Aven Petr Olegovich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Alfa-Bank banking group. “Only after he got rich, he began to attract women to himself” Peter Aven personal life

In the wake of perestroika, many people appeared who determined the fate of the country and built a new Russia, one of them was Peter Aven. The biography of a financier is an example of progressively building his career. Of course, Aven had high starting opportunities, but he took full advantage of them. Let's talk about how the professional path of a person at the top of the Forbes magazine list developed.

Origin

If there are lucky people by birth, then Peter Aven is one of them. His family was very unusual. Aven's father was a professor, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, specializing in the field of computer technology. And my grandfather was one of the Latvian riflemen; after the war he was repressed and shot. Peter's mother was Jewish by nationality and worked as a teacher at a university. The boy was raised primarily by his father and maternal grandmother. Aven recognizes and is proud of his Jewish, Russian and Latvian roots.

Childhood

Aven Peter was born on March 16, 1955 in Moscow. Since the family was intellectual and wealthy, the boy was accustomed to a high standard of living from childhood. When the time came for Peter to go to school, he was sent to the best institution in Moscow. From the 6th grade he studied at the famous Second School with a physics and mathematics focus. Peter was an average student and did not demonstrate much zeal. But, according to the recollections of his classmates, he was a real ringleader and the soul of the company. Already at this time, Aven showed interest in art, he is interested in music, heads the school music club, and makes many friends in this field. During his school years, he became friends with the grandson of the Soviet writer Arkady Gaidar, Yegor. Subsequently, they worked together on reforms of the country's financial system. Pyotr Olegovich remembers school as a difficult time, there was an atmosphere of fierce competition, but the quality of preparation was very high. Of Aven’s 25 classmates, 22 entered Moscow State University.

Education

After graduating from school, Petr Olegovich Aven became a student at the Faculty of Economics at one of the best universities in the country - Moscow State University. During his studies, he made many connections that later helped him build his career. Peter wrote his diploma work on mathematical methods in economics, thus continuing his father’s work. At the university, Aven continued to study music, heading a music club. In 1977, he graduated from the university and entered graduate school with academician S. Shatalin, where his classmates were Yegor Gaidar and Mikhail Fridman. In 1980, he successfully defended his dissertation in the same vein as his thesis.

Carier start

After graduating from graduate school and defending his dissertation, Aven Peter had a well-trodden path into research work. He comes to work at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences. There, in 7 years, he grows from junior to senior researcher. In 1989, he went to work at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an adviser and at the same time conducted scientific research in the Austrian city of Laxenburg at a research institute. At this time, changes are growing in the country, the state needs young progressive specialists, and Aven returns to his homeland.

Government Jobs

In 1991, Aven, with the help of his friend Yegor Gaidar, who served as prime minister of the government, entered the public service. First, he becomes Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, then heads the Cabinet of Foreign Economic Relations of the RSFSR, then rises to the position of Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, and is also entrusted with representing the interests of President B.N. Yeltsin when establishing ties with industrialized countries. But already in 1992, Aven decides to say goodbye to public service.

"Alfa Bank"

After leaving the government, Aven decided to plunge into business. He was invited by Boris Berezovsky, whom Aven met while studying at Moscow State University, to become his advisor to the president at LogoVAZ. Then Aven opened his own company, FinAP (Finance of Peter Aven), which was engaged in consulting on securities transactions. The beginning of the 90s in Russia was a time of rapid flourishing of private entrepreneurship, and Petr Olegovich Aven could not avoid this temptation. Alfa Bank is the enterprise of Peter’s longtime friend Mikhail Fridman, and in it he decided to put his experience as a financier into practice. Aven was so fascinated by banking that he even abandoned his mandate as a State Duma deputy in favor of working in a bank. He ran to the Duma from Yegor Gaidar’s “Russia’s Choice” party.

