Lisin and his marital status. Confrontation between Lisin and Potanin. Vladimir Lisin in his youth, the beginning of his career

Ten years ago, Vladimir Lisin chose the target. Aimed for a long time and did not miss

Valery Igumenov

He cuts a cigar and lights it with a disposable lighter with the NLMK emblem. The cigar will be finished in two hours. But Vladimir Lisin is in no hurry: the ending year was the most successful and calmest for his business. The proceeds from sales at his Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works for the first eight months of the year have already exceeded last year's - 78.8 billion rubles against 75 billion. Profit amounted to 39.3 billion rubles, almost twice as much as for the whole of last year. The company has taken second place in the world in terms of profitability among ferrous metallurgy enterprises, and in Russia it is ahead of all in the industry in terms of profitability. The capitalization of NLMK over the past six months has grown from $4.6 billion to $6.1 billion, with the RTS index falling. “All my work is aimed at improving the performance of the company,” Lisin says in an interview with Forbes. This year Novolipetsk has bought two seaports to "protect export channels" and Stoilensky to control ore supplies. For a controlling stake in GOK, Lisin gave it former owner, the founder of the Russian Credit Bank, Boris Ivanishvili, 15.5% of his 96% stake in NLMK. Finally, in October, he bought a package of licenses for the exploration of gas condensate fields on the shelf of the Kara Sea: “We need to think about resources in the future.”

A ready-made portrait of an apolitical owner who cares only about the development of his company? One could believe in such an image of Lisin, if not for his past. And there were scandals, and corporate wars, and a close relationship with dubious businessmen.

Forge frames

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

The main shareholder of NLMK in the late 80s was already deputy general director - at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, where he came as a young specialist. In addition to Lisin, only one tycoon in the industry worked in his specialty all his previous life - the co-owner of Magnitogorsk, Viktor Rashnikov. Maybe that's why Rashnikov and Lisin easily find a common language in business - for example, they have been talking about a possible merger of assets for two years now. However, while it is unlikely that they will ever hold it. In addition, history shows that the owner of NLMK sooner or later parted with all partners. He has only temporary allies.

The first of them - not even a partner, but a patron in business - in the late 80s was Oleg Soskovets. By the beginning of the era of private capital, Soskovets was the director of the Karaganda plant. Under his leadership, Lisin gained his first commercial experience, which he still recalls with pleasure. Karaganda plant together with Swiss partners created subsidiary TSK-Steel, whose CEO was Lisin. The company 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 at a big discount, but TSK-Steel had its own $20-25 million turnover per year.

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, told Kislin that they could not pay him with either money or metal. Kislin risked losing the $30 million invested in the case. It was then that Vladimir Lisin turned out to be next to the American, who promised to solve the problem.

“It all ended with the fact that we pulled out the money,” explains Lisin, without saying, however, how exactly he managed to do this: he simply used his acquaintances. And at the same time, Lisin denies that he received help from the most influential of his acquaintances, Oleg Soskovets. “It is a legend that Oleg Nikolaevich invited me to Moscow,” says Lisin. “After Karaganda, we met with him only a few times in passing.”

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

In spite of successful work, Lisin remained only employee at Trans Commodities. The status of a partner, except for Kislin himself, had only one person, a native of Tashkent, businessman Mikhail Chernoy. And another "simple" hired employee of the company was Iskander Makhmudov, the current owner of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, a large copper producer.

The meteoric rise of Trans Commodities looks unbelievably easy. Lisin explains this by the fact that Kislin was the first person who brought a lot of money to the industry. “We specifically paid,” explains Lisin, meaning that the shipment of goods was paid for in “real” money. “At that time, no one was interested in metallurgy anymore, it was a complete ass.”

But already at the end of the same 1992, Lisin and his Russian colleagues found a more weighty money bag. Their new foreign investor was the British non-ferrous metal dealer David Reuben. 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 interest included not only ferrous, but also non-ferrous metals. Lisin and Makhmudov became members of the group. And the brothers somehow persuaded Sam Kislin to move away from business - he left for the USA. Forbes failed to contact Kislin.

Later, Oleg Deripaska, a novice stock trader, also joined this group. He managed to convince Chernykh that he could organize the purchase of a controlling stake in the Sayan aluminum plant, and received money for this operation. (Now Deripaska, with his Russian Aluminum company, owns a dozen aluminum and alumina smelters.)

