 million.

In February 2006, Lisin acquired 90% each of two large coal assets: Prokopyevskugol and Altai-koks, which will increase the mobility and independence of NLMK. For them, he paid about $ 800 million to structures close to Iskandar Makhmudov. Earlier, he acquired a license for the Zhernovskoye coal deposit in Kuzbass, the development of which will fully cover all NLMK's coking coal needs (this project is scheduled to be completed by 2009).

In August 2006, NLMK acquired a new asset - the Yekaterinburg company VIZ-Stal. For 100% of the shares of the Ural enterprise Lisin paid $ 550 million to the international concern "Duferco".

In September 2006, NLMK completed the sale of 92.04% of the ordinary shares of Kombinat KMAruda OJSC to Koks OJSC for $ 302.5 million. Koks OJSC is a part of management company"Industrial and Metallurgical Holding", which belongs to the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Boris Zubitsky. This transaction was carried out as part of the previously announced plan for the internal restructuring of the Company, one of the key aspects of which is the optimization of the asset structure. At the moment, the company's strategy is focused on the development of NLMK's key iron ore asset - Stoilensky GOK.

November 27, 2006 Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and the Swiss metallurgical company Duferco announced a partnership. On this day, documents were signed on the creation of a joint venture Steel Invest & Finance S.A., registered in Luxembourg. Each of the parties received 50% in this joint venture. For its half, NLMK paid $ 805 million from own funds and Duferco contributed production assets to the joint venture: a steel mill in Belgium and five steel mills in France, Belgium, Italy and the United States. The new structure also acquired the subsidiary Duferco Transformation Europe (DTE), which manages nine service centers in France, Belgium and the Czech Republic. In addition, the parties signed an agreement on the implementation of a program of expansion and technical development of the enterprises included in the joint venture with a total value of $ 401 million. These funds will be raised by NLMK, and the management will be carried out by Duferco. Thus, NLMK is entering the consumer markets in Europe and the United States, increasing the production of products with high added value. At the same time, analysts believe that the owner of NLMK, Vladimir Lisin, managed to gain access to Western assets at a certain discount.

In December 2006, Immenso Enterprises Limited, controlled by Vladimir Lisin, bought out NLMK's earlier minority stakes in Lipetskenergo OJSC (14.11%), Lipetsk Energy Retail Company OJSC (14.11%), Lipetsk Trunk Grids OJSC (14 , 11%), OJSC Lipetskoblgaz (19.39%), OJSC Territorial Generating Company No. 4 (2.7%), as well as a controlling stake in LLC Lipetsk City Energy Company (51%). All blocks of shares are valued at $ 78.56 million. Most likely, then these shares will be resold to a third-party investor. Back in February 2006, NLMK's board of directors decided that minority stakes in energy companies are non-core assets and do not provide an impact on the Company's operations.

In March 2008, Lisin's fortune was estimated by the Russian version of Forbes at $ 20.3 billion, but the global crisis that began in the fall of 2008 dealt a serious blow to him. In April 2009, Forbes estimated his fortune at $ 5.2 billion (fifth among Russian billionaires), and in February 2010, Finance named Lisin the richest man in Russia with a fortune of $ 18.8 billion. In April of the same year, Lisin topped the list of the richest businessmen in Russia according to the Russian Forbes, which estimated his fortune at $ 15.8 billion. And already at the end of March 2011, Forbes magazine estimated his fortune at $ 24 billion. Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin – The richest man in Russia!

Today he does not see any attractive companies for investment in the face of falling markets and capital outflow from the country. " Now everything will fall, but the question is how long it will fall, and how long it will go out. I don't think there is a "golden chip" nowwhere can you invest money ", - Lisin shared with journalists.

LIFE OF VLADIMIR LISIN OUTSIDE BUSINESS

Lisin - Doctor of Technical and Economic Sciences, Professor of the Department of Market Problems and Economic Mechanism of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. Laureate of the USSR Council of Ministers Prize in Science and Technology, Vice President of the International Union of Metallurgists and Honorary Metallurgist of Russia, Commander of the Order of Honor and Commander of the Order of Sergius of Radonezh.