In 1994, Aven Petr sells his consulting company, acquires a 10% stake in Alfa Bank and occupies the chair of President. Pyotr Olegovich has repeatedly proven that banking is his calling. Under his management, Alfa Bank is becoming one of the leaders in the financial services market. By 2006, Aven’s share of shares had increased to 14% and he became the fourth person in the company. In 2014, he became the head of the Board of Directors of the Alfa Bank banking group.

Other activities

In addition to banking activities, Petr Aven is also involved in other types of business. In 1998, he joined the boards of directors of the Aviakor and STS companies, and later, with the rights given to him by origin, he was introduced into the top management of the Latvijas Balzams company. In 2011, he was included in the management of Golden Telecom. He is also a shareholder of LetterOne Holdings.

Such business activity makes Aven a quite wealthy person, although he himself categorically does not consider himself rich. In addition, Aven is actively involved in social activities. He is a professor at the Higher School of Economics, is on the board of trustees for supporting Russian Olympians, and participates in the trustee activities of the Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin.

State

Petr Aven, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at 5,100 million US dollars, is in 2018 on the 22nd place of the richest people in Russia. His capital has decreased slightly compared to 2014, when he was “worth” $6,100 million, but Aven is gradually regaining what he lost.

Charity

Entrepreneur Petr Olegovich Aven is known for his charitable activities. In 2008, together with his wife Elena, Petr Olegovich organized the Generation Foundation, which had three areas of activity: support for children's healthcare in Russia, grant and scholarship programs in the field of science, as well as support for cultural exchange between Latvia and Russia. "Generation" organizes a series of concerts by famous Russian musicians in Riga (M. Pletnev, Chulpan Khamatova, "Gogol Center" with K. Serebrennikov). In Moscow, the foundation held a large exhibition of Riga porcelain. A significant share of the fund was the gift of a concert grand piano to composer Raymond Pauls (worth 120 thousand dollars). “Generation” also took over patronage of a hospital in a small village in Latvia and supports the Tynianov readings. Aven does not forget about his Jewish blood; together with several of the richest Russians, he created a Jewish museum and tolerance center in Moscow, thereby fulfilling the covenant of the need to give part of his income to the community.

Awards

During his active life, Peter Aven received many significant awards, including the Russian Order of Friendship and Honor and the Latvian Order of Three Stars.

Personal life

The businessman is a widower. The wife of Aven Peter Olegovich died as a result of a blood clot in 2015. The couple had been married for 30 years and had two children in the family. Twins Daria and Denis successfully graduated from the American University at Yale. The son chose to continue doing science, and the daughter became interested in marketing and is developing the MAC brand for Estée Lauder. Pyotr Olegovich is a rare person about whom there is no gossip of an intimate nature; he leads a completely respectable life.

Hobbies

Businessman Aven is a famous collector. Its collection of Russian painting of the Silver Age is one of the largest in the country. His collection includes V. Kandinsky and several paintings by M. Chagall. The value of his art collection is estimated at several tens of millions of dollars. In addition, Aven is interested in hunting and football.

Financial interests

Shareholdings of most companies "Alfa Group", including Alfa Bank and "VimpelCom". As of 2010, he was a shareholder of the telecommunications holding Altimo (7.021%), ABH Holdings (13.8%), which combines the financial and oil assets of Alfa Group.

Biography

Petr Aven was born on March 16, 1955 in Moscow. In 1977 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics Moscow State University. 1989 – Researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Advisor to the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs (until 1991). In 1991-1992 - Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, representative of the Russian President for relations with industrialized countries (G7).

1993 – founded and headed the company "Finance of Peter Aven". Since 1994 President of Alfa Bank. Since 1998 - member of the board of directors of Aviakor OJSC and chairman of the board of directors of the television holding company Alfa-TV CJSC; CJSC Network of Television Stations (STS). In 2007, elected co-chairman of the board of directors "STS Media" together with the director of MTG Hans-Holger Albrecht.