So Lisin had new temporary allies.

metallurgy color

Already in 1993, Vladimir Lisin received TWG partner status. Soon, most of the country's largest metallurgical plants were under the control of the group. TWG became the world's third-largest supplier of aluminum—annual sales in 1993 were estimated at $4-5 billion—and the group didn't own a single plant at the 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 chair 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. Legally, the TWG was not formalized as single company. It was a typical conglomerate for that time. Russian firms and offshore companies that are formally independent of each other.

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

However, TWG's meteoric rise was followed by an equally meteoric decline. Already in 1996, the group began to disintegrate. This happened a few months after the scandalous resignation of Oleg Soskovets from a 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 the TWG company. The position of the Blacks in Russia has become precarious, and their non-transparent business is too vulnerable to the security forces. And then the brothers quarreled with each other and began to divide the business.

Vladimir Lisin did not miss out on dividing his own. While working at TWG, he took a closer look at one of the controlled plants - NLMK. In parallel with the Cherny brothers, he gradually bought up shares. Brothers by the time of the collapse of TWG had accumulated 34% valuable papers plant, Lisin-13%.

The plant was unprofitable, like many others. The tolling scheme allowed the structures that control exports to earn billions, but did not help the factories themselves much. The Cherny brothers, winding down 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 had agreed, he would have become a multimillionaire, but he would never have made billions. (In May, Forbes estimated his fortune at $4.8 billion.) However, he went against the former partners and began to carry out own plan. He decided to seize control of NLMK.

“We had to concentrate on one thing,” Lisin explained his choice in an interview with Forbes. “And in Lipetsk, I already had a big package.” In addition, the plant had modern equipment by Russian standards.

In a word, everything led him to part with his partners. Without sentiment, but with litigation - "with lawyers, lawyers, with all personal belongings," as Lisin himself says. To win this fight, he entered into another temporary alliance - with Vladimir Potanin.

Sole proprietor

In the mid-90s, NLMK shares were bought not only by TWG. In early 1997, a 25% stake belonged to the structures of the American financier George Soros. Another 25% belonged to two Monegasque citizens, businessmen of New Zealand origin, brothers Richard and Christopher Chandler. (It's amazing how many brothers worked in the metal industry in the 90s! David Reuben also had an associate brother).

Managed these 50% shares of Potanin's structure and financier Boris Jordan. And the plant was actually managed by Lisin. Breaking with the Cherny brothers, he translated everything financial flows NLMK on own company Worslade Trading registered in Ireland.

TWG responded with lawsuits, accusing the former partner of violating contracts, as well as misusing a $65 million loan. These courts, however, TWG lost.

After establishing personal control over finances, Lisin decided that it was time to become the largest shareholder of the plant. According to information from his inner circle, he turned to Potanin with a proposal for cooperation.

Vladimir Potanin and his associates have always denied the existence of any agreement. Lisin does not confirm or deny the existence of an agreement. According to a source close to Lisin, the two businessmen agreed in the first half of 1997 that Potanin would not prevent Lisins from buying out 50% of NLMK shares from foreigners and, if possible, would prevent the attempts of the Cherny brothers to bankrupt the plant.

Lisin agreed with Soros and the Chandlers a year later. After buying NLMK securities from them, Lisin's stake increased to 63%. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed, analysts estimated it at $200 million.

For the next two years, the new owner of NLMK, in his own words, “discussed options with TWG joint work". During this time, the plant survived the disastrous 1998 and the turning point in 1999. After the devaluation of the ruble, the profitability of exports increased, for which 60% of NLMK's products went, the plant increased sales and production levels, and Vladimir Lisin began to return financial flows from offshore to the enterprise itself. As a result, for the first time since the privatization, NLMK made a profit of 9.5 billion rubles on a revenue of 25.7 billion rubles.

Lisin planned to take the next big step in 2000. The June meeting of shareholders was offered a restructuring program for $ 1.1 billion. They were ready to provide the plant with Lisin's companies in exchange for an additional issue of shares. After their release, TWG's share would have halved.

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

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

For the first time in the career of Vladimir Lisin, a strategic partner himself broke off relations with him. Yes, and began hostilities. At the shareholders' meeting, Potanin's representatives voted against the issue of new shares. After that, Interros struck blow after blow. Potanin's lawyers began to challenge (without success) the sale of a non-core asset of the NLMK refrigerator factory Stinol that took place in the same month. A little later, the auditors of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation raided the plant and calculated the 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 found that the authorized capital of the company 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 quite confident. He was not afraid to wage 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 preferred not to overpay Potanin for NLMK shares, but to use the money to buy securities of Norilsk Nickel, Potanin's main asset. Then 8% of the shares of Norilsk Nickel, bought by Lisin, cost almost half as much as 34% of NLMK.

