Vladimir Lisin: biography, family, wife, children

Childhood and youth

In the spring of 1956, a boy was born into 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. During his school years, he was reserved and shy, not standing out among other boys. Studying was not easy for the child, as he often did not listen to the teachers, but thought about something of his own. But, having an excellent memory, he could easily tell any school topic, receiving good points for it.

Vladimir Lisin

In 1973, Vladimir was enrolled in the Siberian Metallurgical Institute at the Faculty of Engineering. While receiving an education, the young man understood that his parents needed financial assistance. Therefore, at the age of 19, he already began his career 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 hard work, Vladimir began moving up the career ladder. The shop manager appreciated the diligent young man and appointed him as his deputy.

Vladimir Lisin loves cigars

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

Childhood and parents of Vladimir Lisin

Lisin's childhood years are under seven seals. Not a single source mentions his mother and father. It is only known that Vladimir was born in Ivanovo (Kemerovo region) on May 7, 1956. Judging by the way the future billionaire moved up the career ladder, we can conclude that his family did not stand out as anything remarkable.

The boy received his secondary education at school No. 41 in Novokuznetsk. Although not distinguished by outstanding abilities, Vladimir amazed those around him with his tenacity, which had a positive effect on the accumulation of knowledge and played an important role in his future life.

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, taking him with him.

Businessman Vladimir Lisin

Here Lisin met Semyon Kislin, the owner of the Trans Commodities company, which supplies raw materials to domestic metallurgical plants. Friendships began between the men, thanks to the fact that the aspiring businessman was able to help Kislin out 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 Deripaska, who are not the last people in the metal industry.

A year later, V.S. Lisin joined the board of directors of the aluminum plant in Sayanogorsk and received membership in the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. And in 1993, the entrepreneur was finally accepted as a partner in the Trans World Group, which he had been dreaming about for quite some time. The TWG company was already at the peak of its activity and was turning over billions until 1995, when the management was mowed down by a wave of contract killings.

]Chubais[/anchor] and Chernomyrdin also did not like this.

Vladimir Lisin and Dmitry Medvedev at NLMK

TWG began to disintegrate in 1996, when the entrepreneurial brothers began dividing 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 hedge his bets and bought up part of the shares of NLMK (Lipetsk Plant). Subsequently, having agreed with Potanin, 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% of the shares of the Lipetsk plant.

Vladimir Lisin and Vladimir Potanin

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

Businessman Vladimir Lisin

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

Beginning of commercial experience

By the beginning of the dominance of private capital, the Karaganda plant was headed by Oleg Soskovets, who became the tycoon’s patron in the business. Under his leadership, Vladimir Sergeevich Lisin gained his first experience in commercial business. The Karaganda plant with Swiss partners created. 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 from factories for finished products and sent them for export. No fees were paid under this scheme.

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

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

Large investments of money

Having acquired billions, Lisin continues to increase his turnover and invest in many industries.

1. So, in 2004, he acquired the Stoilensky mining and processing plant, thereby providing NLMK with ore for many years to come.
2. In the fall of the same year, he bought the Northern Oil and Gas Company, justifying this by the need for a site for investment in the energy sector.
3. A year later, NLMK placed some of its own shares on the London stock exchange, receiving $600 million for the transaction. This money was then used to invest in Moscow real estate, in particular, the Moscow City project.
4. In 2006, it acquired 2 seaports, thereby opening export channels to Asia, Africa, Europe and America, and reducing port costs.
5. In 2012, Vladimir bought shares in the First Freight Company (PGK), which includes railway, shipping and stevedoring services.
6. In 2013, Lisin became the owner of Universal Cargo Logistics.
7. Purchase of a Business FM radio station.
8. 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.

Biography

Lisin was born into an ordinary Soviet family from a provincial town. The withdrawn, aloof boy had an excellent memory, which helped him finish school without any problems. In 1973 he entered the engineering faculty of the Siberian State Metallurgical Institute. In order to help his parents financially, from the 3rd year he began working as an electrician at the Kuzbass coal mine.

Having received his diploma in 1978, Vladimir went to work as a steelmaker at the Tula Metallurgical Plant. A lively mind and hard work soon helped the young specialist become a deputy shop manager. In parallel with his career at the plant, Lisin studied at the graduate school of UkrNIImet (Ukrainian Research Institute of Metals) in Kharkov. Since 1986 he worked as an engineer at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant. After 3 years, he became deputy general director of the metallurgical giant - Oleg Soskovetsev.