In 2000-2001 - member of the Entrepreneurship Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. Since 2001 – Chairman of the Board of Directors of the holding "Golden Telecom Inc.". Since 2002 - member of the board of directors of Latvijas Balzams.

Petr Aven has headed the Board of Directors of the Banking Group since January 2014 "Alfa Bank".

In mid-April 2015, Alfa Bank filed a "Uralvagonzavod" the first claim for an amount of more than 6 billion rubles and $39.7 million. On May 8, Alfa Bank warned the corporation's creditors that it was going to apply to the arbitration court for its bankruptcy.

On May 12, the arbitration court seized funds worth 523.5 million rubles as part of the second claim of Alfa Bank to collect debt from the company. A week later the arrest was lifted. Uralvagonzavod received government guarantees to repay the debt.

On May 25, 2015, Aven was awarded Order of Friendship. This award is awarded for a great contribution to the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation, achieved labor successes, active social activities and many years of conscientious work, according to the presidential decree.

Peter Aven's net worth, according to Forbes, in 2015 is estimated at $5 billion.

Touches to the portrait

One of the world's most famous collectors of Russian avant-garde. Member of the Board of Trustees of the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin; member of the board of trustees Bolshoi Theater.

In 2004, Institutional Investor magazine recognized Aven as the best manager in the financial services sector in Russia.

Board member Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs(RSPP); Member of the Presidium of the Russian International Affairs Council (since 2011); Professor of the State University - High School of Economics(SU - HSE/NRU-HSE), one of the trustees of the Russian School of Economics (NES) and the Center for Economic Policy (CERP) in the UK.


Loves alpine skiing, tennis, hunting.

He supports FC Spartak and is ready to buy the football club from Leonid Fedun.

Married, has two children.

Scandals, rumors

While still a student, I met my future business partner, who was the head of the informal youth club "Strawberry Glade".

According to media reports, in 1992, Aven, being the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of Russia, by his order transferred the functions of the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations in St. Petersburg Vladimir Putin.

American intelligence agencies developed Peter Aven and Alexandra Shokhina on the subject of fraud with the Tanzanian debt to the USSR. The money ended up in Swiss banks.

As Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Aven “did not hesitate to accept commissions and even expensive gifts for assisting foreign companies and Russian enterprises in concluding and implementing foreign trade transactions.” However, no official charges of corruption were brought against Aven.

As minister, Aven intensified arms trade– they began to supply it to Iran, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Korea. Aven was also responsible as minister for organizing the supply of meat, sugar and other food products to Russia. A Russian emigrant became a partner in this business Sergey Mazharov, lived in France. Aven transferred funds from sales to his accounts in the Cayman Islands.

In the early 1990s, Aven assisted Friedman when the latter purchased sugar, tea and carpets from India through Alfa-Eco. Purchases were made at the expense of government debts.

The intelligence services checked Minister Aven for embezzlement, connections with Israeli intelligence services and even organizations drug transit from Southeast Asia to Europe. The results of these checks were reported Boris Yeltsin, after which Aven resigned as minister, media claim. Aven challenged this publication by journalists in court and won. In Aven’s own words, he resigned as minister because he did not see for himself “an opportunity to work in the government Viktor Chernomyrdin".

At the same time, Aven became an adviser to the president JSC "LogoVAZ" Boris Berezovsky. It was rumored that it was Aven who lobbied for an important decision for Berezovsky on a sharp increase in customs duties on imported cars.


After the opening of the company "Finance of Peter Aven", support was provided to the businessman Anatoly Chubais, Sergey Glazyev, Alexander Shokhin And Oleg Davydov.

In 1998, the media accused Aven of illegally acquiring a dacha Alexei Tolstoy in Barvikha, near Moscow, at a reduced cost and without paying taxes. The lobbyists for the deal were the general director of Zhukovka, Vladimir Ryabenko, and the head of the State Property Agency.

