Eugene Shvidler
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23 March 1964
Eugene Shvidler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Evgeny Markovich Shvidler 23 March 1964 Ufa, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Citizenship | British, American, French |
| Alma mater | |
| Spouse | Zara Shvidler (now divorced) |
| Children | 5 |
Evgeny Markovich Shvidler (Russian: Евгений Маркович Швидлер; born 23 March 1964), known in English as Eugene Shvidler, is a Soviet-born billionaire businessman, and winemaker.[1][2]
Shvidler was sanctioned by the UK Government in March 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and he remains under United Kingdom sanctions.[3] Shvidler holds dual British and American citizenship.[4][5][6] In August 2023, the UK High Court rejected Shvidler's application for his being sanctioned to be reviewed. In February 2024, Shvidler's appeal to the UK Court of Appeal was rejected.[6][7][8]
As of April 2014, Shvidler's wealth is estimated at $1.6 billion, although it is unclear how much of this is sanctioned.[2]
Shvidler was born in Ufa, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). His place of birth has sometimes been incorrectly listed as Moscow.[1] Shvidler is from a Jewish family. His father is Soviet geologist Mark Iosifovich Shvidler.[9][10] In 1989, Shvidler moved to the US, and studied at Fordham University in New York, receiving an MBA in 1992.[11] Shvidler then worked for Deloitte & Touche in New York. He became a US citizen in 1994.[2]
Career
Shvidler returned to Russia in the mid-90s, following the fall of the Soviet Union, and communism, and the rise of capitalism. He received a degree in mathematics from the Gubkin Institute of Petrochemicals and Natural Gas. Shvidler then teamed up with his close friend Roman Abramovich to start the oil trading outfit Runicom S.A.[12] This would be the first of a number of business collaborations between Shvindler and Abramovich over the years. In 1995, the friends partnered again to gain control of oil giant Sibneft for $250 million, in an auction that some experts suspected of having been "rigged";[13][14] Shvidler joined Sibneft initially as senior Vice President and served as company president from 1998 until October 2005, when Russian state energy company Gazprom acquired Sibneft for $13 billion. For most of his tenure, Sibneft was Russia's fastest growing oil company in terms of production, and its most profitable in terms of earnings per barrel.[13][5]
When Abramovich purchased England's Chelsea FC in 2003, Shvidler moved to the UK, and briefly became a director at the club. In 2004, he obtained UK citizenship.[15][6] In 2006, Shvidler purchased shares to become a 5% shareholder in Abramovich steel company Evraz.[15] From 2012 to 2013, Shvidler was a member of MC Peat & Co., an Abramovich company set up in 2011 with Michael Peat, Principal Private Secretary to King Charles III and Queen Camilla between 2002 and 2011 when they were Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. The firm worked as an intermediary, and broker between Abramovich and small UK firms.[16][17] Shvidler was chairman of Millhouse LLC, Abramovich’s Moscow-based investment company, but he stepped down in early March 2022 after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government.[17] As of October 2021, Shvidler's net worth was estimated at US$1.9 billion.[2]
Personal life
Shvidler was married to Zara Shvidler and they have five children.[2][6] In 2000, Shvidler purchased the Château Thénac vineyard in France, which produces a range of fine wines and spirits. A 2009 profile by UK newspaper The Guardian reported on Shvidler's commitment to "first-class wine that will rival anything neighbouring Bordeaux has to offer," and the success he was enjoying as a winemaker.[1] Shvidler owns a number of properties in addition to Château Thénac, including a £22 million ($37m) house in Belgravia, London, and a home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. In 2008, Shvidler and Abramovich purchased property Snowmass Village, Colorado, as an investment, totaling over $62 million in real estate.[18][6] He also owns one of the largest yachts in the world, the Le Grand Bleu, which was gifted to him by Abramovich.[1]
Shvidler has often said that he does not like being referred to as, and does not consider himself to be an oligarch.[1] He has stated that he dislikes communism.[1] He is an animal lover.[1] As well as being his business partner, Shvidler has been described as Abramovich's 'friend', 'best friend', 'ally', and 'right-hand man'. The two have frequently been seen together, including a July 2015 trip to the Isle of Arran in Scotland. While Abramovich can be urbane and charming, Shvidler is described as more blunt in business dealings. “He can be the bad cop to his good cop,” said one person who has met him.[17][7] Since being sanctioned by the UK Government, Shvidler has been living in the USA.[6]
Philanthropy
Shvidler is a known philanthropist, over the years he has made philanthropic donations totalling some £10 million to several educational initiatives in the UK, including a library and scholarships for disadvantaged young people.[19][6] After a $1 million gift from Shvidler, his alma mater Fordham University in New York, USA, established the Center for Jewish Studies in 2016. This followed a $3 million gift from Shvidler which had established the Shvidler Chair of Judaic Studies in the Department of History in 2013.[11]