New rules

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

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

Lisin succeeded in this matter. Having invested about $30 million in the reconstruction of his own thermal power plant, which provides almost half of the plant's energy needs, he reduced production costs. Energy now costs him 15% less. The purchase of Stoilensky GOK provided NLMK with its own ore for many years. At the same time, Lisin received an influential partner - Boris Ivanishvili. The two ports that Lisin recently acquired () will allow him to uninterruptedly supply metal for export.

Now the owner of NLMK has time to do more pleasant things. Even in his youth, he was addicted to shooting, and now he actually supports the national team, heading the Russian Shooting Union. He even built in the suburbs - for himself and professional athletes - the shooting complex "Fox Hole".

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

So now Vladimir Lisin is a quiet billionaire who sponsors athletes and invests 90% of his personal funds, as he himself says, “in Russian economy". But what about the 90s? You can't remember that time. The owner of the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works does not even wear a wristwatch.

Brazilian Profitability

Comparatively modern equipment helped Vladimir Lisin's combine to get ahead of all Russian competitors in terms of profitability. And low costs for raw materials and energy allow NLMK to get into the top four most profitable global manufacturers along with Brazilian companies

* The ratio of net profit to revenue in 2003.
** Ratio of EBITDA to sales in 2003.

TASS-DOSIER. March 6, 2018 in the new ranking of the magazine Forbes richest Of the Russians with a fortune of $19.1 billion (57th place in the world), Vladimir Lisin became the chairman of the board of directors of Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant (NLMK). He first entered the list of billionaires in 2004, when his wealth was estimated at $3.8 billion.

In 1979 he graduated from the Siberian State Metallurgical Institute (now the Siberian State Industrial University, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region), qualified as a metallurgical engineer. In 1984 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Ukrainian Research Institute of Metallurgy. In 1990 he graduated from the Higher Commercial School at the All-Union (now All-Russian) Academy foreign trade, in 1992 - the Academy of National Economy (now - the Russian Academy of National Economy and public service under the President of the Russian Federation) with a degree in economics and management, in 1994 - the Russian Academy of Economics (now a university) named after G.V. Plekhanov. In 1996 he completed his doctoral studies at the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (now the National Research Technological University).

Doctor of Technical and economic sciences. He defended two doctoral dissertations: in 1996 at the Lipetsk State technical university on the topic "Mathematical modeling of combined processes and optimization technological characteristics casting and rolling modules", in 2006 - at the State University of Management (Moscow) on the topic "Formation of the conceptual foundations of the organizational and economic development of ferrous metallurgy in the context of global competition".

He began to work in 1975, having entered the Novokuznetsk production association "Yuzhkuzbassugol" as an electrician. In 1979, he was hired as a steelworker's assistant at the Tulachermet research and production association, left it in 1985 as a deputy shop manager.

In 1985-1991, he worked in the Kazakh SSR at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant ("Karmet") as Deputy Chief Engineer, Deputy CEO(headed by Oleg Soskovets, later First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in 1993-1996). At the same time, Lisin headed the joint Soviet-Swiss enterprise TSK-Steel, which was engaged in the export of Karmet products. In 1991-1992 he worked at the Pavlodar aluminum plant.

In 1992, Vladimir Lisin became an employee of Trans Commodities, which was managed by Sam Kislin and Iskander Makhmudov. The company acted on the principle of tolling - it supplied raw materials to Russian metallurgical plants and in return received finished products (cast iron, other ferrous metals), which they then sold abroad.

At the end of 1992, Kislin left Russia, Trans Commodities left the market, and the vacated niche was taken by the Trans World Group (TWG). It was founded by Mikhail and Lev Cherny, as well as David and Simon Ruben, almost immediately Lisin joined them. By the mid-1990s, the group effectively controlled the exports and activities of most of the large steel plants in Russia. In 1993, Lisin received the status of a partner in TWG, in 1993-1995 he was a member of the boards of directors of a number of leading Russian metallurgical enterprises: the Sayan and Novokuznetsk aluminum plants, the Krasnoyarsk, Magnitogorsk metallurgical plants.