Peter Aven’s business partners were accused of hostile takeovers of a number of enterprises. Alfa Group used acquisitions through bankruptcy. Alpha's most notorious raider attacks - West Siberian Metallurgical Plant, Achinsk Alumina Refinery, Trading house "Smirnov", pulp and paper mills "Volga" and "Kama", beer company SUN Interbrew, mobile operator "Megaphone". The government structures lobbied for these takeovers, Valentin Zavadnikov And Hovhannes Ohanyan.

In addition, Aven, Friedman and Vekselberg accused of kidnapping "Tyumen Oil Company", and here too it could not have happened without the participation of Chubais, Koch, as well. Former people from the Alfa Group have established themselves in power structures, for example, Alexander Abramov, Andrey Popov, Andrey Rappoport.

At one time, Alfa Bank was the only creditor that refused to provide "Rusalu" deferment of payments. Aven accused Deripaska of violating corporate ethics and, if the demands were not met, he planned to begin bankruptcy proceedings for the industrialist’s company.

In 2008, Aven wrote a devastating review of the writer’s novel “Sankya” for the Russian Pioneer magazine, which caused a heated public debate.

Being “half Latvian” (Aven’s grandfather, a native of Latvia, was repressed), the businessman joined the company’s board of directors Latvijas Balzams. In February 2009, advisor to the chairman of the board of Alfa Bank Alexander Gafin declared Aven’s readiness to head the Latvian government if such a proposal was received by the banker. Aven called Gafin’s statement “a bad joke.”

Aven owns a house on Wentworth Estate in Surrey, England.

President and co-owner of Alfa Bank since 1994. Member of the supervisory board of directors of the Alfa Group consortium, co-chairman of the board of directors of the STS Media company, chairman of the boards of directors of the Golden Telecom holding and the AlfaStrakhovanie OJSC company. Previously, he held the positions of General Director of the Peter Aven Finance company (1993-1994), Advisor to the President of LogoVAZ JSC (1992-1993), Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation (1992), Chairman of the Foreign Economic Relations Committee and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation ( 1991-1992). Member of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs since 2006, head of the Russian-Latvian Business Council since 2007. Candidate of Economic Sciences, Professor at the State University - Higher School of Economics.

Petr Olegovich Aven was born on March 16, 1955 in Moscow in the family of Oleg Ivanovich Aven, an employee of the Institute of Automation and Telemechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, who later became a teacher at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Moscow State University (MSU) and a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Aven’s grandfather, a Latvian shooter who was shot in the 1930s during repressions, was also mentioned in the media. Among Aven’s childhood friends, Valentin Yumashev was mentioned, the future head of the Russian Presidential Administration and son-in-law of Boris Yeltsin.

In 1972, Aven graduated from Moscow school No. 2, which was mentioned in the media as “a kind of nursery for geniuses at the Physics and Mathematics Department of Moscow State University.” It was also noted that he was the president of the school music club and already in those years made numerous acquaintances in the musical environment.

In 1977, Aven graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University. He defended his diploma at the department of mathematical methods of economic analysis under the guidance of the famous economist Stanislav Shatalin. In 1980, Aven graduated from graduate school at Moscow State University (in graduate school he studied with the future “young reformer” Yegor Gaidar) and defended his dissertation, receiving the academic degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences (specialty in econometrics). Information was published in the media about Aven as the president of the Moscow State University Music Club: it was reported that in this role, while still a student, he met his future business partner Mikhail Fridman, who in those years was the head of the informal youth club "Strawberry Field".

