How did Mikhail Abyzov earn his fortune and then become a minister?

Mikhail Abyzov is considered one of the most successful Russian entrepreneurs.
Having gone into commerce in the early 1990s, he successfully managed a number of enterprises, and in the early 2000s he decided to try his hand at politics and became a minister. In March 2021, he began to have serious problems with law enforcement agencies, and Abyzov is currently under arrest.

Childhood and parents of Mikhail Abyzov

The future Russian minister was born in Minsk into a working-class family. His father worked as an electrician, and his mother was an electric and gas welder. His father passed away when Mikhail was 10 years old.

The family did not have enough money, and therefore, at the age of 14, Abyzov began his work career, getting a job in a printing house as a laborer, and then as a loader at a pub, which today is known as “Olivaria”. At school, Mikhail was chosen as its Komsomol organizer. As a teenager, he traveled to Tyumen as part of a student team from the Belarusian Medical Institute. It was there, he says, that he made his first serious money.

Biography

Mikhail Anatolyevich Abyzov is a domestic entrepreneur and manager. He began his professional biography as a simple loader, and at the peak of his career he held the position of the so-called “minister without portfolio” of the Russian Federation and 128th place among influential Russian businessmen in the Forbes ranking.

Mikhail Abyzov was born on June 3, 1972 in Minsk in a family of workers. His father died when the boy was 10 years old, which left an imprint on his entire childhood. Mikhail came to his senses, began to study better, and took up biathlon.

Mikhail Abyzov | Center 71

Since the family could barely make ends meet, at the age of 14 the guy got hired at a factory as a loader, and at 15 he went to work with a student construction team and was able to save up as much as 3,000 rubles over the summer.

In high school, Mikhail took first place at the Mathematics Olympiad in Belarus. This victory became for the smart guy a pass to a specialized school for gifted children, after graduating from which he was enrolled in Mechanics and Mathematics at Moscow State University.

Education

While studying in the 10th grade, Abyzov became the winner of the Republican Mathematical Olympiad. A talented young man was noticed, and his biography takes a sharp turn. Mikhail was accepted into a special physics and mathematics school at Moscow State University.

Mikhail entered Moscow State University in 1989. Already in his first year, the student rented a place in a department store, where he sold Turkish goods under the Intershops brand. Evgeny Ishchenko, Andrey Melnichenko and Mikhail Kuznetsov, the future leaders of MDM Bank, studied together with Abyzov.

When Mikhail was a sophomore, his wife’s parents were invited to work in Chicago. They wanted to take their daughter with them, and Abyzov was also supposed to go there. However, his last money was stolen, and the couple had to stay in the USSR. Because of this, Mikhail had to leave the university and go into business. Only in 2000 did he receive higher education, having studied at Moscow State University for the Humanities. Sholokhov.

Mikhail Anatolyevich Abyzov: biography

The future billionaire minister was born in the capital of the Belarusian SSR in 1972. His parents were simple workers. My mother was an electric and gas welder, and my father was a factory electrician. He died when Misha was only 10 years old. In his memoirs about childhood, Mikhail Abyzov says that after the death of his father, everything in his life turned upside down. Remaining the only man in the family, he quickly grew up and began to fully feel the burden of responsibility. He no longer took part in yard fights and showdowns, began to study well, took up sports, took part in the public life of the school, and was elected a Komsomol organizer.

Career and business of Mikhail Abyzov

In 1991–1992 the future minister worked as a broker at the Emika commodity exchange, and later headed it. As part of the conversion, the company resold military equipment from the Baltic countries to Siberian logging companies.

At Emik, Abyzov earned half a million dollars and in 1992 invested it in his new company, which he opened together with his classmate from Bulgaria Milen Mitsik. This company was engaged in the delivery of food and alcohol to Russia from the homeland of the co-founder. Mikhail Anatolyevich was the president of the company until 1998.

Business

The biography of Mikhail Abyzov is replete with various business projects. The first of these was a trading enterprise, opened by an enterprising young man during his first year of study. was engaged in the resale of Turkish items in Belarusian department stores. A year later, in 1990, Mikhail expanded the company’s specialization, adding office equipment to clothing.

