# Hares Youssef

Hares Youssef (born November 16, 1964) is a businessman, philanthropist, writer and technology investor. He was one of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's Middle East envoys during Yushchenko's 2005-2010 presidency.

## Early life and education

Hares Youssef was born in Latakia, Syria, to a low-income family. He grew up in a rural area where he developed a close connection with nature, which later influenced his philosophical views. Youssef moved to Damascus as a teenager and enrolled in the Damascus University. Despite his interest in poetry and creative writing, his plans changed when his uncle, who had political connections, secured a scholarship for him to study in the Soviet Union through the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Although Youssef was a pacifist and opposed military activities, he had no choice but to pursue a military discipline. He ended up going to Kyiv, where he initially studied aviation before switching to a tank school, but left the course three years later.
In 1999 Hares defended his PhD thesis on Economics at the Institute of World Economy and Foreign Affairs of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

## Political and business career

In 1994 he graduated from the Kyiv State University of Economics and started a business, which eventually spread to various sectors of the economy, in particular, real estate, metallurgy, industrial engineering, and energy.
In 1995, most of its industrial and commercial assets were united into a single holding - Hares Group Holding, registered in Austria. In 2004 the company's turnover reached 420 million dollars. Hares Youssef has numerous links with the Lviv IT industry. He is currently working on the final stages of releasing the ‘Golden Hearts’ virtual currency.
In 2007 President Yushchenko appointed him his envoy and policy adviser for the Middle East.
In 2007 Hares entered the top 200 list of the most influential Ukrainians according to the Ukrainian weekly Focus.

## Philanthropy

Hares Youssef is a patron of many charities in Ukraine. He is a prominent collector of ancient Near Eastern art and antiquities. His private collection of Levantine antiquities is considered to be one of the most extensive held in private hands.
A close friend of the Syrian poet Adunis, he was the publisher of his magazine 'Another' between 2011 and 2013.
Over years, Mr. Youssef has been an active supporter of education initiatives under the auspices of the Foundation UNESCO Education for Children in Need. A variety of projects have been established with the support of Hares Youssef, such as the Hares Youssef Boy school and Hares Youssef Girls School.
His 40 Foundation focuses on supporting science advocacy.

## GAIIA Foundation

In 2009, at the age of 45, Hares left most of his business assets in Ukraine and moved to Europe. There he founded two charity foundations: The 40 Foundation and Gaiia Foundation.
In 2020 Hares published his first book Gaiia. The philosophical, futurological novel, which was translated into four languages.
GAIIA focuses on humanitarian and environmental challenges. The organization is founded on environmental consciousness, transparency, and engagement. It carries out various projects, including proposing to rename Earth as 'Gaiia,' advocating for the right to clean air in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, pioneering a transparent economic model, establishing the Gaiia Think Fabric, developing the Gaiia Communication Platform, researching children's education and upbringing, and delving into the field of 'psychonomics.' These initiatives align with the GAIIA Movement, Charity Awards, books, and series.
The project’s first phase is the platform for philanthropists, ecological activists and charities to raise funds by creating targeted coins as NFTs.