In 1981-1988, Aven was a junior and senior researcher at the All-Russian Research Institute for System Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1989, he went to work under a contract in the Austrian city of Laxenburg, becoming a researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, a position he held until 1991. According to some information, at the same time, Aven was also an adviser to the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the fall of 1991, Aven became part of the “government of reforms” headed by Gaidar, taking the posts of chairman of the Committee on Foreign Economic Relations (KFER), and, at the same time, first deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrei Kozyrev. Claims were published that during this period of his activity, Aven, “being in control of the situation and possessing classified insider information,” allegedly carried out a number of transactions with the debts of the USSR and “enriched himself enormously.” In 1992, Aven headed the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation, created in the country. At the same time, he also became the representative of Russian President Yeltsin for relations with industrialized countries. Information appeared in the press that, as an official, Aven “did not hesitate to accept commissions and even expensive gifts for assisting foreign companies and Russian enterprises in concluding and implementing foreign trade transactions,” but no official charges of corruption were brought against him. Aven's achievements as head of the ministry were cited as successes in his negotiations with the Paris Club of Creditors, which was then headed by Jean-Claude Trichet, when the Russian minister managed to achieve a “significant softening of positions” on the payment of Russian debts. However, in December 1992, Aven, following Gaidar, resigned from his government post, not seeing for himself “an opportunity to work in the government of Viktor Chernomyrdin.” In the same month, he became an adviser to the president of LogoVAZ JSC Boris Berezovsky and held this position until the end of February 1993 (it was noted that in the past the scientific supervisor of Berezovsky’s graduate student was Oleg Aven). Information was published that Aven allegedly played an important role in lobbying a decision beneficial to LogoVAZ to sharply increase customs duties on imported cars.

In 1993, Aven created and headed the company “Finance of Peter Aven” (“FinPA”). This structure, which provided advice primarily on securities transactions, did not buy anything. “I can give advice, but I have no capital. FinPA is a company without capital,” said Aven. Information was also published that turning to the company’s services was, rather, “a way to legalize yourself in a new capacity and declare yourself.” Aven himself, commenting on his decision to engage in consulting, stated: “I know the mechanisms of decision-making in the government and I do not hide it.”

In the spring of 1993, in his own words, representatives of OJSC AKB Alfa Bank, founded by Fridman, came to Avena. “At first I advised them, they bought and paid me money for consultations. Then, gradually, I began to work closely with them,” Aven said in 1994. In December 1993, he was elected to the State Duma on the list of the "Gaidar" bloc "Russia's Choice". However, even before the start of parliament, Aven refused his deputy mandate, not wanting to leave the post of general director of FinPA.

In 1994, Aven transferred 50 percent of the shares of FinPA to Alfa Bank, receiving in return 10 percent of the bank's shares. In the same year, he took the post of president of Alfa Bank (the media wrote that this position was created “especially for Avena”), while Friedman remained chairman of the bank’s board of directors. According to some experts, Aven soon proved that “he is the one worthy to determine the bank’s strategy.”

After Aven joined Alfa Group, the holding significantly strengthened its position. According to analysts, he succeeded, first of all, thanks to the successful overcoming of the August 1998 crisis. In particular, it was noted that Alfa Bank turned out to be “almost the only bank at the height of the crisis that continued to pay off its obligations and pay money to private depositors.”

In May 1998, Aven became a member of the board of directors of Aviakor OJSC. In June of the same year, he was elected chairman of the board of directors of the television holding CJSC Alfa-TV, and in November he took the post of chairman of the board of directors of CJSC Network of Television Stations (STS). After Alfa Group acquired 43.6 percent of the shares of the Golden Telecom holding in May 2001, Aven was elected chairman of its board of directors. In July 2002, the banker joined the board of directors of STS Media, and in December 2003 he became co-chairman of its board of directors (as of 2009, Alfa Group owned 26.1 percent of the shares of the media company). Aven did not lose his post even after Alfa Group sold its stake in the STS Media holding in June 2011. At the same time, the banker personally became a shareholder of the company, purchasing 150.6 thousand shares for $3 million. His share in the holding was less than one tenth of a percent.

In October 2004, Institutional Investor magazine named Aven the best manager in the financial services sector in Russia, and in April 2005, for his labor successes and many years of conscientious work, Aven was awarded the Order of Honor by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. In April 2006, the banker joined the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. According to the RSPP website, he remained a member of the board in 2009, serving as chairman of the board of directors of AlfaStrakhovanie OJSC (Aven was delegated to the board of directors of the insurance company in 2007).

