A ndrei Kosogov is a Russian billionaire financier and one of the three original co-founders of Alfa Group, one of Russia's largest privately owned financial-industrial conglomerates. A graduate of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, he joined his college friends Mikhail Fridman and German Khan to start the business in the late 1980s. While Fridman and Khan were the more public faces of the group, Kosogov was a key behind-the-scenes figure, particularly in the development of its financial services arm.
He was instrumental in the creation and management of Alfa-Bank, which grew to become Russia's largest private bank. He also played a key role in the group's asset management and investment businesses. Like his partners, a significant portion of his wealth was derived from the lucrative sale of their joint stake in oil company TNK-BP to Rosneft in 2013. Following the imposition of Western sanctions on his partners after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Kosogov, who was not initially sanctioned, took formal control of Alfa-Bank to distance it from its sanctioned owners.
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Born in 1961 (in Estonia, then part of the USSR), Andrei Kosogov is a Russian financial powerhouse and a key co-founder of the Alfa Group Consortium and LetterOne. His background is rooted in deep technical rigor. He graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. This training gave him a strong analytical foundation, which he quickly recognized needed to be applied to the emerging capitalist market.
Kosogov subsequently complemented his technical degree with an MBA from Harvard Business School, a rare and powerful achievement for a Russian businessman of his generation. This combination of Soviet-era engineering discipline and elite Western financial training made him an ideal partner for the founders of the Alfa Group, positioning him as the strategic mind capable of integrating complex business operations and technology across vast, diversified holdings.
Andrei Kosogov's career is synonymous with the rise of the Alfa Group, one of Russia’s largest and most diversified private financial-industrial conglomerates. He joined the group early, becoming a trusted co-founder and strategic partner. He played key executive and supervisory roles across Alfa's most successful ventures, including serving as Chairman of the Board for Alfa-Bank Ukraine and Alfa Asset Management.
His most significant contribution was overseeing the strategic expansion and governance of Alfa's telecom subsidiary, Altimo, where he was responsible for the massive cellular network operator VimpelCom (now Veon). This period saw VimpelCom grow into one of the world's largest integrated telecommunications companies. Later, he was a key co-founder of LetterOne, an international investment firm established in 2013 to manage the financial assets of the Alfa Group founders on a global scale. This role allows him to strategically manage billions in international investments across energy, technology, and telecom, cementing his reputation as a global financial heavyweight.
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Born (in Estonia).
Graduates from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute (B.S. in Engineering).
Earns an MBA from Harvard Business School; joins the founding partners of the Alfa Group.
Serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa-Bank Ukraine.
Co-founds LetterOne, the international investment firm.
Serves as a Board Member of LetterOne and a key member of the Supervisory Board of the Alfa Group Consortium.
Received Russia’s Medal of Honour for charitable work related to childhood mental health.
Andrei Kosogov’s massive wealth is directly tied to his equity stake in the Alfa Group Consortium and his key leadership role in its international investment arm, LetterOne.
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Andrei Kosogov's philanthropy is targeted and focused on societal health issues. He received Russia's Medal of Honour for his charitable work related to childhood mental and neurological illnesses. This recognition highlights a significant, specific commitment to a sensitive area of public health, moving beyond generic support to address complex social and medical challenges.
His involvement with the Alfa Group foundations also ensures widespread corporate giving across education and culture in Russia and Ukraine. However, his personal Medal of Honour for focused health work remains a powerful indicator of his private commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable children, reflecting a compassionate use of his considerable resources.
Andrei Kosogov projects the sophisticated, high-level style of a global financial strategist. His wardrobe is consistently elegant and conservative, featuring perfectly tailored European suits and high-end accessories suitable for global financial hubs like London and New York, where LetterOne operates. His style is designed to convey absolute confidence, financial power, and stability.
His lifestyle is that of a powerful, well-connected investor. He travels globally, leveraging his private capital to make strategic investments in energy and technology. His ability to move seamlessly between the academic rigor of Harvard Business School engagements and the high-stakes world of multi-billion dollar telecom deals defines his existence. His luxury is the strategic control he maintains over vast international capital flows, a consequence of his technical mind and financial savvy.
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+0.21% | +$7.14M
-0.01% | -$0.23M
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