While studying in his second year at university, Abyzov was already a fairly wealthy man. It was then that he married his fellow student Ekaterina Sirotenko.

Mikhail Abyzov | Stolypin Club

The parents of the young businessman’s wife lived in Chicago, and Mikhail and Ekaterina planned to move in with them. However, something went wrong, and Abyzov’s wife, after graduating from Moscow State University, left for America, leaving her husband in his historical homeland. After some time, the family was reunited. Abyzov never returned to Moscow State University, but a few years later he entered the pedagogical institute.

In 1991, Mikhail Abyzov took a position as a broker at Emika LLP, where he soon became a co-owner. The company was engaged in the supply of military equipment from the Baltic states to Siberia for logging. Having earned about 500 million dollars, the businessman invested it in a new enterprise - JSC MMBGroup.

Mikhail Abyzov | Woman

As president of JSC MMB Group, Abyzov established connections with the Ministry of Agriculture. At first, the company was engaged in the export and sale of Bulgarian-made products, but soon retrained itself for contracts with former defense enterprises.

Perestroika completely destroyed the state sector of the economy, and at that difficult time the most enterprising people made many profitable deals. Mikhail Abyzov was among them.

Mikhail Abyzov | Ulyanovsk region

In 1996, Abyzov carried out a number of transactions related to mutual offsets, as a result of which he first received 19% of the shares of Novosibirskenergo, and a little later - a controlling stake.

In 1996, the entrepreneur became the general director of OJSC SLAVTEK and OJSC ORTEK, a member of the boards of directors of LLC RICOR, Independent Energy - shareholders of OJSC Novosibirskenergo.

In 1997, he joined the Board of Directors of OJSC Sibecobank.

Condition of Mikhail Abyzov

Today, Abyzov’s net worth is $650 million. His family owns real estate in Italy and the UK, as well as four apartments in Russia. The former minister owns not only Mercedes and Maybach cars, but also motorcycles, a snowmobile and a helicopter.

Mikhail owns several offshore companies located in Cyprus and the Virgin Islands. Only for 2013–2014. these assets brought him more than 25 million dollars and 10 million euros.

Government Heights

Experts and analysts note that in the early 90s, Abyzov was not tempted by quick and small earnings on the resale of things from Turkey. As a prudent and forward-thinking person, he began supplying products and components to large enterprises of the military-industrial complex. When the privatization of state property began, Abyzov managed to acquire controlling stakes in large energy companies. My career was going well.

A successful businessman was noticed. The main reformer Anatoly Chubais invited him to manage projects at RAO EC of Russia. For several years he was involved in the management of large energy and construction companies. In 2011, Abyzov was assigned to head the Public Committee of Supporters of the Russian President. After a short period of time, Mikhail became an adviser to Vladimir Putin. A year later he was appointed minister without the formation of a special department. In the media, this position is called “minister without portfolio.”

The personal life of a successful entrepreneur and “free” minister at first developed like a human being. Mikhail married a classmate. Advice and love reigned in the house. The husband and wife produced three children - two sons and a daughter. But in 2021, Abyzov’s life got screwed and he abandoned his family. Married a long-legged flight attendant. Naturally, they had their own child. Time will tell how events will develop further.

Licking the life of Mikhail

Abyzov married Ekaterina Sirotenko in the early 90s. Despite the fact that the couple were considered exemplary husband and wife, the marriage broke up in 2021. This happened after, after filing the declaration, it became known how much the minister earns and where he lives. The couple has a son, Daniel, who lives in the USA, as well as a son, Nikita, and a daughter, Zoya, who live in the UK. All three have American citizenship.

In 2016, a new turn took place in Mikhail’s personal life: he began dating 26-year-old Aeroflot flight attendant Valentina Grigorieva, a native of Olenegorsk. They met on the social network Instagram, where they saw photos of each other. In September 2018, the couple had a son, Matvey, although the ex-minister never married the girl. In December of the same year, Abyzov left Russia. For the last few months before his arrest, he lived in the United States and in his Italian villa.

