Arkady Gaydamak: biography, activities, family

His name is surrounded by legends and rumors. He has the citizenship of four countries. He was charged with criminal cases and brought to justice. A businessman, politician, philanthropist, diplomat and a man with fantastic connections in foreign financial communities. His name is Arkady Gaydamak. Who is he really?

Arkady Gaydamak. Biography

Secrets around his name begin with the very moment of birth. It is still unknown where Arkady Gaydamak was born. According to some sources, this happened on April 8, 1952 in Moscow, other sources say that the birthplace of the future businessman was Berdichev. It is known that his childhood was spent in Ukraine.

At the age of twenty Arkady Gaydamak became an Israeli repatriate. At the same time, he had a new name - Arye Bar-Lev. Everything that happened to him in his young years in Israel is known only from his words. He lived in a kibbutz (settlement) and was engaged in agriculture. The next step in his career is a deck sailor on a tanker from Liberia. The same tanker also became his guide to a better life: Arriving in Marseilles, Arkady Gaydamak descended the ladder to the shore and did not go on board the tanker any more. France became his new homeland.

France

From Marseilles, along with the soldiers, who at that time did not check the documents, Arkady Gaydamak reached Paris by rail. It is here that he takes the first step in entrepreneurship. According to his own statement, in Paris he, working in a brigade of painters, enters the business of selling renovated residential real estate.

The entrepreneur invests all his income in his own education, becomes a student of the technical school, and after his graduation he is engaged in the translation of technical literature. Thanks to his diligence and promptness in the conduct of business, he soon manages to open a translation bureau. The business went well, Arkady Gaydamak acquired a vast clientele, and he had to use the services of hired workers to meet demand.

In the mid-seventies, a successful start-up entrepreneur invests in a new direction - the service of foreign delegations. It was this business that became for him a happy ticket in terms of new acquaintances and connections. His clients were heads of state structures of the USSR and large Western corporations. At this time, the business gained such momentum, which aroused the interest of counterintelligence in France. In 1982, he was summoned for questioning and put forward suspicions of cooperation with the KGB. In some media, it is suggested that it was because of this "conversation" that Arkady Gaydamak was recruited and became a double agent.

Business in the Union

In the middle of the eighties prosperous entrepreneur lost interest in the existing business. At this time, he begins cooperation with the Soviet Union, and succeeds in this. By 1987 Gaydamak Arkady Alexandrovich was a successful trader. His interests include trade in metals, coal and oil, which are sold to the West with high profitability. The businessman's income reaches seven-digit figures, he buys luxury real estate in England and France.

Angola. Scandal with the supply of weapons

Since 1992, Gaydamak has been supplying a large batch of oil equipment to Angola in exchange for local oil. At the same time, he becomes a citizen of Angola. Moreover, businessman Arkady Gaydamak is an adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country. In the mid-1990s, he oversees negotiations on the return of Angola's debt to the USSR.

In the sphere of interests of enterprising Gaydamak, the supply by the Soviet Union to Angola of arms also falls. In 2000, France initiates the investigation of this case, declares him wanted, and the businessman urgently leaves the country. In fairness, it should be noted that a year later the case was closed due to numerous procedural violations.

Business non-stop

After leaving France, Gaydamak chose Israel as his new residence. All this time, the assets of the entrepreneur have grown steadily. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Moscow Bank, chairman of the board of the Russian Credit Bank. According to some publications, Arkady Gaydamak owns a large uranium business in Kazakhstan, his property is Kazfosfat. The media often mentioned his diamond and oil business in Angola.

Does not leave the businessman without attention and the Russian market. In 2005, LLC "Agrosoyuz" appears, it is also credited with real estate business. "United Media" is a holding controlled by an entrepreneur. It includes the newspaper Business & FM, two radio stations, the weekly "Moscow News" and The Moscow News, the magazine "Popular Finance" and an advertising agency.

Political activity

As often happens in the business environment, entrepreneurs try to expand their spheres of influence through politics. Arkady Gaydamak was no exception. In the mid-2000s, it merged into the political life of Israel, creating the "Social Justice" movement. In 2007, the first congress of the party was held in the Israeli capital, Gaydamak said that he would fight for the government's resignation and lobby for the interests of the leader of the Likud party B. Netanyahu. Which, however, did not prevent Gaydamak from doing exactly the opposite: from the media reports of Israel of that period it is known that Gaydamak assisted Amir Peretz - the antipode and rival B. Netanyahu.