In early 2001, Lisin became vice-president of the National Federation of Sporting (shooting at plastic plates), and in 2002 - president of the Russian Shooting Union. Back in his youth, he became addicted to shooting, and now he actually maintains the national team of the country, leading the Shooting Union of Russia. He even built the Fox Nora shooting complex in the Moscow region - for himself and for professional athletes.


Another personal project of the businessman, which he himself calls “social,” is the publication of the daily newspaper Gazeta. It has been published since 2001, but it still hasn't made a profit. Lisin says that he was glad to create an "independent mass media" and does not need anything else from Gazeta.

In business and sports circles, Lisin is well known, but keeps his personal life a secret from the media. It is only known that he is married and has three children.

Lisin is a collector. He collects furniture, household items, sculptures of small forms of Kasli iron casting (he is considered the owner of one of the most complete private collections of pre-revolutionary Kasli casting, which has more than 200 exhibits, while the entire pre-revolutionary assortment of the plant consisted of slightly more than 300 types of various products. exhibits from the Lisin collection are estimated at 3-5 thousand dollars).

Statements of Vladimir Lisin

I understand for sure that I was right when I did not follow this path - take, take, take.

I am always amazed when people who appear out of nowhere suddenly start talking about purely professional problems. Without getting an education and having read only a couple of books, it is impossible to talk about how to run an enterprise.

Real professionals should work in key positions, and not people who know a little about everything. It is important not only to have experience, education and pass additional courses vocational education , but also exactly the same desired self-criticism and the ability to change, adapt. In sum, this is professionalism.

Strategy is not a set of hard and fast rules. It depends on the situation.

We pay close attention to our words. There is such a principle in the company: it is better not to say anything, but if you did, then do it. Many of our colleagues will ring there, they will shake it, and then what? Nothing.

Let's say I go down the path of staff cuts and salary increases for the remaining employees. Where will the rest go? I think they will stand behind the fence to take away from their more successful colleagues what they have earned.

The economic strength of a company does not depend only on its size.

The acquisition must pursue some kind of pragmatic goal. Either it is pumping up assets, which means it is a speculative factor, or it is market development: presence or control. And the choice is not always easy.

I think that supermonsters are harmful - what a monopoly is and what it leads to is clear to everyone.

One colleague of mine joked: you will polish your assets indefinitely. It was said with irony, of course, but it turned out that it is the polishing of assets that gives the effect.

The depth of optimization is endless. The market never stops, and if you stop pedaling, then your way is into a losing zone.

It is necessary to understand that the world has become different, information cannot be hidden, cannot be hidden. But I am not a guru to predict what will happen next. Let's leave this matter to the analysts.

Many business mistakes stem from a reluctance to sacrifice personal ambition. It is always very difficult to change a decision, be it technical, economic or political. But for any leader, personal ambition should not obscure the ultimate goal of the business.

Economic laws are unchanged, any manager is obliged to know them.

All my work is aimed at improving the performance of the company.

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Vladimir Lisin is a well-known Russian entrepreneur, majority shareholder of NLMK, owner of Universal Cargo Logistics Holding. Billionaire, as of April 18, 2019, his fortune is estimated at $ 21.3 billion (2nd place among the richest Russian businessmen).

Education and scientific degree

As a schoolboy, he joined the Komsomol, was a member of the union until 1984. In 1973 he graduated from school number 41 and entered the metallurgical engineer at the now Siberian State Industrial University in Novokuznetsk.

Then he studied at the Higher Commercial School at the Academy foreign trade, and in 1992 he completed his studies in economics and management at the RANEPA. At the moment, he is a professor at the Department of Market Problems and the Economic Mechanism of the Academy of National Economy.

In 1990 he became a doctor technical sciences, having defended a thesis at MISIS.

Labor activity

In 1975 he got a job as an electrical fitter at the Yuzhkuzbassugol association. After graduating from the institute, he worked at NPO Tulachermet, where he rose from an assistant steelmaker to the deputy head of the shop. He was a member of the CPSU.

In 1986 he got a job at the Karaganda metallurgical plant O. N. Soskovets, at first he was deputy chief engineer, and since 1989 - deputy general director.

Since 1993, he has been a member of the governing bodies of leading Russian enterprises in the field of metallurgy. In 1996, he headed the board of directors of the Sayanogorsk aluminum plant, in 1998 - NLMK. He was a member of the directors of the Novokuznetsk and Bratsk aluminum plants, the Novolipetsk and Magnitogorsk metallurgical plants.

