Boris Berezovsky
1946 – 2013 Russian oligarch, power broker
Kingmaker oligarch of the Yeltsin years who helped raise Putin, then broke with him and died in British exile.
- Affiliations
- LogoVAZ, ORT, Sibneft
Boris Berezovsky was a mathematician turned businessman who built a fortune from car dealerships, the ORT television channel, and the Sibneft oil company he acquired cheaply with Roman Abramovich. He was one of the seven bankers who bankrolled Yeltsin's 1996 re-election and became a deputy secretary of the Security Council, wielding great political influence. He backed Vladimir Putin's rise, then broke with him over the new president's move against the oligarchs' power and fled to Britain. There he waged a long campaign against Putin, lost a costly lawsuit against Abramovich, and in 2013 was found dead near London in circumstances a coroner recorded as an open verdict.
Connections
- ally of Alexander Litvinenko — The former FSB officer he sheltered and funded in London.
- ally of Alexander Litvinenko — The oligarch who sheltered and funded him in London.
- associate of Boris Yeltsin — An oligarch insider in his circle who helped bankroll his 1996 re-election.
- associate of Roman Abramovich — Business partner in Sibneft who later beat him in a London court over their split.
- associate of Roman Abramovich — Former partner in Sibneft whom he defeated in a London court.
- associate of Vladimir Gusinsky — Fellow media oligarch of the Yeltsin era.
- rival of Vladimir Putin — Helped bring him to power, then broke with him and fled into exile.
- rival of Vladimir Putin — The oligarch helped bring him to power, then broke with him and fled into exile.
In the timeline
- 1995 Sibneft created and acquired by Berezovsky and Abramovich the co-acquirer
- 1996 Semibankirshchina, the 'seven bankers', named in the press one of the seven bankers
- 1996 Berezovsky named deputy secretary of the Security Council the appointee
- 1997 Berezovsky and Abramovich's consortium wins Sibneft mentioned
- 1999 Putin named prime minister of Russia mentioned
- 2000 Berezovsky breaks with Putin and leaves Russia the departing oligarch
- 2000 Boris Berezovsky flees into exile central figure
- 2001 Berezovsky loses control of ORT the ousted owner
- 2012 Berezovsky loses Abramovich lawsuit in London the losing claimant
- 2013 Berezovsky found dead near London the dead oligarch