Pyotr Olegovich Aven managed to make his mark in politics and business, managed to collect an impressive collection of art objects, is engaged in charity work, and is a co-owner of the country's largest holdings.
In the formation of Peter Aven as a businessman, philanthropist and politician, there is no “hand of doom” and external support. A man achieved all heights only on his own, thanks to his determination, hard work and patience. Now he is one of the largest collectors in Russia, a co-owner of Alfa Group, a shareholder of the holding, which owns a controlling stake in Euroset and VimpelCom. Who is he and where from? Why did he refuse to develop his political career?
Biography
Pyotr Olegovich was born in Moscow, March 16, 1955, in a family of intellectuals. The boy’s dad was a Russified Latvian, and his mother was Jewish. Both of them had academic degrees, taught in educational institutions of the capital. Oleg Ivanovich Aven had a doctorate and a professorship, taught computer science and telemechanics at Moscow State University. What kind of science Peter's mother knew in perfection is unknown.
Pyotr Olegovich received his secondary education at the legendary Moscow School of Physics and Mathematics No. 2, which was later closed - brilliant teachers and school students simply left the country. After receiving a certificate, Aven entered the Moscow State University, where his father taught, planned to develop in the field of science, but his dreams were not destined to come true, although all the prerequisites for this were. He was one of the best students of the economic cybernetics course; after graduation he completed an internship in Austria.
When Peter Aven returned to Russia, large-scale political and economic transformations took place in the country. His friends at Moscow State University - Yegor Gaidar, Mikhail Fridman - were already successful in either business or politics, and he decided to follow suit.
Career
From 1991 to 1992, Petr Olegovich Aven served as deputy minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR. At that time, the government was led by his friend and ally Yegor Gaidar. After Yegor Timurovich left, Aven also left his post. But he was "out of work" for long - almost immediately became an adviser to Boris Berezovsky, who at that time was the president of LogoVAZ. Many years later, Peter wrote a book about this period of his career under the name “Berezovsky’s Time”, in which he debunked most of the myths about his leader and friend.
And just a year after leaving the political arena of the country, Pyotr Olegovich created his first financial brainchild - FinPA (Finance of Peter Aven). The company did not release anything, it did not have any initial capital and assets - Aven with advisers and colleagues provided advisory services. Their customers included Alfa-Bank, which Peter Olegovich himself soon became a co-owner of.
From this moment, the dizzying career of Pyotr Olegovich, as a businessman, started. By 2019, he took, according to Forbes magazine, 21st place in the list of the richest people in Russia. The list of its assets includes mobile companies, supermarkets and cinemas, television channels, oil and gas holdings, insurance agencies, car dealers, IT companies.
Art and charity
Petr Olegovich Aven is a large collector. The total value of his meetings is more than $ 500 million. A man is not limited to any one direction, collects art paintings and graphic images, figurines, porcelain and majolica objects made in the 19th and 20th centuries. He collected the entire collection on his own, without resorting to the help of curators or resellers, never exchanged or sold his acquisitions. Now Aven dreams of creating a private museum that anyone can visit.
Pyotr Olegovich is also active in fiction - he is the author of several books on political figures of the country, a devastating review of Prilepin’s sensational novel entitled Sankya and other works.
In addition to collecting and writing, Aven is actively involved in charity work. In 2008, he, together with his now deceased wife Elena, opened the Generation fund. The organization supports children's healthcare, cultural exchange between Latvia and the Russian Federation.
Pyotr Olegovich does not forget about his historical roots. Together with Abramovich and Vekselberg, he finances the maintenance of the Jewish Museum, the replenishment of its collections. In addition, the philanthropist is a trustee of the Olympians Support Fund, the Russian Economic School, the Pushkin Museum and about 10 other art institutions in various fields.
