Mikhail Prokhorov: how the myth was created
He is called the Russian Buffett, he occupies the first line of the rating of the magazine "Finance." on the size of capital, manages a solid even by Russian standards of business and heads the Russian Union of Biathletes, and in 2012 he was a candidate for the presidency of Russia. Mikhail Prokhorov In 2007, he was confidently ranked fifth by Forbes, and now he continues to be considered one of the most influential people in the country.
The foundation for his colossal fortune ($14.10 billion) Mikhail Prokhorov Prokhorov started his own business as a student when, after unloading railcars, he started producing "boiled" jeans together with Alexander Khloponin (now governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai). After that, in the early 1990s Prokhorov worked in the joint-stock commercial bank International Finance Company, serving as chairman of the board. In 1993 he moved to Onexim Bank to the same position of Chairman of the Management Board, from 1998 he became a member of the Board of Directors of Interros, in 1998-2003 he was President-Chairman of the Management Board of Onexim Bank. In 2001, Mikhail Prokhorov was appointed General Director of MMC Norilsk Nickel.
Together with a business partner Vladimir Potanin Prokhorov managed to deploy his assets: this included the oil company SIDANCO, a part of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, and more than half of the North-West Shipping Company.
After the scandal in January 2007 in the ski resort of Courchevel, when Prokhorov was detained together with 16 girls from Russia whom he had previously invited to the resort, the white streak in the oligarch's business career came to an end. While the Lyon police were interrogating Mikhail Prokhorov, suspecting him of bringing young ladies of easy behavior to Courchevel, a black cat ran between the oligarch and his loyal partner Potanin. The press service of Norilsk Nickel said in early 2007 that Prokhorov was not in Courchevel on official business, and when the businessman returned to Russia, it became known about the division of the ex-partners' business.
The division of the huge Interros holding was not easy: it included NorNickel, Polyus Gold, Rosbank and the Soglasiye insurance group, as well as Open Investments, Prof-Media, Rosa Khutor, Agros and other companies. The total value of the business was estimated at 33 billion dollars, and the conflict between the former partners lasted almost two years.
As a result of numerous scandals and mutual accusations with the use of black PR, Prokhorov created the Onexim group of the same name, which manages the allocated assets from the former megabusiness. The businessman himself became interested in sports, heading the Russian Biathlon Union, and Prokhorov has not forgotten about his charitable organization, the Charitable Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, which is run by his own sister Irina. Apparently, the colossal scandal that erupted because of trivial carelessness and inflated ego has taught the Russian oligarch a lot. Mikhail Prokhorov has been keeping a Live Journal for a year and a half, where he writes small notes on business development and posts videos from his life. The other day Prokhorov, who already owns the glossy magazine Snob through Onexim, made an offer to the owners of RBC to buy 51% shares of the company for 80 million dollars. It is obvious that the businessman is taking a long-term view of his business even in the crisis. However, the fight with Potanin over Open Investments is still going on, so who knows in what direction the brainchild of Prokhorov, a lover of ski resorts, model-looking girls and scandals in the press, will develop next.