In 2006, Aven identified himself as the owner of 14 percent of Alfa Bank shares. He was mentioned in the media as the fourth most important member of the supervisory board of directors of the Alfa Group consortium after Fridman, the chairman of the board of directors of the Alfa-Eco group Alexey Kuzmichev, as well as the executive director and member of the board of TNK-BP Management OJSC German Khan. In 2009, talking about the business structure of Alfa Group, Vedomosti reported that 100 percent of the shares of Russian and Ukrainian Alfa Banks belong to the ABH Holdings Corp. holding.

Aven, by his own admission “half Latvian,” has been a member of the board of directors of Latvijas Balzams (the largest Latvian producer of alcoholic beverages) since July 2002, and since 2007 he has headed the Russian-Latvian Business Council (council of entrepreneurs). He did not hide the fact that he had certain financial interests in Latvia. In February 2009, the press published the words of Alexander Gafin, adviser to the chairman of the board of Alfa Bank, about Aven’s readiness to head the Latvian government if such a proposal was received by the banker. Aven denied Gafin’s report, calling his statement a bad joke. It was noted that the incident served as the basis for Gafin’s dismissal from Alfa Bank.

Aven is one of the richest inhabitants of the planet. In the Forbes magazine ranking published in March 2008, he was ranked 178th, and his fortune was estimated at $5.5 billion.

Aven was mentioned in the press as the author of numerous articles, books on econometrics and problems of reforming Russian agriculture. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Russian School of Economics and a professor at the State University - Higher School of Economics, where he conducts the seminar "Features of interaction between business and government in Russia."

Aven is known as an art connoisseur and philanthropist. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Bolshoi Theater, a famous collector - a collector of paintings by artists of the "Silver Age". The banker, according to media reports, is a good skier and tennis player, loves to hunt and attends the Moscow English Club. “He is a little ashamed to show his wealth in a poor country and deliberately limits himself,” the magazine “Faces” wrote about him in 2003.

Aven is fluent in English, reads and can communicate in Spanish. Aven and his wife Elena, a historian by profession, have twin children - daughter Daria and son Denis.

Aven Petr Olegovich is a shareholder and president of OJSC JSCB Alfa-Bank, a member of the supervisory board of Alfa Group, and he is also on the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In 2004, a well-known financial magazine named the businessman and banker the best manager in the field of economic services in the Russian Federation.

Peter Aven: biography

Pyotr Olegovich was born in the capital of Russia - Moscow - in March 1955. His father (Oleg Ivanovich) held a post at the institute at the USSR Academy of Sciences, then he went to work at the main Moscow university - Moscow State University. His grandfather was a shooter who was shot during the repressions of the thirties.

Young Peter had many friends, among them was Valentin Yumashev, who in adulthood took the post of head of the administration of the head of state of the Russian Federation.

School and student years

Pyotr Olegovich studied at school No. 2 in Moscow. Already at a young age, Peter Aven showed interest in art. At school he was the president of the music club, and already at this time Peter had many friends in the musical field. He graduated from school in 1972 at the age of 17. After completing secondary education, the young man enters Moscow State University, the Faculty of Economics. Peter’s interest in art does not disappear, and he becomes president of the Moscow State University music club. It was here that he met his future business partner, M. Friedman. Five years later, to defend his diploma, he will choose the famous economist S. Shatalin as his scientific supervisor. After receiving a diploma of higher education, Petr Aven enters graduate school and defends his dissertation. After this, he is awarded an academic degree. He becomes a candidate of economic sciences (specializing in econometrics).