In his youth, Lisin was an ordinary steelmaker

In his youth, Lisin was an ordinary steelmaker

In the 90s he became the owner of a large number of shares in the plant

Vladimir Lisin with his granddaughter

Vladimir Lisin with his granddaughter

The billionaire has a lot of hobbies

Vladimir Lisin's wife

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Up the career ladder

When in 1991, Chief Lisin was appointed head of the Ministry of Ferrous Metallurgy, he moved to Moscow, where he continued his studies at the Higher School of the Ministry of Economic Development, learned the secrets of commercial activity and made useful acquaintances for an entrepreneur with not the least people in the metal industry.

Later, Vladimir became the head of TSK-Steel, created by Soskovetsev, received a leadership post at the Sayanogorsk Aluminum Plant and membership in the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. In the 90s, Lisin managed to have a hand in all the metallurgical enterprises of the country. Despite the wave of contract killings and the very dubious connections of his partners, the entrepreneur was able to survive, later calling it innate luck.

With the support of his former boss, Vladimir became a member of TWG (Trans World Group), which included all the eminent businessmen of that time. Even before the collapse of the company in 1996, Lisin was able to buy a stake in NLMK (Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant) for next to nothing. In 1998, the businessman bought out the remaining shares from his former partners, receiving 63%, and became the head of the unprofitable enterprise. The plant eventually brought Vladimir a fortune, making him a billionaire.

Career success and wealth are a predictable result for a person who continues to study despite being very busy. Lisin managed to receive a diploma from RANEPA and defend his doctorate at the National Research Technological University "MISiS".

Vladimir was actively involved in developments in the steel industry, the results of which were published in scientific journals.

Asset production

A sharp mind, ingenuity, and knowledge of metal mining and processing helped Lisin revive NLMK, whose condition was deplorable from a financial point of view, and become a billionaire. Now NLMK Group is an international steel company with assets in Russia, the USA and European countries.

In 2011, Vladimir headed the board of directors of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and in 2012, the First Freight Company fell into his hands, thanks to which a quarter of all railway transportation in the Russian Federation was added to the assets. Vladimir's fortune grew, and in 2013 he became the owner of the Dutch holding company Universal Cargo Logistics.

In the video below you can find out the success story of Vladimir Lisin

State

Money must constantly work - this is the favorite motto of Lisin, whose fortune by 2008 was more than $20 billion. But then the global crisis intervened, and the oligarch’s assets dropped 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, owned by Vladimir Sergeevich.

Vladimir Lisin is one of the ten richest Russians

According to the latest estimates of the American publication 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 on social networks.

Vladimir Lisin's wife

The oligarch's wife loves paintings by Russian artists and organizes their works in chronological order. She also heads the Seasons painting 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 gave her a painting by Petrov-Vodkin.

Vladimir Lisin with children

Vladimir Sergeevich loves to read, smoke fine cigars, and relax in his mansion in Scotland. He is also interested in shooting and collecting samples of Kasli casting. According to the tycoon, he owes all his achievements to his children. He says that it was only for their sake that he sought to rise to his feet and make a fortune.

Vladimir Lisin now

Now that Vladimir is at the peak of his prosperity, he can easily afford to do what interests him. He recently built a shooting complex for athletes. This club is located in the Moscow region and is called “Fox Hole”. Since the tycoon heads the Russian Shooting Union, he constantly pours his own funds into it. Asserting at the same time that this does not bother him at all. They say that in his youth he himself adored shooting sports.

Vladimir Lisin loves shooting sports

Vladimir Lisin is actively involved in charity work. He donates a lot of money to the charity foundation “Mercy”, gives gifts to orphanages and the department. Lisin is the only philanthropist who began paying Makariev Prizes at the request of the Metropolitan of Voronezh. With the active support of NLMK, about 40 churches were restored in the region, and the head of the plant was awarded the Order of Sergius of Radonezh by the patriarch himself. 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.

Vladimir Lisin now

Now Vladimir Sergeevich is a member of the Bureau Committee of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, 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 2021, several sources reported that an outstanding entrepreneur had cancer. This information has not been confirmed by anything.

Confrontation between Lisin and Potanin

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

Before the shareholders meeting, held before the closure of the register, the billionaire was in for trouble: 34% of the shares that belonged to the TWG group changed hands. The new owner was Vladimir Potanin's company 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.

Vladimir Potanin felt quite confident. Lisin accepted the challenge, launching a counterattack. He preferred to use the money to purchase securities of Norilsk Nickel.

But in 2001, Vladimir Potanin seemed to be replaced. He stopped corporate conflicts.

Since then, both tycoons have been interested only in their own factories and are earning a new reputation.