After acquiring a certain amount of NLMK's securities, he established the offshore company Worslade Trading, which was registered in Ireland, and began selling the metal abroad. The entrepreneur's fortune grew, he continued to acquire shares in these plants, and soon already owned controlling stakes.

It is known that the businessman participated in the election campaign of Alexei Lebed, who planned to become the head of the government of the Khakass republic. In 1998, Vladimir Sergeevich could head the administration of the Lipetsk region, but later he refused to participate in the elections in favor of Mikhail Neyrolin.

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In 2007, through the offshore company Silener Management, he acquired a 14.42% stake in Bank Zenit.

On 06.10.2011 he was elected the head of directors of OJSC United Shipbuilding Corporation. On October 28 of the same year, its structure - LLC "Independent Transport Company" - acquired at an auction 75% minus two shares of JSC "First Freight Company" for 125.5 billion rubles. So the billionaire, as the largest rolling stock operator in the Russian Federation, began to control a quarter of the market. freight transport by rail. A year later, NTK bought the remaining 25%.

Latest news

On April 10, 2018, RIA Novosti reported that in connection with the new US sanctions, the losses of Russian billionaires in the day after their introduction exceeded $ 15 billion (based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI) rating).

Thus, the fortune of the main owner of NLMK decreased by $ 1.31 billion.

Social activity

He financed the publication of the print newspaper "Gazeta", published from 2001 to 2010.

In 2002, he headed the All-Russian Sports public organization Federation of Bullet and Clay Shooting "Shooting Union of Russia" as president.

Since December 2002 - Chairman of the Board of the National Sporting Federation.

Since July 2009 - President of the European Shooting Confederation (ESC), which unites 57 European federations from 49 countries for Olympic and non-Olympic types of bullet and trap shooting.

Since January 2011, he has headed the All-Russian Summer Olympic Sports Association as President and is Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee.

On June 20, 2013, he was elected to the Executive Committee of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF), since December 2014 - Vice President of the ISSF.

Also a member of:
- Commission on marketing of the International Olympic Committee (Marketing Commission, IOC).
- Presidential Council Russian Federation for the development of physical culture and sports.
- Board of Trustees of the Olympians Support Fund.

Awards and titles

In 1990 he won the prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the field of science and technology, and in 2001 - the business reputation "Darin" of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship.

He bears the titles of Honorary Metallurgist of the Russian Federation and Honorary Citizen of Lipetsk. Chevalier of the Order of Honor.

In the period from 2005 to 2016, he was one of the ten richest businessmen in Russia according to Forbes magazine. In 2010 and 2011, he topped the list with a fortune of $ 15.8 billion and $ 24 billion, respectively. Was the second twice - in 2005 and 2012. In 2016, it took eighth place with a mark of $ 9.3 billion.

On March 20, 2017, the next annual rating of the American magazine Forbes was released. This year, the honorary metallurgist was ranked 57th among the richest businessmen in the world and third among Russians. At the same time, over the year, his fortune grew by $ 6.8 billion and amounted to more than $ 16 billion.

In March 2018, he topped the ranking of the richest Russian businessmen, and his fortune increased to $ 19.1 billion. In the world list, he remained in 57th position. On April 10, 2018, it became known that due to new US sanctions, his fortune decreased by $ 1.31 billion per day.

Hobbies

One of the main hobbies of an entrepreneur is collecting. He is considered the owner of one of the most complete private collections of pre-revolutionary Kasli iron casting.

He is a master of sports in shooting. He owns the Fox Nora shooting complex near Moscow.

Loves cigars.

Family status

Married. With his wife Lyudmila they have three sons - Vyacheslav, Dmitry and Alexander.

The first Russian sporting championship among metallurgists took place. The championship was held at the Lisya Nora sports and shooting complex near Moscow. This is a heavenly place 60 kilometers from the capital.

To be fair, it would be more correct to call it a burrow not a fox, but a fox, since this place has nothing to do with red animals: from a former quarry, these hectares were converted into an elite-class shooting complex by the chairman of the board of directors of Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, a passionate shooter and even the head of the Federation of the corresponding sport Vladimir Lisin.