In 1995, a conflict began to brew among the partners of the Trans World Group. The Cherny brothers were going to bankrupt NLMK, by that time Vladimir Lisin had bought up about 12% of the company's shares and was against its bankruptcy. Almost 50% of NLMK was then owned by foreign investors - George Soros, Richard and Christopher Chandler, another 23% was owned by TWG. The last state block of NLMK (14.84%) in December 1995 was sold at a mortgage auction to the structures of Vladimir Potanin. By 1997, Lisin took control of tolling from NLMK, pushing Trans World Group aside and began buying shares in the plant from Soros and the Chandlers.

In 1998, Vladimir Lisin was appointed chairman of the board of directors of NLMK, in 1999 the company made a profit for the first time thanks to the devaluation of the ruble. At the same time, businessman Vladimir Potanin became Lisin's main competitor, who bought out a block of shares owned by TWG. In response, Lisin bought 8% of Norilsk Nickel, Potanin's main asset. In 2001, Potanin sold his stake in NLMK to Lisin, who gave Potanin a stake in Norilsk Nickel. Thus, Lisin became the main and only major shareholder of the plant (in 2005, he put some of his shares into free circulation on the stock exchange).

Starting in the mid-2000s, Vladimir Lisin also began to invest in transport assets, acquiring the Sea Port of St. Petersburg in 2005, and in 2011 the largest Russian freight rail operator, Freight One.

In 1998-2010 he was the General Director of Rumelko LLC (for a long time he was the main holding company of Lisin), in 2010-2015 he was its chief consultant. Currently remains the owner of this company.

Since 2002 - President of the Shooting Union of Russia, Chairman of the Board of the National Sporting Federation. Since 2009 - President of the European Shooting Confederation, since 2014 - Vice-President of the International Shooting Sports Federation.

Since January 2011 - President of the All-Russian Association of Summer Olympic Sports, Vice-President of the Russian Olympic Committee. Founder of the Russian Olympians Support Fund.

Member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of physical culture and sports.

In 2001, he founded the newspaper and online publication Gazeta (gzt.ru). The publication of the paper version ceased in 2010, in 2011 the news site was closed.

In 2001-2012 he taught at the Academy of National Economy.

Currently, Vladimir Lisin is the owner of 84% of NLMK shares (through the Cyprus offshore Fletcher Group Holdings Ltd).

Lisin's transport assets are concentrated in the Dutch company Universal Cargo Logistics Holding B.V. It includes the First Freight Company, the Sea Port of St. Petersburg, the Tuapse Sea Trade Port, the Taganrog Sea Trade Port, the shipping companies Volga Shipping Company and North-Western Shipping Company, etc.

He is also the owner of minority stakes in the energy companies Severneftegaz, Lipetsk City energy company"," FGC UES "and others.

The owner of the complex active rest, poster and bullet shooting "Fox hole" in the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region.

Laureate of the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the field of science and technology in 1989. Awarded with the Order of Alexander Nevsky (2017), Honor (2000), diploma(2010) and thanks from the President of the Russian Federation (2009).

Among other awards - the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, III degree of the Russian Orthodox Church (2001).

Author of scientific articles and monographs, several dozens of patents in the field of metallurgy, among them: "Batch for the production of briquettes for washing the hearth of a blast furnace", "Method of preparing work rolls of cold rolling mills", "Heater of lumpy raw materials", etc.

Married. Wife - Lyudmila, owns the Moscow private gallery "Seasons". Has three sons: Vyacheslav, Dmitry, Alexander.

He is fond of sports shooting, master of sports. He collects Kasli iron castings.

Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin is a magnate of the Russian metallurgical industry. His biography is the secret to the success of a simple steelworker who managed to earn a billion dollar fortune. And this is not an empty phrase, since he really is one of the richest people in the Russian Federation.

Childhood and youth

In the spring of 1956, a boy was born in an ordinary Soviet family in the town of Ivanovo, whom his parents named Vladimir. Growing up, he did not show any outstanding abilities or talents. V school years was reserved and shy, not standing out among other boys. Studying was not easy for the child, as he often listened not to teachers, but thought about something of his own. But, having an excellent memory, he could easily tell any school theme getting good points for it.

In 1973, Vladimir was enrolled in the Siberian Metallurgical Institute at the Faculty of Engineering. Getting an education, the young man understood that parents needed material aid. Therefore, at the age of 19, he already began his labor activity as an electrician at the Kuzbass coal mine. After completing his studies, the young specialist went to work at the Tula Metallurgical Plant as a steelmaker. Showing remarkable industriousness, Vladimir began to advance on career ladder. The head of the workshop appreciated the diligent young man and appointed him his deputy.

