A dazzling heavyweight: Tegernsee oligarch Alischer Usmanow

Created: 09/22/2022, 08:04

"Tegernsee oligarch" Alisher Usmanow in Moscow (photo from 2016).

© Chernykh/Imago

The fortune of the Uzbek Alisher Usmanov is estimated at over 14 billion dollars.

That's what Vladimir Putin's alleged confidant is all about.

Rottach-Egern – "The fat one", as neighbors in Rottach-Egern called the oligarch Alisher Burkhanowitsch Usmanow, was usually accompanied by up to five bodyguards on his walks around Lake Tegernsee.

The 69-year-old Uzbek, who is said to be one of the closest confidants of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was never seen with family members.

He was divorced last year from his wife, with whom he has no children.

Tegernsee oligarch Alisher Usmanow: billionaire is one of the richest Russians

Usmanov, who also has a Russian passport, is a colorful figure.

The billionaire is one of the richest Russians, his fortune is estimated at 14 to 16 billion dollars.

The Forbes 2020 list named him the seventh richest entrepreneur in Russia.

Among many other companies, his USM group includes Russia's largest iron ore producer, Metalloinvest, but also the daily newspaper Kommersant, other weekly newspapers and Russia's most-read Internet newspaper, gaseta.ru.

In the course of his checkered career, he also held senior posts at energy giant Gazprom for five years, beginning in 2000, when Putin first became President of Russia.

You can find more current news from the district of Miesbach and the Tegernsee region at Merkur.de/Tegernsee.

An overview of his possessions is amazing.

Numerous top-class properties in Europe are attributed to him.

In addition to the villas in the best lakeside location on Lake Tegernsee, he is said to own a mansion in Surrey and three villas in London, several villas in Sardinia, real estate in Croatia and in the Latvian seaside resort of Jurmala.

Usmanov owned an Airbus A340 and two helicopters.

A 156 meter long and 550 million euro luxury yacht is officially owned by his sister, as well as 27 bank accounts with Credit Suisse in Switzerland.

Alisher Usmanow: "Tegernsee oligarch" longer in prison - then a skilled businessman

The son of a prosecutor and a Russian teacher was born in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.

The family belonged to the elite of communist Uzbekistan.

Usmanov first studied "International Relations" because he wanted to become a diplomat.

His professor was Yevgeny Primakov, later head of the foreign intelligence service, foreign minister and prime minister of Russia.

In 1980, Usmanov was sentenced to eight years in prison in Tashkent for fraud and aiding and abetting in taking bribes.

In 1986 he was released early, in 2000 Uzbekistan rehabilitated him.

Usmanov saw himself as a victim of political oppression.

As a skilled entrepreneur, he then built up his corporate empire.

The EU sees him as a confidant of Putin, who has entrusted him with managing financial flows – which the Uzbek rejects.

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Raid on Tegernsee: police stormed the villas of Usmanov, a man close to Putin

Tegernsee: Oligarch Usmanow fell in love with the region after eye surgery

In 2008, Usmanow came to Tegernsee for the first time for an eye operation and fell in love with the landscape.

From 2011 onwards, the four properties in Rottach-Egern were gradually acquired with straw men via the British tax haven Isle of Man.

The properties are estimated to be worth well over 50 million euros.

The oligarch is said to have stayed at Tegernsee for weeks with security guards and a convoy of up to 30 employees.

From the nearby luxury hotel Überfahrt he reportedly had the food delivered.

When Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, the billionaire packed his bags and disappeared four days later.

Since then, the villas on Tegernsee have been deserted.

For years, the billionaire Alisher Usmanow enjoyed the idyllic life at Tegernsee.

Now, however, the authorities have moved in with a large contingent - and searched the villas of the Russian oligarch.

By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Tegernsee newsletter.

C. MÖLLERS/K.WIENDL