There is only one reminder from the quarry - the complex is located in a ditch once dug by excavators, and no one began to ennoble its edges. Otherwise, the territory of "Fox Burrow" can be compared with the territory of a very good five-star hotel in Turkey: many kilometers of area planted with greenery, neat lawns dotted with gravel paths with signs at each intersection. Environmentally friendly open electric cars drive around them every now and then, delivering lost guests to the right place, around the gazebos and cafes, the life-giving pine air sets you up for peace and tranquility.

In the very center of the complex there is a small but picturesque lake: on one side there is a beach area with brought soft sand and sun loungers, on the other - fishing grounds: they say that you can even catch a five-kilogram pike here. Above all this splendor there is a blue sky, through which helicopters are flying every now and then: either sightseeing, or "business" - but they are neat, as if from Hollywood films, shining with silver or black lacquered paint. On the mountain - the border of the pit - proudly, in snow-white huge letters, is laid out: Foxland.

It just so happened that this name looks most spectacular from the parking lot of the most luxurious foreign cars with a variety of regions - from Moscow and, of course, Lipetsk to Samara, Bashkiria and even Chelyabinsk.

They say that a shooting complex of this level is no longer here - Mr. Lisin tried very hard to make everything beautiful and comfortable, because it was originally assumed that the "Fox hole" would become the base for sports competitions of the highest class. And the European championships in this sport have already been held here. Therefore, even the hotel in the complex is unique in its own way: round in shape, it resembles an electric train departing from a tunnel. They say that this structure amazed foreign architects so much that they came here specially to shoot for some specialized magazine of architects and builders.

At normal times, "Fox Nora" is an ordinary shooting club. True, of a closed type: anyone can not get here, you need to purchase club card... Everything is respectable in the capital - even the staff is dressed in the same uniform with an emblem on the chest - a stylized image of a fox. And everything is expensive in the capital way: a half-liter bottle of ordinary mineral water produced in Lipetsk costs 110 rubles - and this is the cheapest. In the lake that we described above, you can really fish, but the pleasure is very paid. First you buy the opportunity to fish, and then you weigh your catch and buy it - that's the order. But the prices for sporting are quite democratic. Again, by metropolitan standards: on average, one shot (a plate, a cartridge and other bells and whistles) will cost 45 rubles, in other complexes near Moscow prices go over 60.

But back to the goal of our story - the sporting championship. He grew up out of corporate steel gangs. Friends gathered - metallurgists and suppliers of metal products, talked about business and not only did their favorite sport - they shot on skeet. Then, at the initiative of the president Russian Union suppliers of metal products, general director of the information and publishing service "Metal Supply and Sales" Alexander Romanov, this grew into the "Sharp Eye" tournament. At first, only residents of the capital took part in it, then regional metal traders, who began to organize "branch" tournaments at home ... This year they decided to arrange a national championship - and they did it.

In this case, sporting is shooting with hunting rifles at the so-called skeet, made of a soft material like clay. The participants - metallurgical leaders this time gathered 29 - came from all over the country with their guns and cartridges. For those who do not have such wealth, everything was provided in the rental department - for an additional fee.

The only obvious inconvenience of the championship is the transport environmentally sterile dead end, in which the "Fox hole" is located. The complex is located far from the "hotbeds" of public transport, you can get to it only by your own car - which is not a problem for wealthy metal traders. But for ordinary people it is not easy. Perhaps that is why there were no spectators at the very interesting competitions. But the participants came here with their wives and children. After watching the shooting for a while, they went to enjoy the Indian summer that had settled in the capital: mothers cooed among themselves in a cafe, exposing their faces to the sun, and their kids either climbed the attractions of the playground - completely free for guests, or, having rented noisy toy electric cars, gaining experience in driving.

An interesting point: in the very center of the "Fox hole", opposite the reception building, there is a huge round-shaped ... how to call it ... a flower bed. In bright colors - blue, red, white, yellow and green, looking like pansies from afar, it bloomed ... the most ordinary cartridges, of which thousands are collected at the end of each day by the complex's staff. The most common waste became a good design solution, around which the participants of the competition - respectable metallurgists, and just guests - no less respectable entrepreneurs with their wives and children, were eagerly photographed.