But Lisin decided not to stop there and took up scientific research, thanks to which he became a graduate student at the Kharkov Research Institute. After graduating from graduate school, he was appointed deputy leading engineer at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, where he worked for about 4 years. Here he also received his first experience in commercial activities, under the auspices of Oleg Soskovets - the director of the plant.

Business

Soskovets created TSK-Steel, a subsidiary of the plant, and appointed his deputy as head of the company. This company had a turnover of 20-25 million dollars. In 1991, Soskovets was appointed to the post of Minister of Metallurgy, and 10 months later he was already a member of the government. Having moved to the capital, Oleg did not abandon his deputy either, taking him with him.

Here Lisin met Semyon Kislin, the owner of the Trans Commodities company, which supplies raw materials to domestic metallurgical plants. Friendships developed between the men, thanks to the fact that the novice businessman was able to help out Kislin in a difficult situation for his business. They started a joint business, where Lisin's connections were widely used. At the same time, Vladimir Sergeevich makes acquaintances with Chernov, Makhmudov and who are not the last people in the metal industry.

A year later, Lisin V.S. is on the board of directors of an aluminum plant in Sayanogorsk and receives membership in the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works. And in 1993, the entrepreneur was finally accepted as a partner in the Trans World Group, which he dreamed about for quite some time. TWG was already at its peak and was turning billions until 1995, when a wave of contract killings mowed down the leadership.

Vladimir Lisin and Dmitry Medvedev at NLMK

TWG began to fall apart in 1996 when the entrepreneurial brothers began carving up the business, and their patron Soskovets was fired from the government in a huge scandal. But Lisin, foreseeing the sad end of TWG, managed to play it safe and bought up part of the shares of NLMK (Lipetsk Combine). Subsequently, having agreed with, he even seized control of this company, becoming the owner of NLMK. The entrepreneur created the company Worslade Trading offshore, through which he not only sold metal abroad, but was also able to take the remaining 50% stake in the Lipetsk plant.

In addition to developing financial schemes and earning capital, Vladimir Sergeevich is also successfully working in the field of science. It boasts many original developments in steel rolling and casting. An incredible mind and people's ingenuity allowed the future oligarch to receive a diploma from the RANEPA in 1994, and then a couple of years of study at the doctoral program at the University of MISiS followed. His photos adorn many scientific journals and articles.

The year 1997 was marked for the entrepreneur by membership in the board of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and the presidential chair in the Russian Management Metallurgical Company. In 1998, having become the head of HLMK, he sold his TWG shares to Potanin. From that moment on, Lisin began to actively buy up the shares of the country's largest metal-rolling plants, taking control of the shares. And immediately begins an active confrontation between the two oligarchs - Lisin and Potanin. There was everything: civil strife, and buying up other people's shares through intermediaries, and a lot of conflicts. But by 2001, they suddenly stopped fighting and became interested only in their own factories, increasing their reputation and managerial efficiency.

Large investment of money

Having gained billions, Lisin continues to increase momentum and invest in many industries.

So, in 2004, he acquired the Stoilensky mining and processing plant, thereby providing NLMK with ore for many years to come.
In the autumn of the same year, he buys the Northern Oil and Gas Company, justifying this by the need for a platform for investments in the energy sector.
A year later, HLMK placed some of its own shares on the stock exchange in London, receiving $ 600 million for the transaction. Then this money went to invest in Moscow real estate, in particular, to the Moscow City project.
In 2006, he acquired 2 seaports, thereby opening up export channels to Asia, Africa, Europe and America, and reducing port costs.
In 2012, Vladimir bought shares in the First Freight Company (PGK), which includes rail, shipping and stevedoring communications.
In 2013, Lisin becomes the owner of Universal Cargo Logistics.
Purchase of Business FM radio station.
Acquisition of a printing house and publication of the newspaper Gazeta. Lisin comments on this by saying that he needed a printed publication that did not depend on anyone.

State

Money must constantly work - this is Lisin's favorite motto, whose fortune by 2008 was more than $ 20 billion. But then the global crisis intervened, and the oligarch's assets fell to $5 billion. But a year later, the situation stabilized, and the amount grew to $16 billion. In 2011, Forbes magazine announced a figure of $24 billion, which is owned by Vladimir Sergeyevich.