How Mikhail Abyzov and his beloved lived

On March 27, a hearing was held in the case of fraud and the creation of a criminal community against ex-Minister of the Open Government Mikhail Abyzov. The ex-official's companion, who came to the Basmanny Court, attracted everyone's attention in court.

46-year-old Abyzov has long been in a relationship with 29-year-old Valentina Grigorieva. In 2021, the official divorced his wife Ekaterina Sirotenko, with whom they had three children. Soon after the divorce, he met Grigorieva, whose relationship he hid from the media for a long time. In September 2021, the couple had a son.

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Valentina Grigorieva

Former Russian Federation Minister for Relations with the Open Government Mikhail Abyzov and his girlfriend Valentina Grigorieva (right in the background), accused of fraud of 4 billion rubles and creating an organized criminal community, in the Basmanny Court of Moscow, March 27, 2021

Valentina Grigorieva

Valentina Grigorieva

Valentina Grigorieva You can see the full gallery in a separate report

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Valentina Grigorieva worked in business class of a Russian airline and more than once received the title of the most beautiful flight attendant in the country. However, Abyzov and Grigorieva met not on one of the flights, as many assume after learning about Valentina’s profession, but on social networks.

The former Minister of Open Government accidentally saw a photo of a girl on the Internet: Grigorieva interested him so much that the official decided to act decisively and got the phone number of the pretty flight attendant. Valentina considered the attractive politician a worthy candidate for the role of her lover, and they began an affair.

It is known that at the time of his acquaintance with Grigorieva, Abyzov had already divorced his wife. As sources close to the couple told the Super.ru portal, three months after the start of the relationship, the minister introduced his new lover to his now ex-wife and children. Insiders claim that

Abyzov’s ex-wife and his new girlfriend get along well and even consider themselves friends.

Grigorieva and Abyzov hid their romance from strangers for a long time: for almost two years nothing was known about their personal lives. Valentina also prefers not to talk about her romantic relationships and does not show her lover on social networks, but periodically devotes meaningful love messages to him.

In an interview for Super.ru, Grigorieva nevertheless shared modest details of the history of her relationship with Abyzov, calling her lover an “earthly man.” “My man has nothing to do with aviation at all. He usually has a five-day work schedule. Weekends are Saturday, Sunday, like all earthly people. He always cooks dinner for me after work,” the flight attendant told the publication.

However, Abyzov and Grigorieva found themselves on board the plane quite often: the lovers traveled a lot. As is known from the interview, Valentina and Mikhail’s favorite countries are Italy and Morocco, where they often went on weekends and holidays with Abyzov’s children. The couple also often visited the UK, where the former official has a residential building with an area of ​​211 square meters.

Just last week, Valentina posted landscapes of spring Istanbul on Instagram, and before that she went to the UAE for the Asian Football Championship - she posted several pictures on social networks from a photo shoot in the desert, where the girl’s “partners” were horses and leopards.

As the aforementioned portal about the lives of celebrities reported, Abyzov and Grigorieva lived in a mansion near Moscow. In 2021, the couple rented a villa in Tuscany with an area of ​​335 square meters. m, where Abyzova’s beloved spent most of her pregnancy, horse riding, meditating and walking in the sea on a yacht.

Valentina Grigorieva is the sister of the famous top model, Victoria's Secret angel Ekaterina Grigorieva. Valentina herself also thought about becoming a model, and together with her sister took part in the show “Russian Top Model”: both girls even reached the finals of the project. For some time, the sisters attended castings together and flew to New York, but Valentina played more of a role as a translator, and, unlike her sister, decided to give up a modeling career. Now the girls see each other quite often and travel a lot together. For example, the girls spent the New Year holidays, which lasted several weeks, at one of the mountain resorts in the Alps.