Carier start

After graduating from Aven University, Peter gets a job at a research institute of the USSR, where he works first as a junior researcher, and soon as a senior researcher. In 1989, Pyotr Olegovich went to Austria, the city of Laxenburg, where he worked under a contract as a researcher at an international institute. At the same time, Petr Aven holds the position of adviser in the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two years later, the future banker decides to join the government of reforms headed by Gaidar, whom he met at Moscow State University while studying in graduate school. Occupying high positions, Aven was able to carry out some transactions and increase his fortune. At the age of 37 years (1992), Pyotr Olegovich heads the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations. At the same time, he becomes the representative of the head of state for relations with developed countries. While occupying this post, Aven Petr Olegovich was able to achieve considerable success. For example, as a result of a successful meeting with the Paris Club of Creditors (headed by Jean-Claude Trichet), the minister managed to improve Russia’s position and obtain a deferment in debt payments.

But at the end of 1992, the businessman resigned, citing his reluctance to work under the leadership of Viktor Chernomyrdin. However, Aven quickly finds a new place, becoming an adviser to the president of LogoVAZ JSC. Pyotr Olegovich met the president of the concern, Boris Berezovsky, back at Moscow State University, when he was a student’s supervisor. The press reported that in his new position, Aven contributed to an increase in customs duties on imported foreign cars.

The following year, 1993, he created his own company, which was named “Peter Aven Finance” (abbreviated as “FinPA”). The organization was engaged in consulting on transactions with securities. The decision to seek advice from Aven was made by companies wishing to legalize and take their place. The director of the company himself did not hide the fact that he feels comfortable in the role of a financial consultant, because he knows how the government of the country makes decisions.

OJSC JSCB "Alfa-Bank"

In 1993, Aven ran for the State Duma and became its deputy. But he has to resign from the position due to his reluctance to lose the opportunity to work at FinPA. At the same time, the leaders of Alfa Bank became interested in him. Initially, they turned to FinPA for advice, but then their interest changed. In 1994, shares were exchanged. The businessman gives up fifty percent of his shares in exchange for ten percent of the bank's shares. Soon a new shareholder is appointed to the position of president.

The new head of the bank has repeatedly confirmed that he took his post for good reason, and with him the bank was able to strengthen its position in the market. In the spring of 1998, Aven became a member of the board of directors of the Aviakor company. In the summer, he was elected to the position of chairman of the board of directors of Alfa-TV CJSC, and a little later of STS CJSC. In the following years, the banker held the posts of chairman of the board of directors of Alfa Group and STS Media. By the beginning of 2011, the successful businessman increased the number of his shares in the CTC Media company to two tenths of a percent. By 2006, Aven increased the number of shares in the bank to 14 percent and became fourth on the list of significant people in the Alfa Group company. In the same year, the banker became a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, taking a place on its board.

Merits and awards

During the development of his career as a successful businessman and banker, Aven was able to earn the Order of Honor, which he was awarded by decree of President V.V. Putin (2005). In 2004, the economic magazine named him the best manager in the field of economic services in the Russian Federation. In 2015, Aven was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Prize, which he received for his significant contribution to the development of relations between Russia and the United States of America. The award presentation took place in Washington.

Forbes

According to the famous Forbes magazine, Pyotr Olegovich Aven, whose biography and career growth developed very rapidly, took 178th place in the list of the wealthiest people as of 2008. His financial position was estimated at five and a half billion dollars.

Other interests of the banker

Petr Olegovich is engaged in writing. Thus, he is the author of a large number of articles and books on economics. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Russian School of Economics and holds the position of professor at the university where he teaches.

Businessman's hobby

The banker is known for his interest in art, which manifested itself in his youth. He is a great connoisseur and patron of the arts. Interested in theater, Aven became one of the trustees of the Bolshoi Theater. The businessman is a passionate art collector, preferring paintings by famous artists of the Silver Age. The collection of his paintings is the largest collection of paintings of the early twentieth century in Russia. And many pieces from his collection cost a fortune. Interest in painting was not limited to collecting; Pyotr Olegovich is on the Board of Trustees of the A. S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.