According to the latest estimates of the American edition of Forbes-2016, the head of NLMK ranks 115th in the world and 7th among the richest Russians.

Personal life

Vladimir Sergeevich does not like to advertise his personal life and carefully hides it from the press. But it is known that he is happily married, having married his classmate Lyudmila. The couple raised three sons who also prefer not to put their lives on display. None of the businessman's family is in in social networks.

The oligarch's wife loves the paintings of Russian artists and systematizes their work in chronological order. She also heads the Seasons art gallery, which periodically hosts private exhibitions of paintings by private collectors. Lyudmila also became interested in collecting, but this happened at the suggestion of her husband, who presented her with a painting by Petrov-Vodkin.

Vladimir Sergeevich loves to read, smoke noble cigars, relax in his mansion in Scotland. He is also fond of shooting and collecting samples of Kasli castings. According to the magnate, he owes all his achievements to his children. He says that it was only for them that he sought to rise to his feet and make a fortune.

Now that Vladimir is at the pinnacle of prosperity, he can well afford to do what is interesting to himself. He recently built a shooting range for athletes. This club is located in the suburbs and is called "Fox Hole". Since the tycoon heads the Russian Shooting Union, he constantly pours into him own funds. Assuring at the same time that this does not bother him at all. It is said that he himself adored shooting sports in his youth.

Vladimir Lisin is actively involved in charity work. Contributes a lot of money to charitable foundation"Mercy", gives gifts to orphanages and the department. Lisin is the only philanthropist who began to pay the Makariev Prizes at the request of the Metropolitan of Voronezh. With the active support of HLMK, about 40 churches were restored in the region, and the patriarch himself presented the order to the head of the plant. You can ask for help and write an open letter to a businessman through his official website. This option is available to every citizen of the Russian Federation.

Now Vladimir Sergeevich is a member of the committee of the Bureau of the Board of the RSPP, where he holds the position of chairman for tax policy, and is also a member of the board of trustees of the Russian Olympians Support Fund.

In 2016, several sources flashed information that an outstanding entrepreneur had cancer. This information has not been confirmed.

V Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin was born on May 7, 1956 in the city of Ivanovo. In 1973 he graduated from secondary school No. 41 in Novokuznetsk. As a child, he was closed and laconic, did not like to stick out his "I", trying to stay in the shadow of his classmates. He was not a bully and a bully. But was not deprived positive qualities: his concentration and attentiveness helped him get fours and fives in subjects. There were also twos and threes, but there were not many of them. From a young age, his parents instilled in him such qualities as perseverance and determination. That is why in the future he could bring to the end all the things he started.

After school, he went to work as an electrician at the mine. However, I quickly realized that higher education career will develop slowly, and entered the Siberian Metallurgical Institute for the specialty "Foundry of ferrous and non-ferrous metals." After defending his diploma in 1979, Vladimir Sergeevich was sent to the NPO Tulachermet, where he worked his way up from an assistant steelworker to a deputy shop manager.

V.S. Lisin prepared his Ph.D. thesis on the basis of the postgraduate study of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Metallurgy and successfully defended it in 1984.

Since 1986, Vladimir Sergeevich worked in Kazakhstan: he was deputy chief engineer, and since 1989 - deputy general director of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, one of the four largest plants in the country.

In 1990 he graduated from the Higher Commercial School at the Academy of Foreign Trade, in 1994 - from the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics (REA) with a degree in Economics and Management. In 1994, he entered the doctoral program at MISiS, from which he graduated in 1996 with a doctoral dissertation.

Since 1993 V.S. Lisin was a member of the boards of directors of a number of leading Russian metallurgical enterprises: the Sayanogorsk aluminum smelter, the Novokuznetsk and Bratsk aluminum smelters, the Magnitogorsk and Novolipetsk metallurgical plants. Since 1998, Vladimir Sergeevich has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC NLMK. In 2011, he was elected as the head of the board of directors of OAO United Shipbuilding Corporation.
In 1998, Vladimir Sergeevich could head the administration of the Lipetsk region, but subsequently refused to participate in the elections in favor of Mikhail Neirolin.

Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin - Professor of the Department of Market Problems and the Economic Mechanism of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. Is an author of 17 monographs and more than 160 scientific papers.

V. S. Lisin - laureate of the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the field of science and technology in 1990, honorary metallurgist of the Russian Federation, holder of the Order of Honor, master of sports, honorary citizen of Lipetsk (2009), laureate of the national business reputation award "Darin" of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship (2001).