Later, in 2008, the beginning politician nominated his candidacy for the post of mayor of the Israeli capital, but fails miserably with elections, without even gaining 4% of the vote.

Criminal prosecution

In 2009, the French prosecutor's office demanded for Arcady Gaydamak six years of imprisonment and a fine of 5 million euros in the case of arms shipments to Angola.

In the same year, information was leaked to the press that the businessman asked for Russian citizenship. The Court of Paris in the fall of 2009 in absentia recognized Arkady Gaydamak as guilty of organizing illegal arms shipments to Angola between 1993 and 1998. And sentenced him to six years in prison. Nearly 40 people were convicted in this case, and the main defendant did not attend any court session. In 2011, the Court of Appeal lowered the threshold of punishment to three years.

In October 2009 it became known that the Israeli authorities presented the businessman with a charge of fraud, money laundering, collusion with bankers and concealment of incomes up to $ 200 million. After 3 years, the Israelis abandoned some of the articles of the charge in exchange for a partial confession of their own guilt, an additional payment of a fine of about $ 6,000 and a voluntary contribution of more than $ 800,000 to the state fund. Gaydamak went to such an agreement and pleaded guilty to taking advantage of wrongdoings.

Investment in sports

Living in Israel, the businessman became the owner of not only a number of enterprises. His interests went further. He buys shares of sports clubs. Gaydamak bought football club "Beitar", actively sponsors the basketball team "Hapoel". In 2013 he got the decision to get rid of the football club, having concluded a deal for his sale with businessmen from Russia and Kazakhstan. This caused a real riot of the fans. The fans organized rallies and picketed the courts. Under their pressure, a new agreement was concluded, according to which 75% of the "Beitar" passed to the former owner of "Hapoel" E. Tabibu, and 25% remained for the unification of the fans of the Israeli team.

In 2006, the son of businessman Alexander acquires a full stake in English "Portsmouth". The deal cost 32 million pounds. But already at the end of 2008 comes to the decision to sell the club. According to the millionaire, the reason for this decision is that he can not afford to give the club the necessary amount of time. The new owner of the team was a billionaire from the UAE Suleiman El-Fahim.

Connoisseur of art

Arkady Gaydamak - the owner of a large collection of antiques in Empire style. According to him, things in this style are the most natural for human life. In 2000 Gaydamak wrote the book "Russian Empire". The edition has received a high estimation of art critics of the world. Interest in this direction the businessman was born in his young years in Paris, because this style prevailed on the streets of the city. Arian Dondua had a great influence on the formation of Arkady Gaydamak's taste - a great decorator.

Relations with Levi Levayev

According to the public Internet library "Anticompromat", Haydamak Arkady in the 2000s worked closely with the Israeli "diamond king" Levi Levayev. In 2011, a black cat ran between partners. Gaydamak is suing for a gap in equity participation in diamond mining projects.

Gaydamak said that his business partner did not pay the commission and dividends earned on the diamond trade since 2004, while up to this point he received from Leviev average monthly payments of $ 3 million. Arkady Gaydamak demanded to recognize him and the defendant as equal partners. Levy Levayev, who, according to Forbes, ranks 782 in the world in terms of the size of his fortune, appealed the claim. In 2012, the London court granted the claim and recognized businessmen as equal partners, but left without satisfaction the claimant's claims for compensation of cash.

Personal life

Little is known about the private life of a businessman. Arkady Gaydamak, whose family consists of a wife and three children, does not make his private life a subject of public discussion. With his wife they were together since the seventies, although they were married only in 1980. In 1971, Alexander's son was born, in 1981 - daughter Ekaterina, in 1984 - Sofia. Today Gaydamak Jr. leads an independent business. Katia is a successful jewelery designer, and Sofia promotes the ornaments made by her sister to the market. On her shoulders is marketing and advertising. Arkady Gaydamak, whose wife belongs to the same faith as he, raised children in strict religious traditions.

The last information occasion given by a businessman is the wedding of Sonya's younger daughter. It was held in May 2015. Happy father Arkady Gaydamak, photo of whom, like the whole ceremony, a beautiful bride and guests, interested many, the organization of the event was not stingy. To conduct it near Tel Aviv, a whole small town was built. All the tables and columns were decorated with thousands of snow-white peonies and orchids. The wedding, according to family traditions, was held in accordance with religious canons.