Pyotr Aven

Petr Aven, a prominent Russian businessman and politician, was born on March 16, 1955, in Moscow. With Latvian citizenship, he previously served as the head of Alfa-Bank, Russia's largest commercial bank, until March 2022. Aven resigned from Alfa-Bank and LetterOne Group to avoid sanctions following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As of 2022, he is ranked as the 665th richest person in the world, boasting a net worth of approximately $4.7 billion. Aven, a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, has been included in EU sanctions. He has criticized these sanctions and filed a lawsuit in the European Court of Justice.

Born in Moscow, Aven's educational background includes a PhD in economics, which he obtained in 1980, after graduating from Moscow State University in 1977. He has held various significant positions throughout his career, including serving as the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations for the Russian Federation and as the president of Alfa-Bank Russia. Currently, Aven is a member and chairman of the board of directors of ABH Holdings S.A., chairman of the board of directors at AlfaStrakhovanie Group, and co-chairman of the board of directors of CTC Media, Inc. He has been involved in notable deals and acquisitions, such as the sale of TNK-BP to Rosneft in 2012 and LetterOne Group's acquisition of assets from E. ON in 2015. Additionally, Aven co-authored the book "Gaidar's Revolution: The Inside Account of the Economic Transformation of Russia" in 2015.

Aven has faced repercussions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the European Union blacklisting him in February 2022, resulting in frozen assets and the seizure of a valuable painting owned by him. The UK has also launched an investigation into potential evasion of sanctions, leading to a raid on his home. Nonetheless, in October 2022, Aven was granted living expenses and a one-off payment by the UK Treasury. Throughout his career, Aven has been involved in several libel suits, including those against the Center for Public Integrity, BuzzFeed, Steele, Fusion GPS, and its founder. Notably, he has been awarded damages by the British High Court of Justice for false claims.

Aven's public activities include holding positions on various boards and foundations related to economics, arts, and philanthropy. He is a member of the Endowment Foundation board of trustees of the New Economic School and the board of trustees of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Aven is also a trustee of the Centre for Economic Policy Research in Great Britain and the National Association for National Financial Reporting Standards. He is a professor at the State University Higher School of Economics and a member of the President's Council on International Activities of Yale University. Additionally, Aven is recognized for his contributions to the arts and theater in Russia, having co-founded the Genesis Philanthropy Group and established the charity foundation "Generation" with his wife. He has been an avid art collector, particularly of pre-Soviet Russian art, and has received international awards for his contributions to the financial services sector in Russia.

In recent years, Aven's support for Putin and the invasion of Ukraine has sparked controversy and led to the revocation of his honorary doctorate by the University of Latvia in 2022. Nonetheless, he remains a prominent figure in the finance industry and continues to make significant contributions to various sectors.