Original: He is the wealthiest man in Russia and the 44th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $31.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His long-term business partner was Mikhail Prokhorov until they decided to split in 2007. Subsequently, they put their mutual assets in a holding company, Folletina Trading, until their asset division was agreed upon. In January 2018, Potanin appeared on the US Treasury's "Putin list" of 210 individuals closely associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The FBI announced in July 2018 that ByteGrid, a data solutions provider contracted to store Maryland State Board of Elections data, was owned by a private equity firm in which Potanin is an investor. A retroactive investigative report issued by the US Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center found no indication that the MDSBE corporate network had been compromised. The contract has since been transferred to Intelishift as a precaution. Early life and education Potanin was born in Moscow, in the former USSR, into a high-ranking communist family. In 1978, he attended the faculty of the International economic relations at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), which groomed students for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upon graduating MGIMO in 1983, he followed in his father's footsteps and went to work for the FTO "Soyuzpromexport" with the Ministry of Foreign trade of the Soviet Union. Career Beginnings (1991–1998) During perestroika, Potanin quit the State's structures of Foreign trade and in 1991 created the private association Interros using his knowledge gathered at Ministry of Foreign trade and his previous professional network. In 1993, Potanin became President of the newly formed United Export Import Bank (ONEKSIMbank) () (akas: Uneximbank; Onexim Bank; Oneksimbank).Объединенный экспортно-импортный банк "ОНЭКСИМ-банк": аналитический обзор 1997 год Oneksimbank is the financial twin of MFK and was also known as the ONEKSIMbank-MFK banking group which was also close to Andrey Vavilov."Справка Сорокина" о залоговых аукционах 1995 года и их последствиях: Методы и последствия приватизации "Норильского никеля""Умный, хваткий, с авантюрной жилкой" Potanin is a close supporter of Anatoly Chubais who introduced Potanin to Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.Объединенный экспортно-импортный банк "ОНЭКСИМ-банк": аналитический обзор 1997 год Potanin is very hostile to the "Jewish banking lobby" (): Gusinsky, Khodorkovsky, Smolensky, etc.Жизнь и бизнес олигарха: Потанин Владимир Олегович (9) During the Iraq oil for food program, his bank ONEKSIMbank facilitated the illegal sale and illegal shipments of Russian weapons in 1994 with some of the funds exported using Hansabank to Estonia. According to his ONEKSIMBANK security service which was headed by former senior KGB officer V.P. Buchumov () and works closely with the "Fort" private security firm () which is headed by his wife N. A. Kaya (), Potanin received support from Oleg Boyko through both the Konvent Association () and Olby-Diplomat JSC () and also from Zelenin through Microdin (). This led to Potanin linked to the Russian mafia through both the Solntsevskaya bratva and Dolgoprudnenskaya bratva. In 1995, Potanin was instrumental in the creation of the "loans for shares" auctions that became a fundamental pillar of Russia's post-Soviet economic reform. The auctions allowed the selling-off of Russian firms' assets at below market prices and are regarded as the founding moment of Russia's oligarchy. According to the New York Times, the auctions plan is "Regarded today almost universally as an act of colossal criminality." From 14 August 1996 until 17 March 1997, he worked as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. In 1997, Boris Jordan introduced George Soros to Potanin which led to the Soros Group supported by Potanin, Anatoly Chubais, and Alfred Koch to have the controlling stake in the Russian communications monopoly over the Berezovsky-Gusinsky group. One year later Soros admitted that his large investment in Svyazinvest was mistake.Тихий американец или 5 российских скандалов из жизни Бориса Йордана Since August 1998, Potanin has held the positions of both President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Interros Company. On November 25, 1998, Potanin recommended Boris Jordan to be Chairman of Sidanko which Jordan held until February 1999 when he stepped down.Йордан Борис Алексеевич ("Панорама") Norilsk Nickel Potanin and his long-term business partner Mikhail Prokhorov acquired Norilsk Nickel in the early 1990s under the "loans for shares" scheme, owning between them 54\% of the firm. Potanin owns a 34\% stake. They streamlined operations and turned Norilsk Nickel into a modern corporation. Dispute with Mikhail Prokhorov In 2007, Potanin split with Prokhorov, citing Prokhorov's brief detention by French police over soliciting prostitution as the reason and announced the intent to acquire Prokhorov's Norilsk Nickel assets for a reported $ 1 billion.
