The list of the world's richest businessmen has been announced. It should be noted that Azerbaijani-origin billionaires are also included in the list.
According to Medianews.az, based on the ranking, among the world's richest businessmen, Vahid Alakbarov is ranked 81st, with a fortune of 29.5 billion dollars. Vahid Alakbarov's path to success started as a simple worker. He initially worked on an oil platform in the Caspian Sea, then rose to the position of deputy minister in the organization leading the oil industry during the Soviet era. In 1991, he merged three major oil fields to create the Lukoil company. Today, the company is one of Russia's largest independent oil producers. Alakbarov led this company for many years and owned about 30 percent of it. In 2014, Lukoil was subjected to US sanctions. In 2022, after sanctions were imposed by the United Kingdom, Alakbarov resigned from the position of company president. That same year, he transferred his share in the Heesen Yachts factory in the Netherlands to a fund.
At the 837th and 838th positions are God Nisanov and Zarah Iliyev, each with a fortune of 5.1 billion dollars.
God Nisanov and Zarah Iliyev are considered among the largest real estate owners in Moscow, the capital of Russia. The partners who moved from Azerbaijan have built large shopping centers, hotels, and residential complexes here. Their total real estate portfolio is approximately 14 million square meters. The entrepreneurs established a large wholesale center in Moscow – "Food City" – and own several major commercial properties around the city. Zarah Iliyev is also a co-owner of the famous "Radisson Royal Moscow" hotel. This hotel was used as one of FIFA's main headquarters during the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
In the 2386th place on the list is Farhad Ahmedov, with a fortune of 1.7 billion dollars. Farhad Ahmedov began his business activity in London by selling furs. In 1987, he founded a company that supplied equipment for the gas industry. Later, by acquiring a stake in the "Nortgas" company operating in Siberia, he strengthened his position in the energy sector. In 1998, Ahmedov became one of the main shareholders of the company and sold his stake for 1.4 billion dollars in 2012. He became prominent mainly due to a long-term court dispute in the United Kingdom involving his ex-wife. Although the court ruled that he must pay 454 million pounds sterling, this dispute ended with a settlement only in 2021. In 2022, he was also subjected to sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom. In the summer of that year, his luxury yacht named "Luna" was frozen in Germany. However, in September 2023, the European Union lifted the sanctions against Ahmedov. /Modern.az