Early Life and Education
Bidzina Ivanishvili was born on February 18, 1956, in the village of Chorvila, Georgia. He grew up in a poor family, where his father worked in a manganese factory. Ivanishvili attended Tbilisi State University, graduating in 1980 with a degree in engineering and economics. He later pursued a PhD in economics at the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering.
Rise to Success
Ivanishvili started his business career in 1988 in the Soviet Union, founding a cooperative. He partnered with Vitaly Malkin to sell computers and push-button telephones in Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he acquired banking and metal assets during the privatization of state assets. In 2002, he moved to France and became a French citizen.
Political Career and Achievements
In 2011, Ivanishvili entered Georgian politics by founding the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party. He won the 2012 parliamentary election and served as Prime Minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013. During his time as Prime Minister, key policies included a Universal Healthcare Program, prison reform, and improved relations with the EU and Russia. Ivanishvili has also been involved in charitable activities, including donating to the StopCoV Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philanthropy
Ivanishvili and his wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze founded the Cartu International Charity Foundation in 1995. He has donated over $3 billion to charity. In January 2021, Ivanishvili donated 90% of his material assets, worth $1.5 billion, to the Cartu Charity Foundation.
