Andrey Melnichenko

A self made billionaire, Melnichenko has been in the limelight for his luxurious lifestyle and extravagant possessions. He owns two yachts, M/Y A and S/Y A. Both the yachts have been designed by Philippe Starck. He also owns a Boeing 737 BBJ.

He has a huge villa, Villa Altair, in Antibes which served as his wedding venue as well. The Melnichenkos also own Harewood Estate in Ascot, Berkshire in the United Kingdom.

Andrey Melnichenko was born on March 8, 1972 in Gomel, Belarus. Born as a Belorussian, he moved to Russia when he was young.

Melnichenko completed his early education from the Boarding School of the Specialized Education and Research Centre. The centre trains students to gain admission at the top universities in Russia.

He later enrolled at the School of Physics at Moscow State University but soon transferred himself to Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, graduating from the same in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Arts/Science with a major in Finance Credit.

Andrey Melnichenko started his career in currency exchange operating a number of booths in Moscow, but soon progressed to banking and finance, where his forte lay.

In 1993, Melnichenko co-founded MDM Bank and served as the Chairman of the Management Board until 1997. In 1997, he bought his partners’ share as well becoming the only shareholder of the institution. By 2003, MDM Bank had become one of Russia’s largest private sector banks.

From 2001 to 2005, Melnichenko chaired MDM Bank's board of directors. Expanding the horizons of his company further, Melnichenko co-founded the MDM Group in 2001 which comprised industrial assets which later formed Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) and the mineral and chemical Company EuroChem. From 2001 to 2004, he also served as the President of the MDM Group.

Apart from coal and mineral, Melnichenko also was one of the founders of TMK Pipe and Metallurgic Company. Within a short span of time, it became Russia’s largest manufacturer and exporter of steel pipes. Later in 2004, Melnichenko sold his part of the company shares in the London Stock Exchange.

Between 2004 and 2007, Melnichenko sold out all of his personally owned shares of the MDM Bank to his friend and partner Sergei Popov in a phased manner. Though his move was initially criticized, it was later revealed that he did this to focus his energy on the development of his industrial and energy assets—the fertiliser company EuroChem, the coal producer SUEK, and the Siberian Generating Company (SGC).

Though Andrey Melnichenko started his career in the field of banking and finance, it was with his establishment of the chemical and metallurgy industries that his career took a flight to the top.

His EuroChem Company is not only Russia’s largest fertilizer producer but also one of the world’s top producers of mineral fertilizers. What’s more, his SUEK (Siberian Coal Energy Company) Group currently holds the number one position as the coal producer in Russia. It also holds its place amongst the world’s top ranked coal companies. Melnichenko’s OOO Siberian Generating Company (SGK) has become the leading electric power generating company in Siberia.