Vladimir Lisin: metallurgist, professor, oligarch

Vladimir Lisin is probably one of the most modest and overlooked Russian oligarchs. The chairman of Novolipetsk Steel's board of directors, a metallurgical engineer by training whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $7.70 billion (226.2 billion rubles), has been closely associated with the metallurgy and industry all his life.

The billionaire, who occupies the third place in the rating of the Russian rich, was born on May 7, 1956 in the city of Ivanovo, received a higher education at the Siberian Metallurgical Institute, later upgraded his skills and studied at the Academy of Foreign Trade and the Academy of National Economy.

Lisin's first job was at Yuzhkuzbassugol as an electric fitter. Later, the future oligarch rose to become a steelmaker's helper and then deputy head of the steel casting shop.

Vladimir Lisin moved up the career ladder fairly quickly, knowing firsthand all the intricacies of metallurgical work. His track record includes such organizations as Karmet, TSK-Steel, Pavlodar Aluminum Plant, and NLMK.

At Novolipetsk Steel Lisin came in 1996 as a representative of NLMK's exclusive raider, Intermetall; in September 1998, he became chairman of NLMK's board of directors.

Among his awards are the Order of Honor (2001) and the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, third degree, of the Russian Orthodox Church (for many years of support in the revival of the Orthodox sacred places and for his assistance in the publication of the Orthodox Encyclopedia, May 2001). The businessman is married and has three children.

Vladimir Lisin of the first three Russian billionaires is the oldest and most educated businessman: he is a doctor of technical sciences, a doctor of economics, and a professor of the department of market problems and economic mechanism of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. Under his authorship were published a number of scientific articles on his life specialty - metallurgyIn addition, Lisin holds more than 50 patents and inventor's certificates in the field of ferrous and non-ferrous metal production.

Again, the oligarch's hobby is quite unconventional: he collects Kaslinsky iron castings, with pre-revolutionary exhibits; his collection includes more than 200 catalogued items.

It turned out that being an oligarch and not being in the limelight of the secular chronicle is quite a feasible task. As they say, every man has his priorities