In this article titled “Andrey Guryev 101: Russian Billionaire Businessman” on Zatrun.com, we will delve into everything you need to know about Andrey Guryev, the Russian billionaire businessman that our readers are curious about, in detail.
Who is Andrey Guryev?
Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev is a Russian billionaire businessman and former president of PhosAgro, one of the four major phosphate-based fertilizer producers worldwide. As of March 2022, his net worth is estimated at $4.8 billion. He gained his wealth in the 1990s by acquiring state-owned assets at low prices after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2004, he also purchased PhosAgro at an extremely low price, which was half-owned by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was arrested by the Vladimir Putin regime.
Guryev was born in Lobnya, a town located 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Moscow. He graduated from the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports in 1983. In 2003, he received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Greenwich and in 2004, he graduated from the Russian State Academy. In 2010, he received a master’s certificate in economics from the St. Petersburg National Mineral Resources University. Guryev is a judo master and served as an instructor and committee secretary in the Dinamo Komsomol organization of Mosgorsovet from 1978 to 1987.
Career Life
In 1990, Guryev started his career working for Mikhail Khodorkovsky at Menatep Group. He gradually rose up the ranks and was appointed as the President of Apatit, a subsidiary of Menatep. From 1990 to 1995, he served as the Deputy Director of Menatep Group. In 1995, he was appointed as the First Deputy CEO of ROSPROM, the President of Mining and Chemical Products Department, and then the head of Y. V. Samoilov Research Institute for Fertilizers and Insecticides (NIUIF). In 2011, Guryev owned 71% of PhosAgro, with Vladimir Litvinenko owning 10%.
In 2012, PhosAgro acquired 20% of Apatit. Guryev carried out a management buyout to gain control of Apatit and PhosAgro, and now owns 100% of the company. Between 2011 and 2013, Guryev served as a member of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, from the executive branch of the Murmansk region government. In 2013, Guryev was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Board of PhosAgro. He resigned from politics after serving for 11 years, citing new laws related to Russian entrepreneurs with foreign bank accounts.
In 2014, Guryev increased Vladimir Litvinenko’s stake in PhosAgro, raising his total ownership from 4.92% to 9.73%. In early 2015, the current CEO, Andrey Guryev Jr., the son of Andrey Guryev, stated that “PhosAgro is the world’s most profitable phosphate fertilizer company.” PhosAgro is structured so that it is owned by a fund rather than directly owned by the Guryev family, but Guryev’s wife, Evgenia Guryev, owns 4.82% of PhosAgro in her name. In July 2016, Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.3 billion. Guryev is the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Chemists Union.
Sanctions
- On March 9, 2022, the son of Andrey Guryev was added to the European Union’s sanctions list.
- In January 2023, Japan imposed sanctions on Andrey Guryev.
- New Zealand included Russia in its sanctions list in relation to the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Personal Life
Guryev is married to Evgenia and they have two children named Andrey Guryev Jr. and Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov. Andrey Guryev Jr. is the CEO of PhosAgro. Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov is married to hedge fund manager Alexei Motlokhov and they have twin sons, living in a house in Highgate.
The Guryevs own Witanhurst, the second-largest house in London. The property is owned through an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Additionally, Guryev is the owner of the five-story penthouse in St George Wharf Tower in London. Guryev has never given an interview to the press. Guryev also owns a yacht called Alfa Nero, which was purchased through an offshore company.