Vladimir Sergeevich is considered the owner of one of the most complete private collections of pre-revolutionary Kasli castings (there are more than 200 exhibits, despite the fact that the entire pre-revolutionary assortment of the plant was a little over 300 types of products). These are small sculptures, household items, interior furniture.

From the age of 12 he has been engaged in sports shooting. Today he owns the Lisya Nora sports and shooting complex near Moscow. V. S. Lisin is the President of the Shooting Union of Russia. Since July 2009 he has been President of the European Shooting Confederation (ESC). Since December 2014 - Vice President of the International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF).

The main asset of V. S. Lisin is a controlling stake in the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works. The entrepreneur also owns a 14.5% stake in Bank Zenit, the transport holding Universal Cargo Logistics, which includes such assets as OJSC Volga Shipping Company, OJSC Sea Port of St. Petersburg, Nevsky Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant, Okskaya Shipyard, OJSC "First Freight Company" (the largest rail freight operator in Russia). Lisin's media assets include the Business FM radio station.

In 2011, Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin took the first line in the list of the 200 richest businessmen in Russia (according to Forbes magazine), in 2012 - the second line in the same list.
At the end of 2017, Vladimir Lisin was in 57th place in the list the richest people planet (according to Forbes magazine), while taking first place in the list of the wealthiest people in Russia.
Fluent in English.

V. Lisin is happily married, he has three children. Vladimir Lisin's wife is his classmate. She owns the chamber gallery "Seasons", which shows paintings by private artists. Lyudmila (that's her wife's name) collects the works of masters who worked in the 19th and 20th centuries. The pride of her collection is a painting by Petrov-Vodkin, which her husband gave her.

He does not compete with the rich in buying luxury villas, luxury yachts, he does not even have the habit of wearing expensive watches. His passion is the collection of Kasli iron castings. He loves to read scientific and fiction literature, loves to smoke a quality cigar. The businessman is sure that rich people do not have much more joys than poor people. “Financial independence can provide more opportunities, and nothing more, but things like the sky, the sun, the sea, are available to everyone,” he emphasizes.

Engaged charity: renovated the Novokuznetsk school No. 41 (2008), donated to the department foundry SibGIU melting plant (2010).
At the end of January 2018, Vladimir Lisin, as a private investor, signed an agreement with the Head of Novokuznetsk, S. N. Kuznetsov, on the construction of a sports building for school No. 41. “This will be a large sports facility connected by an overhead covered walkway to the building of the school itself. It will contain everything necessary equipment for full-fledged physical culture and sports by students of this educational institution. Also, a modern shooting range will be located here, fully equipped places for the theoretical training of athletes are provided, ”Grigory Anatolyevich Verzhitsky spoke about the advantages of the future sports complex.

On December 14, 2018, Vladimir Lisin opened a new gym in Novokuznetsk at school No. 41. The gift to his native school cost more than 160 million, its construction took 9 months. The structure of the complex includes a play gym with spacious locker rooms, showers, hygiene rooms, toilets, including for visitors with limited mobility. On the second floor there is a gym, a fitness room designed for choreography, gymnastics and physiotherapy exercises. There is also a shooting range where you can seriously learn bullet shooting. The structure also includes an office for basic military training. On the territory of the school there are volleyball, football and workout grounds, running and bicycle paths, covered with special material for safe sports in any weather.
Mayor Sergey Kuznetsov handed over to Vladimir Lisin honorary gold badge "Novokuznetsk".

A life Lisin Vladimir Sergeevich- a mysterious and powerful man, like the Count of Monte Cristo himself, is divided between, where he has his own castle, and Russia, where, in addition to being in his possession metallurgical giant, he still has a special place with an ironic and somewhat unusual name"Foxy burrow". It is here, in the Fox Hole, tired of numbers, calculations, faces, names and smiles, that the famous puts on soundproof headphones over an ordinary baseball cap, loads a rifle with a firm hand and, as if challenging the sky, accurately shoots at its serene heights...

Childhood of Lisin Vladimir

Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin was born on May 7, 1956. in Ivanovo. Somewhat later the family moved to Novokuznetsk. From an early age, the boy was laconic, concentrated and somewhat closed - a child and an old man in one person. Childhood was calm, which cannot but upset those who like to delve into other people's crypts. For people who are very imaginative, it always seems that it is in Lisin's childhood that the most secret secrets are hidden. However, it is foolish to look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there.

