Early Life and Education
Rinat Leonidovych Akhmetov was born on September 21, 1966, in Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR. He is of Volga Tatar descent. His father was a coal miner, and his mother was a shop assistant. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Donetsk National University in 2001.
Rise to Success
Akhmetov's career began in the 1990s during the privatization era. He founded ARS, a company processing coal into coke, in 1992. He later became the president of Dongorbank in 1995. In 2000, he founded System Capital Management (SCM), which became the largest diversified financial and industrial group in Ukraine. SCM's main areas of interest and activities are metallurgy, coal mining, power generation, telecommunications, and banking. He is the sole proprietor of SCM since 2009.
Key Business Strategies
Akhmetov's key business strategy involves investments in core sectors such as metals and mining, energy, and finance. SCM's portfolio includes over 250 companies employing approximately 150,000 people. Metinvest (mining and metallurgical business) and DTEK (energy industry) are among his main assets. Akhmetov has been involved in the development of large-scale industrial facilities and has expanded SCM's operations across various countries.
Philanthropy
Akhmetov is known for his extensive philanthropic activities. He established the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation (formerly the Foundation for Development of Ukraine) in 2005. The Foundation focuses on healthcare, education, social welfare, and sports development. Since 2014, the Foundation has provided 13 million food kits and other aid to the residents of Ukraine. The Foundation has channeled over $315 million to help Ukraine.