In his free time, the businessman studies languages. He speaks English perfectly, and reads and speaks Spanish fluently. The banker is known for his love of skiing and tennis. He loves to hunt in good company and is also a member of the Moscow English Club. Aven is a big football fan and does not miss the games of the Spartak team.

Peter Aven: wife, children

The famous businessman is married. Peter Aven's wife, Elena, has a higher education. She graduated from the Moscow Institute, Faculty of History. Married to Pyotr Olegovich, she gave birth to twins in 1993 - a boy and a girl. In August 2015, Elena Vladimirovna Aven died. The children of Peter Aven, Daria and Denis, who are currently 23 years old, study in England, at Yale University. The family was friends with Yegor Gaidar, whom the future banker met as a student.

  • Being a passionate football fan, Pyotr Olegovich made an offer to L. Fedun (owner of Spartak) in 2012 to purchase shares of the football club. However, the deal was not concluded due to the refusal of the club head to share power.
  • Aven is the owner of real estate in England, in particular, he owns a mansion in an elite area in Surrey.
  • In 2011, the businessman entered the list of the 200 richest people in the Russian Federation and took 28th place in it.
  • In 2015, in New York, Aven and his partners organized an exhibition of paintings, where paintings from the businessman’s personal collection were presented. This event was held with the aim of strengthening relations with the country and raising the image of the Russian Federation.
  • In 1998, a businessman purchased the dacha of the famous Russian writer Alexei Tolstoy.

Petr Aven is the chairman of the board of directors of the holding company of the Alfa-Bank banking group, a well-known collector and philanthropist. In Forbes magazine’s “Russia’s 200 Richest Businessmen 2019” ranking, he ranks 21st with a fortune of $5.2 billion.

Pyotr Olegovich was born on March 16, 1955 in Moscow into a family of teachers. My father, a computer science specialist, taught at the Physics and Mathematics Department at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.

Education

He graduated from the capital's physics and mathematics school No. 2. Then he entered the economics department of Moscow State University, where he completed his graduate studies in 1980, defended his dissertation and became a candidate of economic sciences.

Labor activity

After graduation, he worked for seven years at the Institute of System Research of the State Committee for Science and Technology and the USSR Academy of Sciences together with Yegor Gaidar.

In 1989, he was appointed advisor to the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while remaining a researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.

In 1991, he became the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation in the famous “government of young reformers” of Yegor Gaidar and the representative of the Russian President for relations with the G7 countries.

In July 1992, he was appointed deputy chairman of the Monetary and Economic Commission of the Russian government, but resigned six months later.

In 1993, he created and headed the financial consulting firm in the field of securities “FinPA”. FinPA occupied a market segment in which at that time it had no competitors. At the same time, he was a member of the “Choice of Russia” party and entered the State Duma of the Russian Federation, but refused a deputy mandate.

In 1994, he took the post of president of Alfa-Bank and held this position until June 2011. From March 2015 to the present - Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABH Holdings S.A. Member of the board of directors of Alfa-Bank.

In October 2018, he took the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank.

Social activities

He is a professor at the Higher School of Economics.

He is a member of the trustees of many Russian and foreign organizations: NES, the Center for Economic Policy in the UK, the Russian Olympians Support Fund, the State Museum of Inventive Arts. A. S. Pushkin.

He holds the post of Chairman of the Russian-Latvian Business Council.

Hobbies

The banker's main passion is fine art.

Owner of the country's largest collection of Russian paintings from the early 20th century. In 2012, at Christie’s auction, he purchased Wassily Kandinsky’s “Sketch for Improvisation No. 8” for a record $23 million for the artist. At the same time, at Sotheby’s he bought a pencil portrait of Vsevolod Meyerhold by Yuri Annenkov for $1.7 million.

Speaks English fluently. Among sports games, football comes first. He is a fan of FC Spartak.

Awards

Knight of the Order of Honor and Three Stars, III degree.

Family status

In 1994, he and his first wife Elena (1958-2015) had two twin children - Daria and Denis.

 

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