Mikhail Abyzov today

On March 26, 2021, the billionaire arrived in Russia and on the same day was detained by employees of the Investigative Committee. At the same time, a video of the arrest was made public. Abyzov was accused of creating an organized criminal group and large-scale fraud. The crimes were committed between April 2011 and November 2014. The case turned out to be very high-profile; the attention of the Investigative Committee was attracted by the numerous contacts of the businessman.

The next day after the arrest, news appeared that Abyzov’s arrest had been extended until May 25. Two days before this date, the arrest was extended until July 25. On the same day, photos and videos from the courtroom were published, where it is clear that Mikhail has changed in appearance and has become haggard. Lawyers tried to get the defendant transferred to house arrest in Barvikha on a billion-dollar bail, but the court did not agree to this. Now Mikhail Abyzov is in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center.

Person of the Russian Federation

Professional activity

Mikhail Abyzov began his working career at the age of 14: he worked as a laborer in a printing house in Minsk, then as a loader at a brewery (now Alivaria LLC). As a teenager, as part of a student construction team at the Belarusian Medical Institute, he traveled to Tyumen, where, according to him, he earned his first serious money.

Since 1993, he has held senior positions in a number of companies in the fuel and energy complex.

In 1998, Abyzov was appointed deputy chairman of the board of directors of OJSC Novosibirskenergo. In the same year, Abyzov became a member of the board and head of the department of investment policy and business projects of RAO UES of Russia. Since 1999, Abyzov has been Deputy Chairman of the Board of RAO UES of Russia. Since 2004, in connection with a change in the organizational structure of RAO UES of Russia, the businessman was appointed a member of the RAO Management Board and managing director of business unit No. 1.

Since June 2003, Abyzov has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Russian Utility Systems. From 2005 to 2007, he was the General Director of CJSC Management Company Kuzbassrazrezugol.

From 2006 to January 16, 2012, M. A. Abyzov served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the RU-COM business group, and from July 2007 to January 16, 2012, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC E4 Group. It is considered the beneficiary of this company, because E4 is managed by the Ru-COM group through the offshore Eforg Asset Management. From August 2007 to January 2011, Abyzov was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mostotrest OJSC.

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 18, 2012 (Decree No. 81), he was appointed Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation. On May 21, 2012, he joined the new Government of the Russian Federation as minister responsible for organizing the work of the Government Commission for coordinating the activities of the Open Government.

Social and industry activities

Coordinator of the Public Committee of Supporters of the President of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

Heads the expert working group to review public initiatives. As of the beginning of 2021, none of the initiatives that received more than 100 thousand votes were approved by the expert group.

Criminal case

On March 26, 2021, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced the initiation of a criminal case against Abyzov. He is suspected of committing crimes under Part 3 of Art. 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Part 4, Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (creation of a criminal community using official position; fraud on an especially large scale) in the period from April 2011 to November 2014. He is charged with theft and transfer abroad of 4 billion rubles. On the same day, Abyzov was detained.

Chairman of the Government D. A. Medvedev learned about the case against Abyzov after his arrest. Press Secretary of the Prime Minister Oleg Osipov said that the case against Abyzov is not related to his work in the government, but is caused by unresolved claims of business partners.

Experts noted that the events incriminated against Abyzov occurred in 2011-2014, when he was already working as the minister of the “open government”, but received excess income because he combined government and business activities. Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation V.I. Matvienko drew attention to Minister Abyzov’s control over offshore companies, which, in addition to the main theft, in itself violates the law.

Press Secretary of Russian President Putin Dmitry Peskov said that President Putin knew in advance about Abyzov’s development, but the Kremlin does not have the right to comment on its attitude to the detention, so that this is not perceived as pressure on the investigation.

On March 27, 2021, Abyzov was arrested by the court until May 25, 2019. Lawyers proposed house arrest in Barvikha for a bail of one billion rubles, but the court refused.

Awards and prizes

Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology for 2003 (February 16, 2004) - for the development and implementation of scientific foundations for managing the federal wholesale electricity (capacity) market.

Family status

Mikhail Abyzov is married and has two sons and a daughter.