So, 29 participants, each has the right to four shots at 25 targets. The 12 best go to the finals, the winners are determined by the best result of the entire hundred shots. Magnitogorsk was represented by Leonid Savitsky, a leading specialist of the Central LCK of the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine, an experienced shooter who has participated in many competitions, the best result - 12th place in the fifth stage of the Russian Cup, which was recently held in Chelyabinsk.

The shooter, having taken up a position, adjusts himself by drawing an imaginary line of flight of a saucer in front of him, which is released by a special machine gun, then shouts shortly: "Give it!" Following this, the saucer flies out, and it is necessary to hit it, tiny and rapidly moving in the air, with just two shots. The plates fly out from the bottom - from right to left, and from the top - from the side and straight, as it were, at the shooter. There are four shooting areas, each target's flight path is different.

The participants are divided into two groups. "A" - among themselves they are called professionals - these are advanced amateurs to shoot, on account of which not only participation in all kinds of competitions of different levels, but also titles - from second-class candidates to candidates for masters and even masters of sports. This time, out of 29 participants in the tournament, 11 were professionals - this is a solid indicator. Magnitogorets Leonid Savitsky performed in this category.

Despite the amateur level of the competition, the fight for medals and cups, displayed in the center of the site and proudly sparkling in the sun, turned out to be serious: the participants in the competition treat each well-aimed shot with a solid, dispassionate attitude, but each miss is accompanied by a disappointed and indignant short half-groan-half-cry, sometimes accompanied by a mother.

President of the Russian Union of Metal Suppliers Alexander Romanov - it is clear that he is not a beginner, even has a personalized T-shirt with his own surname on his back - has already shot and is surprised that he managed to get to the final, beating several candidates for master and a couple of masters of sports. We come up with a question: it seems that now a new favorite in sports has appeared in Russia - after tennis and alpine skiing, will everyone start to play sports?

- (Laughs.) I hope for now to call it a monosport of businessmen. And that's why. Firstly, it is a very democratic sport, given that people of all ages can do it, and there are no discounts on the gender of the participant. In addition, the shooting takes place exclusively in the fresh air and in an informal stop, so that business ties develop into friendships. For example, I was shooting everywhere. Where have you been? In Lipetsk, Tyumen, Rostov ... In a word, wherever there is an opportunity. In the evenings, communicating with business partners, I prefer shooting grounds rather than restaurants, and so I instill a love of sports among my colleagues.

The results of the last championship are as follows: in group "A" the winner was a resident of St. Petersburg, deputy general director of the company "Rustrubprom", candidate for master of sports Alexander Belov - for him victories in such competitions have already become a tradition. However, this time from the very beginning something did not work out - Alexander did not shoot the first attempt very well, making two misses. Having tuned in that victory this time will not work, he relaxed, but in the final he gave the best result. The second place went to the general director of the Chelyabinsk trading house "Metal", master of sports Igor Gaitov, the third place was taken by a Muscovite, head of the logistics department of the company "MetallStroyKomplekt" Mikhail Solomatin.

Magnitogorsk resident Leonid Savitsky has a good result - sixth in the overall standings and fourth in his group. To reach the top three, he lacked only four points. In group "B" the winner is Chief Accountant Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works Alexander Sokolov, second place belongs to our old friend Alexander Romanov, third place belongs to Sergey Perekatov, head of department renovation works NLMK.

In 1978 he graduated from the Siberian Metallurgical Institute with a degree in metallurgical engineering.

In 1990 he graduated from the Higher Commercial School at the Academy of Foreign Trade

In 1992 he graduated from the Academy of National Economy with a degree in Economics and Management.

He began his career in 1975 as an electrical fitter in the Yuzhkuzbassugol association. After graduation, he worked at NPO Tulachermet, where he rose from an assistant steelmaker to a deputy head of the shop.

Since 1986 - Deputy Chief Engineer, and since 1989 - Deputy General Director of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant ON Soskovets.

Since 1993, he has been a member of the Boards of Directors of a number of leading Russian metallurgical enterprises.

Since 1996 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sayangorsk Aluminum Smelter, member of the Board of Directors of Novokuznetsk and Bratsk Aluminum Smelters, Magnitogorsk and Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combines.

