Biography:
Petr Olegovich Aven was born on March 16, 1955 in Moscow. In 1972 he graduated from the Moscow Physic-mathematical school №2, in 1977 – Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov Moscow state university (MSU), in 1980 - postgraduate study of MSU; PhD.
In 1981-1988 worked as junior, and then senior research associate of All-Union scientific research institute of system researches of Academy of sciences of the USSR.
From 1989 to 1991 Aven was Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR; simultaneously the employee of the International institute of the applied system analysis (Laksenburg, Austria).
Since autumn of 1991 Petr Aven becomes the chairman of Committee on External Economic Relations in Egor Gaydar's government, simultaneously - the first deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
In 1992 Aven headed the Ministry of External Economic Relations of the Russian Federation, simultaneously being the representative of the President of the Russian Federation on communications with industrially developed countries.
In July - December 1992, he was Vice-president of Commission on currency and economics of the Russian Federation.
From May till December, 1992 Petr Aven was Chairman of the Interdepartmental commission on the General agreement under tariffs and trade (GATT).
Since December 1992 till February, 1993 he was the adviser of the president of AO "LogoVAZ".
In the spring of 1993 Petr Aven headed the financial consulting company "FinPA" («Finance of Petr Aven») specializing in consultations on work with various kinds of securities and having close relations to OAO “AKB Alfa-Bank” from the very beginning of the activity.
On December 12, 1993 Aven was electedthe deputy of State Duma FS of the Russian Federation under the list of electoral association «Choice of Russia». On January, 4th, 1994 he refused of deputy mandate having explained this decision with unwillingness to leave a post of the general director of company "FinPA".
Since October 1994, Petr Aven has been the President of OAO "АКB Alfa bank », simultaneously the president of Consortium «Alfa Groups».
Till February 2001, he was a member of Business Council at the Government of the Russian Federation.
Petr Aven is the chairman of the board of directors of OAO "AlfaStrahovanye", co-chairman of Board of directors of «STS Media»; Member of Council on competitiveness and business at the Government of the Russian Federation; member of the Board of guardians of the National organisation on financial reporting standards; Professor of Higher School of Economics; the Councilor of trustees of «Eisenhower Fellowships».
Since April 2006, Petr Aven has been a member of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (employers); Member of the Board of guardians of the Russian economic school; Trustee of the Center of economic policy (CEPR), Great Britain.
In 2007 he was elected the head of the Russian Latvian business council.
Petr Aven is the author of numerous articles, books on econometrics and problems of reforming of Russian agriculture.
In April, 2005 by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation he was awarded the Order of Honor for the labor merit and long-term diligent work.
According to “Finance” magazine of 2009, his fortune was estimated at 1.25 billion dollars.
He takes a great interest in hunting; collects pictures of artists of "silver age".
Speaks English fluently, can speak Spanish.
Married, has two children-twins.
Source: www.rian.ru
Dossier:
In the early nineties Petr Aven supported Mikhail Fridman when the latter was engaged in purchase of sugar, tea and carpets from India through "Alfa-eco". Fridman bought products basically at the expense of public debts – Petr Aven helped Fridman in his business at the state level.
Source: www.compromat.ru, 8/2/2005
The press actively reacted to Aven's resignation from a post of Minister of external economic relations of Russia in 1992. He explained the leaving as Egor Gaydar left and this post was held by Victor Chernomyrdin with whom Aven could not work together. Aven motivated the decision on resignation also with the fact that Chernomyrdin excluded his name from the list of the new ministry.
Source: "Kommersant" № 68 (221), 12/23/1992
Being the minister of external economic relations of Russia, Petr Aven made active traffic in arms – it was delivered to Iran, Arab Emirates, China and Korea. Aven declared that he intended to expand the traffic in arms markets.
Source: "Kommersant" № 53 (206), 12/5/1992
Petr Aven, being the Minister of foreign economic relations, was engaged in the organization of deliveries of meat, sugar and other foodstuff to Russia. A partner from France, the Russian emigrant Sergey Mazharov helped him with this business. Aven acquainted him with Alexander Krivenko, the former head of "Prodintorg" and Mazharov concluded the bargain with Krivenko on deliveries of products to Russia. Income from sale Aven transferred to the accounts on Cayman Islands and in other offshore zones. Business was winded down after Aven's leaving from the government. After short time Mazharov was killed in Paris. His death was connected with redistribution of roles in the Russian sugar market.
In 1993 Aven founded the company "FinPA" («Finance of Petr Aven») which consulted buyers of the Russian debts, in particular explained an order of the organisation of the transaction in the governmental structures, defined persons with whom it was necessary to contact, advised on the mechanism of participation in tenders. Anatoly Chubais, Sergey Glazyev, Alexander Shokhin and Oleg Davydov supported Aven at that stage
Sources: www.whoiswho.ru, "Izvestia", 1/6/1995
Petr Aven was accused of that his policy on a post of the Minister of foreign economic relations led to huge currency losses, which the foreign trade turnover decreased twice, export of a ready industrial output fell down and actually the country left some markets.
