Early Life
Yuri Milner was born on November 11, 1961, in Moscow, into a Jewish family. His father was a director at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and his mother worked at a virology laboratory. Milner studied theoretical physics at Moscow State University, graduating in 1985.
Rise to Success
After graduating, Milner began his career selling DOS computers. In 1990, he became the first non-emigre from the Soviet Union to study at the Wharton School of Business. He worked at the World Bank before entering the Russian financial sector. In 1999, Milner founded NetBridge, an investment firm focused on Russian internet companies, which later merged to form Mail.ru. He moved to Israel and became a citizen in 1999. In 2005, he founded Digital Sky Technologies (DST), later renamed DST Global, which became a leading global tech investment firm. DST Global invested in several prominent tech companies, contributing significantly to Milner's wealth.
Key Business Strategies
Milner's investment strategy focused on identifying and backing promising internet companies, often in their late stages. His early investments in Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, and Airbnb were key to his success. DST Global’s approach involved investing in companies with high growth potential and a global reach. Milner often took a hands-off approach, assigning voting rights to founders.
Philanthropy
Milner is actively involved in philanthropy, primarily through the Breakthrough Prize Foundation and the Breakthrough Initiatives. He and his wife, Julia, have pledged to donate at least half of their wealth. They also launched Tech for Refugees, pledging $100 million to help Ukrainian refugees.