Since 1998 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC NLMK.

In 2007, through the offshore company Silener Management, he acquired a 14.42% stake in Bank Zenit.

Titles and awards

Professor of the Department of Market Problems and the Economic Mechanism of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation, author of 16 monographs and more than 150 scientific publications.

Laureate of the 1990 Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the field of science and technology.

Honorary Metallurgist of the Russian Federation.

Chevalier of the Order of Honor,

President of the Russian Shooting Union. Master of Sport.

Honorary Citizen of Lipetsk (2009).

The main asset is a controlling stake in Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. As of early 2010 - richest man in Russia (the state at that date, according to the Finance magazine, was estimated at $ 18.8 billion). Forbes magazine dated March 11, 2009 estimates Lisin's fortune at $ 5.2 billion (93rd in the world).

Freely owns English language... He is passionate about shooting sports. Gathers a collection of pre-revolutionary Kasli iron casting (small sculptures, household items, interior furniture - more than 200 cataloged exhibits in total). Loves cigars. Married. He is raising three children.
Site "Business Directory"

Dossier:

For the first time, the name of Vladimir Lisin came to the attention of the media in the late 80s, when Lisin, being the deputy director of the Karaganda metallurgical plant Oleg Soskovets (later the minister of metallurgy of the USSR), established the Soviet-Swiss company TSK-Steel, which, taking advantage of loopholes in legislation and general chaos in the "rebuilt" country, drove the substandard metal of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant abroad. The percentage of rejects at that time at the plant increased sharply, which allowed Lisin to earn his first big money.

In 1991, Oleg Soskovets moved to Moscow. Lisin followed him to the capital. True, Lisin always denied his friendship with Soskovets, saying that he crossed paths with him after moving only a few times. But be that as it may, it was thanks to Soskovets that the future oligarch met those who helped him organize own business... Brothers Mikhail and Lev Cherny, Sam Kislin. In the first years of cooperation, Lisin helped his foreign partners, who bought cheap products from Krasnoyarsk, Novolipetsk, Magnitogorsk metallurgical plants, Sayan and Novokuznetsk aluminum plants. Then Lisin joined the boards of directors of these enterprises. In addition, he first began to use the practice of tolling - factories paid for raw materials with finished products (mainly ferrous metals), which Lisin and his partners sold for export, which is important, without paying customs duties. The turnover was hundreds of millions of dollars.

At the end of 1992, Lisin was already engaged in not only ferrous, but also non-ferrous metals. He was helped in this by a new partner - David Ruben, who, together with the Cherny brothers, created the Rans World Group (TWG). Later they were joined by Oleg Deripaska, who was just taking his first steps in business. In 1993 Lisin became a full partner of TWG. Most of the largest metallurgical enterprises in the country fell under the control of the group. At the same time, the same Oleg Soskovets, who by that time had become Deputy Prime Minister, was considered the main defender of tolling.

In 1995, several contract killings took place in the metallurgical industry. The heads of firms with interests in aluminum plants controlled by Lisin were killed. The commercial director of the Sayan aluminum plant, in which Lisin was a member of the board of directors, was almost killed.
(Lone Shooter - "Russian Forbes", December 2004)

But then he parted with his former companions rather quietly (at least without shooting). By that time, TWG's position had fallen sharply. It is noteworthy that the fall of the group happened a few months after Oleg Soskovets left his post in the government of the Russian Federation with a scandal. The then head of the presidential administration Anatoly Chubais and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin did not intend to support Lisin's business. But Lisin did not miss his. During the division of the business, he took over control of NLMK.

In November 2005, the Ruben brothers from Great Britain filed a lawsuit against Lisin, claiming that he gained control over NLMK, secretly transferring shares from the management of the nominee to the control of his own company. However, this judicial story quickly ended. Lisin managed to resolve the conflict peacefully, calling for help from Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin. The first one prevented the Cherny brothers from bankrupting the plant. The second did not prevent Lisin from buying out NLMK shares from foreigners (Potanin owned 50 percent of TWG's shares).