At school, Vladimir studied well, and those things that he himself chose as a child later became his companions for life. So, at the age of 12, Lisin picked up a weapon for the first time - a rifle from a school shooting range. Since then, he has never changed his passion - sports shooting. Today, Lisin considers shooting to be the best means that can make a person concentrate, but at the same time not think about anything, because it is impossible to shoot accurately if you do not free your head from unnecessary thoughts.

One of the journalists once said that if Lisin had been born in a different era, and not in our country, but in Japan, he would have become an ideal samurai - devoid of emotions, calm and striving to achieve perfection in everything.

How Lisin became an oligarch

In total, there was some predestination in the fate of Lisin Vladimir Sergeevich. His childhood and youth were spent in the city of metallurgists - Novokuznetsk, in which, in principle, there was nothing to choose a sphere of self-realization and interests. Therefore, the future entered the Siberian Metallurgical Institute, after which he acquired the specialty "metallurgical engineer". Interestingly, Lisin earned his first big money (almost 1000 rubles) while still a student, honestly working in a construction team at BAM. After graduating from the institute, Lisin was assigned to Tula, where he began working at NPO Tulachermet, and went through a difficult path from an ordinary steelmaker to deputy shop manager.

A new round in the life of Lisin Vladimir coincided with the beginning of perestroika, when he, no longer seeing prospects in NPO Tulachermet, moved to Kazakhstan and began working at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, where the director at that time was the future Minister of Metallurgy Oleg Soskovets. It was under his leadership that Lisin gained his first commercial experience, which he still recalls with considerable pleasure. Soon Lisin became Soskovets' deputy.

Not much time passed before Soskovets's career rapidly went up, and he moved to Moscow, Lisin followed him. However, as he himself claims, this is a mere coincidence, according to him, Soskovets never invited him to the capital. But, one way or another, Soskovets and Lisin still managed to make a good deal with American company"Trans Commodities", after which they began a joint business. They were the first to put on a grand scale the so-called "tolling", the essence of which is a virtuoso bypass customs regime, and taxes.

In 1992, a new metallurgical empire “TWG” (“Trans World Qroup”) was born in Russia, where Vladimir Lisin went to work and literally a year later received partner status there. Soon the company took control of most of the country's large metallurgical plants and took third place in the supply of aluminum to.

In 1995 after a series of contract killings, the collapse of TWG began, and while the competitors were fighting, the cautious Lisin looked after the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant for himself and began to slowly buy up its shares. Having acquired 63% of the shares, and becoming practically the owner of the plant, Lisin managed the almost impossible: the loss-making enterprise not only survived the crisis years of 1998-1999, but already in 2000 turned into profitable production. And in 2003, Vladimir Lisin first appeared in the notorious Forbes magazine rating, where he took sixth place among Russian billionaires. Today, Lisin's fortune is estimated at about 15-16 billion dollars.

The life of the quiet oligarch Lisin

Lisin Vladimir Sergeevich leads the life of a quiet and even, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, modest. He prefers business to wars and shooting cymbals (by the way, produced by his own metallurgical enterprise) in his own shooting club. The Lisin plant annually produces more than 1.5 million shooting plates, which go to the needs of the owner himself. By the way, in sports shooting Lisin fulfilled the standard of a master of sports.

Lisin can hardly be called a "new Russian", in fact he is a great worker, doctor technical sciences, who created 10 books, 47 publications, almost 50 copyright certificates and patents for inventions.

Unlike many, Lisin does not compete in buying luxury real estate, does not collect yachts, he does not even wear expensive watches. His real passions are books, the collection of Kasli cast iron, which the oligarch has been collecting for many years, and sports shooting. But Lisin considers his own family to be his most important asset: his wife Lyudmila and three sons - Alexander, Dmitry and Vyacheslav.

Concerning wealth, then Lisin's only truly expensive purchase is only an estate in Scotland, surrounded by quiet, virgin nature. But this acquisition can only be associated with the desire to hide from prying eyes and fully enjoy solitude, because in Scotland it is enough for Vladimir to go beyond the threshold, as you can already start hunting or just take a walk in blessed silence. However, Lisin is sure that such simple joys of life are available not only to the rich, but also to the poor. “Big money can give more opportunities, but everything else: the sun, the sky, the air, the sea are the same for everyone, regardless of the amount of money,” he argues, and it’s hard to argue with him.

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