Source: «New daily newspaper», 11/4/1994
In 1998 journalists accused Petr Aven of illegal acquisition of the state summer residence belonging to Alexey Tolstoy in Barvikha located near Moscow. They wrote that the general director of "Zhukovka" Vladimir Ryabenko petitioned for sale of a summer residence to Aven at the underestimated cost – 200 thousand dollars, ostensibly, for his investments into construction of objects of State Unitary Enterprise «Health complex "Zhukovka". The petition was supported by the chairman of State Property Committee Alfred Koch. Journalists were excited also with the fact that in the payment commission confirming the transaction both parties – the payer and the addressee used services of “Alfa bank". The sum was issued by Aven as an investment payment; taxes were not paid.
Source: "Top secret" № 10, 1998
Petr Aven and his partner Mikhail Fridman were accused of capture of Tyumen oil company. The general director of OAO "Nizhnevartovskneftegaz" Victor Paly said that after "Alfa" came multi-billion profits on oil extracting would be transferred abroad. Anatoly Chubais and Alfred Koch in 1997 supporting Aven and Fridman threatened the multinational corporation with bankruptcy procedure in case if representatives of the state in the board of directors of the company would not vote against appointment of Paly as the general director. Boris Nemtsov, in turn, gave necessary instructions to the Department of Fuel and Energy and customs officers helping to Aven and to Fridman to establish the control of oil export of "TOC". As a result, 40 percent of shares of "TOC" were sold to ZAO «New holding» representing interests of "Alfa bank" with the low price.
In 1997 oil industry workers under the direction of Victor Paly brought an action about avoidance of decisions of general meetings of "TOC" on the prescheduled termination of duties of all councilors of directors. The court recognized correctness of oil industry workers, but the management of "Alfa group" presented a fictitious judgment of Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous region canceling the first decision. Subsequently judge of KMAR which signature was in the decision declared that he did not judge this case his signature was faked.
Source: "Top secret", 3/17/1999
Heading Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations Petr Aven lobbied interests of the Russian and foreign companies in the foreign trade transactions for compensation and dealt with the matters on licenses. In particular, he supervised an access on the market of the weapon and allowed transactions only to «his» persons. Special services worked out Aven regarding large-scale thefts and communications with special services of Israel (through Dennis Aizenberg, the resident of the Israeli investigation in Vienna). Besides, Aven participated in transit of drugs from South East Asia to Europe. Results of these checks were reported to Boris Yeltsin, and then Aven was discharged from the Minister Post.
Aven was noticed in communications with Boris Berezovsky (worked as the adviser at Berezovsky's enterprise "LogoVAZ" where he lobbied decisions on increase of the customs duties for import cars), Otari Kvantrishvili, Joseph Kobzon, criminal authorities Sergey Timofeev (Sylvester), thief-in-law Alexey Petrov (Petrik), Mark Rich and Grigory Luchansky. In 1993 in Vienna Aven met drug dealer Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuel nicknamed as Chess player and discussed the issues of financing of "Alfa bank" at the expense from offshore zones which were planned to be put after buying up of shares the Russian enterprises.
Source: "Version", 6/6/1999
Petr Aven submitted the claim about an honor and dignity protection to the newspaper "Top secret" and won it (the newspaper wrote that Aven was involved in drugs export and corruption at the traffic in arms organisation). Aven won 3 million roubles and since then Artem Borovik’s widow Veronica Borovik-Hilchevskaya is amicable with Aven and periodically publishes laudatory articles about him.
Source: www.lpl.org.ua
The American special services checked Petr Aven and Alexander Shokhin having accounts in the Swiss banks. According to agents of national security it is money which they earned on frauds with Tanzanian debt to the USSR.
Source: www.zavtra.ru, l6.03.2000
In the end of 1991 - the beginning of 1992 Petr Aven gave out the permission to Committee on external relations headed by Vladimir Putin for distribution of quotas and delivery of licenses for foreign trade. Soon after that rumor about abusing in CER appeared: raw materials began to be sold for undercharges, licenses were given out under obviously fictitious deliveries of the foodstuffs, the majority of firms with which CER concluded contracts for import of a foodstuff to Petersburg were dummy.
Source: "Top secret" №8 (219), August 2000
In 2000 Petr Aven brought an action in connection with external supervision of him. Such information was given to Aven by security of "Alfa bank". On the facts of invasion in Aven's privacy a criminal case was initiated.
Source: www.newsru.com from 8/1/2000
It was written a lot about how Petr Aven got to "Alfa groups". In 1994 he got acquainted with Mikhail Fridman, the chairman of board of directors of Alfa bank; Fridman considered a good administrative resource in Aven (Aven had high-rank relations in the government); with Aven's coming to bank a post of the president was created for him. In turn, Aven increased client base of Alfa bank immediately, put it into an imperious orbit. Having given 50 % of shares of "FinPA" to Fridman Aven became in exchange the owner of 10 % of shares of "Alfa". He subsequently helped bank to increase the capital in 1998 when ruble collapse happened – through his people in the government he learnt about coming crisis and planned definite policy of the bank. "Alfa bank" was one of the few at that time that could pay off completely to investors.