Revised: He is the wealthiest man in Russia and the 44th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $31.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His long-term business partner was Mikhail Prokhorov until they decided to split in 2007. Subsequently, they put their mutual assets in a holding company, Folletina Trading, until their asset division was agreed upon. In January 2018, Potanin appeared on the US Treasury's "Putin list" of 210 individuals closely associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The FBI announced in July 2018 that ByteGrid, a data solutions provider contracted to store Maryland State Board of Elections data, was owned by a private equity firm in which Potanin is an investor. A retroactive investigative report issued by the US Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center found no indication that the MDSBE corporate network had been compromised. The contract has since been transferred to Intelishift as a precaution. Early life and education Potanin was born in Moscow, in the former USSR, into a high-ranking communist family. In 1978, he attended the faculty of the International economic relations at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), which groomed students for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upon graduating MGIMO in 1983, he followed in his father's footsteps and went to work for the FTO "Soyuzpromexport" with the Ministry of Foreign trade of the Soviet Union. Career Beginnings (1991–1998) During perestroika, Potanin quit the State's structures of Foreign trade and in 1991 created the private association Interros using his knowledge gathered at Ministry of Foreign trade and his previous professional network. In 1993, Potanin became President of the newly formed United Export Import Bank (ONEKSIMbank) () (akas: Uneximbank; Onexim Bank; Oneksimbank).Объединенный экспортно-импортный банк "ОНЭКСИМ-банк": аналитический обзор 1997 год Oneksimbank is the financial twin of MFK and was also known as the ONEKSIMbank-MFK banking group which was also close to Andrey Vavilov."Справка Сорокина" о залоговых аукционах 1995 года и их последствиях: Методы и последствия приватизации "Норильского никеля""Умный, хваткий, с авантюрной жилкой" Potanin is a close supporter of Anatoly Chubais who introduced Potanin to Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.Объединенный экспортно-импортный банк "ОНЭКСИМ-банк": аналитический обзор 1997 год During the Iraq oil for food program, his bank ONEKSIMbank facilitated the illegal sale and illegal shipments of Russian weapons in 1994 with some of the funds exported using Hansabank to Estonia.Жизнь и бизнес олигарха: Потанин Владимир Олегович (9) In 1995, Potanin was instrumental in the creation of the "loans for shares" auctions that became a fundamental pillar of Russia's post-Soviet economic reform. The auctions allowed the selling-off of Russian firms' assets at below market prices and are regarded as the founding moment of Russia's oligarchy. According to the New York Times, the auctions plan is "Regarded today almost universally as an act of colossal criminality." From 14 August 1996 until 17 March 1997, he worked as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. In 1997, Boris Jordan introduced George Soros to Potanin which led to the Soros Group supported by Potanin, Anatoly Chubais, and Alfred Koch to have the controlling stake in the Russian communications monopoly over the Berezovsky-Gusinsky group. One year later Soros admitted that his large investment in Svyazinvest was mistake.Тихий американец или 5 российских скандалов из жизни Бориса Йордана Since August 1998, Potanin has held the positions of both President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Interros Company. On November 25, 1998, Potanin recommended Boris Jordan to be Chairman of Sidanko which Jordan held until February 1999 when he stepped down.Йордан Борис Алексеевич ("Панорама") Norilsk Nickel Potanin and his long-term business partner Mikhail Prokhorov acquired Norilsk Nickel in the early 1990s under the "loans for shares" scheme, owning between them 54\% of the firm. Potanin owns a 34\% stake. They streamlined operations and turned Norilsk Nickel into a modern corporation. Dispute with Mikhail Prokhorov In 2007, Potanin split with Prokhorov, citing Prokhorov's brief detention by French police over soliciting prostitution as the reason and announced the intent to acquire Prokhorov's Norilsk Nickel assets for a reported $ 1 billion.
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