However, they still say that Lisin is only the nominal owner of all "factories, factories, ships". Allegedly, behind him is still the patron saint of Soskovets, the Cherny brothers, and with them the Izmaylovo organized criminal group, which in the 90s "covered" and "milked" NLMK. It is believed that Lisin, in the interests of the Izmailovo bandits, acquired the Moscow plant "Rubin" and the House of Culture im. Gorbunova, better known as "Gorbushka". Izmailovsky authority Anton Malevsky received income up to 15 million dollars. The shares of the Izmaylovskys were also looked after by a certain Aksen, who, after the death of Malevsky (who was fond of exotic sports), headed the organized criminal group.
("This is how steel was bought. Metallurgical oligarch Vladimir Lisin knows how to shoot in every sense" - Stringer, 03/13/2002; "Lipetsk rigging" - Interlocutor, 10/15/2008)

Lisin does not like high-profile public scandals, preferring to resolve all disputes quietly. The history of relations between Lisin and Vladimir Potanin is indicative here. Having agreed at the beginning, seemingly about cooperation, the partners quickly became bitter rivals. Potanin broke off relations on his own, immediately going on the offensive - he challenged the sale of NLMK's non-core asset - the Stinol refrigerator plant - in court, and set auditors against the plant. Lisin, in turn, bought securities Norilsk Nickel. But then the oligarchs agreed, dividing the spheres of interest.

Lisin had conflicts with the Lipetsk governor more than once. The last conflict happened in 2008, when Lisin applied for the governor's post. By the way, Lisin has been striving for the governor's chair since 1998, when his candidacy was considered for the post of head of the Lipetsk region administration, but then Lisin himself refused to be nominated and supported the alternative candidacy of Mikhail Narolin. In 2002, everyone expected that Lisin would again nominate his candidacy for the gubernatorial elections, but the businessman backtracked - according to Kommersant, Lisin felt that the Kremlin would support Oleg Korolyov. The parties even signed an amicable agreement. Korolev pledged to end the information war against NLMK, Lisin - not to be nominated for governor.
("Kommersant", February 19, 2002)

But in 2008, the oligarch decided to make up for lost time. However, it was not only about unfulfilled ambitions. They said that Lisin, having gone to the gubernatorial elections, tried to get out of the control of the Izmaylovskys, who, after the death of their leader Malevsky, began to behave especially arrogantly. It was even said that brothers in jeeps came to Lisin, as in the "good old" days, demanding to leave the plant, as well as to surrender the leadership of the Rumelko company (Russian Metallurgical Company), in which the shares of criminal authorities were placed.

The main rival of the head of NLMK in the elections was the current governor of the region, Oleg Korolev, a well-known protector of workers. Lisin conducted his election campaign on the verge of a foul. One of the episodes of the pre-election struggle nearly cost the Governor Korolyov an armchair. On November 7, during a rally in the central square of Lipetsk, two unknown persons began to trample the Russian flag with their feet. Directly opposite the tribune on which Korolyov stood, the flag was burned. The governor's amazed face was shown all over the country. There was only one comment - Korolev has no control over the situation in his area. As it turned out later, the vandals who outraged the flag turned out to be NLMK employees, who acted on behalf of some of Lisin's image makers. Alexander Voloshin had to intervene in the conflict between the oligarch and the governor. Lisin was then offered the post of senator, but he considered that this position was too small for him ... They even said that Lisin achieved an audience with Putin, proving that he was ripe for regional politics. But the then president recalled to the businessman the story of the sale of the Stinol plant (Lisin sold the enterprise profitably, but did not pay off the loans to the state). As a result, the billionaire confined himself to the role of the "gray cardinal" of the region.

Lisin never went to confrontation with the authorities - Putin even presented him with the Order of Honor. They say that the billionaire has close ties with the Kremlin, in particular with the presidential administration Vladimir Kozhin. Their friendship began at the Higher Commercial School of the Academy of Foreign Trade, where Kozhin and Lisin studied back in Soviet times.

Vladimir Lisin is credited with the "authorship" of the "Mechel case", which caused a real panic in the stock markets. Then Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the Mechel metallurgical plant, which sold coking coal. domestic enterprises more expensive than abroad. Russian stocks began to fall rapidly. Many believed that the main client of Mechel, the head of NLMK, had complained to the president.
("Lipetsk rigging" - Interlocutor, 10/15/2008; "Tears and Mechel" - "Kommersant", 07/24/08)

 

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