Source: magazine "Profile", 1/29/2001
In 1992 government of Russia concluded the contract with the American detective company «Kroll Associates» to reveal traces of the disappeared party means of the state. From the Russian currency reserve it was paid 1500 million dollars to the American company. It is said that the report was prepared, but "party gold» was not found. Chairman of the Russian government Egor Gaydar and Petr Aven who at that time held a post of the minister of foreign economic relations concerned the contract with "Kroll" and presented report.
Source: «Novaya gazeta», 6/10/2002
In 2006 IPOC fund submitted the claim to district court of the USA in the Southern district of New York to structures of "Alfa group" and in particular to Petr Aven, Mikhail Fridman, Leonid Rozhetskin and Hans Bodmer - to the former head of Zurich firm Von Meiss Blum and Partners acting as the agent at sale of 25.1 % of "Megafon" in 2003. The claim was submitted within the Certificate about racket and influence of the corrupted organizations of the USA. It described the story of sale by firm LV Finance (to the middle of 2003 belonging to Leonid Rozhetskin) of 100 % of shares of Bahamian company Transcontinental Mobile Investment which through “CT-Mobile" owned 25,1 % of "Megafon". IPOC asserted that it paid 50 million dollars to Rozhetskin for these shares. Rozhetskin received means of IPOC, and Fridman established control over actives. The fund demanded the respondents to turn back stolen shares and to pay $150 million.
Source: Vedomosti, 6/13/2006
Petr Aven's partners in business were repeatedly accused of raider captures. Alfa group used absorption through bankruptcy. The loudest raider captures of "Alfa" - the Western-Siberian metallurgical industrial complex, Achinsk aluminous industrial complex, Trading house "Smirnov", pulp-and-paper industrial complexes "Volga" and "Kama", beer company SUN Interbrew, mobile operator "Megafon". In Bishkek in 2005 "Alfa" grasped office of the cellular operator "Bitel". In authorities structures "Alfa group" was assisted by Gleb Fetisov (was involved in capture of Achinsk aluminous industrial complex), Valentine Zavadnikov and Oganes Oganyan.
Source: www.wek.ru, 8/28/2006
Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman appeared in the centre of scandal with a claim to the newspaper "Kommersant" about protection of business reputation. "Alfa bank" estimated the put losses in 320.77 million rubles. In 2004 journalists of "Kommersant" wrote that near ATM machines of «Alfa bank» the queue and agitate began. Alfa bank considered such publication as infringement of article 51 of the law of the Russian Federation «On mass-media» forbidding distribution of hearings under the pretext of a trustworthy information. Subsequently, executing a judgment "Kommersant" transferred demanded sum to Alfa bank; simultaneously lawyers of edition of the newspaper submitted the appeal. In 2005 the Arbitration court obliged Alfa bank to return to the newspaper 270 million rubles.
Sources: "Kommersant", 8/27/2004, «Noviye Izvestia», 28.04.05
Petr Aven’s adviser Alexander Gafin in interview to journalists declared that after resignation of the prime minister of Latvia Petr Aven can head the Latvian government. Gafin said that Aven is ready to help out the country of the ancestors (Aven's grandfather was the Latvian) from an economic crisis. Having learnt about such statement of the adviser, Aven denied the information, and Gafin soon was dismissed from bank. Subsequently Gafin said that Kremlin did not let Aven to head the government of Latvia.
Source: Gazeta, 2/23/2009
At various times Petr Aven's interests were lobbied in the government of Russia by the former natives of "Alfa group" - Vladislav Surkov, the deputy the head of Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation; Alexander Abramov, the deputy the head of Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation; Andrey Popov, the ex-deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the head of the Main regional government of the President of the Russian Federation; Andrey Rappoport, Anatoly Chubais's first deputy in RAO “UES”, Gleb Fetisov (the senator in the Federation Council from Voronezh region). Aven's opponents: Sergey Popov (MDM) – he struggled with Aven for the control over OAO "Tagmet" and "Conversbank"; Popov won.
Observers have an impression that having created system of a political lobby Aven is disliked also by his partners in "Alfa" - Leonard Vid, Herman Han and Simeon Kukes.
Source: www.kompromata.net
Petr Aven's name was mentioned in mass-media in relation with "Rusal" scandal - Alfa bank was a sole creditor which refused to grant Oleg Deripaska's companies a delay of payments and tried to collect 800 million dollars through court. Aven openly declared infringement of corporate ethics by Deripaska and planned in case of default of obligations by him to arrest actives of the company, its account and to promote bankruptcy procedure.
Source: www.newsru.com, 4/2/2009
Petr Aven was accused of non-payment of taxes by offshore schemes. Petr Aven’s «Alfa Group» including Alfa bank, "AlfaStrahovanye", TNK-BP, "Megafon", "Vympelcom" and a retail chain "Pyaterochka" is registered on the companies from Gibraltar, Luxembourg, the British Virgin Islands and the Netherlands.
Source: «Neva time», 3/3/2010