About Suleyman Kerimov
Suleyman Abusaidovich Kerimov (Russian: Сулейма́н Абусаи́дович Кери́мов; Lezgian: Керимрин Абусаидан хва Сулейман; born 12 March 1966) is a Russian billionaire, oligarch, philanthropist and politician of Lezgin descent. Kerimov maintains close ties to Vladimir Putin's administration in Russia, and formerly enjoyed a close relationship with Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman of Chechnya. More recently, Kerimov and Kadyrov have fallen out. He entered politics in the 1990s. By 1999, he had gained control of Nafta Moskva, a former state oil trader. In the 2000s, Kerimov secured billions of dollars in loans from major Russian state‑owned banks, such as Sberbank and VTB. Through these loans, he acquired substantial stakes in Gazprom and Uralkali, as well as Sberbank. By 2008, his fortune had reached $21 billion, although by 2022 it had declined to $11 billion. Since 2008, Kerimov has represented the Republic of Dagestan in the Federation Council of Russia. In 2011, he bought the football club FC Anzhi Makhachkala, which subsequently made a series of high‑profile signings. The club acquired Samuel Eto'o, making him the highest‑paid player in the world. In 2013, Kerimov drastically and abruptly reduced the team's funding, leading to a firesale of players. In April 2018, he was placed under sanctions by the United States Department of the Treasury. In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kerimov was sanctioned as a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Putin by the US, the UK and the EU on 15 March 2022. Suleiman Kerimov has been the subject of scrutiny in the United States for a number of years. In April 2022, Kerimov's son Said Kerimov resigned from the board of Polyus Gold and the family sold its stake in the company, valued at $6.3 billion, thereby relinquishing the position of majority shareholder. By 1999, he won control of Nafta Moskva, a former state-oil trader. Fedprombank financed lagging industries and Kerimov and his associates soon became creditors to large utility companies, allowing them to continue to provide key services. Later, Kerimov's son Said became the sole beneficiary of the said trusts. Kerimov has close ties to Vladimir Putin's government in Russia, and used to have close ties to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen strongman. Recently, Kerimov and Kadyrov have been at odds.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.