Alisher Usmanov Net Worth

What Is Alisher Usmanov's Net Worth and Salary?

Alisher Usmanov is an Uzbek-born Russian businessman who has a net worth of $18 billion. Alisher Usmanov built his fortune through mining, steel, iron ore, media, and technology investments, largely structured through his stake in USM Holdings, a diversified conglomerate. Usmanov is an indirect shareholder in the metals and mining group Metalloinvest, one of Russia's largest producers of iron ore and steel. From 2000 to 2014, he served as General Director of Gazprom Investholding, a subsidiary of state-owned Gazprom that managed non-core assets. His influence expanded beyond heavy industry, with major stakes in telecommunications, media, and international technology companies.

One of Usmanov's most notable deals was his early technology investing. In 2009, he committed $200 million to Facebook and later exited with a return of roughly $1 billion. He also backed Apple, Airbnb, Groupon, and Alibaba, positioning himself as one of the most globally connected Russian investors of his generation. In media, he acquired the Russian newspaper "Kommersant" in 2006 and expanded into broadcasting with Muz-TV and Disney Russia. Through USM, he also purchased the mobile operator MegaFon and invested heavily in esports.

Beyond business, Usmanov has been a significant presence in international sport and philanthropy. He once held nearly a third of Arsenal Football Club, selling his stake for close to $700 million in 2018, and he has donated billions of dollars to charitable causes over the past two decades. His Art, Science, and Sport Charity Fund supports cultural, educational, and sporting initiatives in Russia and abroad.

While his fortune and assets have been the subject of scrutiny and sanctions in recent years, Usmanov has long maintained that many high-profile properties and yachts linked to his name are controlled by independent trusts established for estate planning purposes.

Early Life

Alisher Usmanov was born Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov on September 9, 1953, in Chust, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union. He grew up in Tashkent, where his father worked as a state prosecutor. Usmanov moved to Moscow to pursue a career in diplomacy, later graduating with a degree in international law from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1976. After returning to Tashkent, he took a position as director of the Foreign Economic Association of the Soviet Peace Committee.

Career

In the years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Usmanov became a millionaire through early entrepreneurial ventures, including founding Agroplast, a company that produced plastic bags. From 1990 to 1994, he was Deputy General Director of Intercross JSC, and from 1994 to 1998, he headed Interfin Interbank Investment and Finance Company.

During the 1990s, Usmanov also served as First Deputy Chairman of MAPO-Bank and as an adviser to Moscow Aviation Industrial Enterprise's General Director. By the end of the decade, he became General Director of Gazprom Investholding, a role he held until 2014. Since 2006, USM Holdings has acquired stakes in mining companies and technology ventures. In 2015, USM invested $100 million in Virtus Pro, an esports organization.

Usmanov has also been an active technology investor. In 2009, he invested $200 million in Facebook, and when he sold his stake in 2012, he realized a return of about $1 billion. He has also invested in Apple, Airbnb, Groupon, and Alibaba. In media, he purchased the newspaper "Kommersant" in 2006 for $200 million, acquired a 50% stake in 7TV for $25 million, and bought a 75% stake in Muz-TV for $300 million. He later co-owned UTH, a media holding company that controls Muz-TV and 51% of Disney Russia.

Alisher Usmanov / Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Personal Life

In 1980, Usmanov was arrested and convicted of corruption, fraud, and theft of state property. He served six years of an eight-year sentence before being released, and in 2000, his conviction was vacated by the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, which declared the original case unjust and based on fabricated evidence.

Usmanov is Muslim. In 1992, he married Irina Viner, a Jewish rhythmic gymnastics coach. Viner has a son, Anton, from her first marriage, whom Usmanov adopted. Anton, born in 1973, is a real estate investor.

Dilbar – Yacht

Alisher Usmanov has been closely associated with two superyachts named Dilbar, after his mother. The first was delivered in 2008 at an estimated cost of $250 million. When a larger yacht was commissioned and completed in 2015 for a reported $800 million, the original vessel was renamed Ona and sold in 2018. The 2015 Dilbar remains one of the largest and most expensive yachts in the world, stretching more than 500 feet with space for dozens of guests and crew.

Although the yacht has often been described in media reports as "owned by Usmanov," representatives for the businessman maintain that Dilbar is held by an independent trustee of an irrevocable trust that was set up years ago for estate planning purposes. According to these statements, Usmanov has not been a beneficiary of the trust for some time and has no direct rights to its assets.

In March 2022, German authorities froze Dilbar under EU sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Officials carried out raids and searches connected to the vessel, though some of those actions were later ruled unlawful. In 2024, Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) deleted earlier social media posts that had incorrectly named Usmanov's sister as the yacht's legal owner. The situation has made Dilbar one of the most high-profile assets caught up in the wave of sanctions targeting Russian business figures.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Philanthropy

In 2021, Usmanov was named "the most generous 'Rich List' philanthropist" by "The Sunday Times" after donating more than £4 billion to charity over two decades. The Russian edition of "Forbes" named him "Philanthropist of the Year" in 2012. In 2006, he established the Art, Science and Sport Charity Fund, dedicated to supporting cultural, educational, and sporting initiatives. He has also served as a trustee of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russian Geographical Society, European University at St. Petersburg, and Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Usmanov has been awarded numerous state honors in Russia and Kazakhstan for his philanthropy and contributions to international cooperation.

Real Estate

Usmanov's holdings have included significant luxury real estate. In Italy, authorities froze his villa, Sa Piantesa, on the island of Sardinia after sanctions were imposed in 2022. In the UK, Beechwood House in London and Sutton Place in Surrey were also tied to trusts connected to Usmanov, though he has stated that he is not the beneficial owner.

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