Born in 1972 in Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, Andrey Melnichenko is an Emirati-Russian billionaire who built his fortune in the essential commodities of coal and fertilizer. The son of a Belarusian father and a Ukrainian mother, both teachers and academics, Melnichenko showed an early aptitude for science, attending the prestigious Advanced Education and Science Centre of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

In 1989, he enrolled in the Faculty of Physics at Moscow State University. However, his life trajectory was fundamentally altered by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Recognizing the immense economic shifts, he dropped out of college to pursue entrepreneurship. His first venture was opening a chain of profitable currency exchange booths on his university campus. This immediate, high-risk entry into the financial market provided the seed capital and the ruthless commercial knowledge necessary to found his first major enterprise, a bank, just two years later.

Andrey Melnichenko's first major success came in 1993 with the founding of MDM Bank, which grew quickly to become one of Russia's most dynamic and successful private banks. This banking success provided the necessary capital and infrastructure for his major strategic pivot in the early 2000s: consolidating Russia's distressed industrial assets in the fertilizer and coal sectors.

He founded and controlled two colossal, vertically integrated companies: EuroChem Group (a leading global fertilizer producer) and SUEK (the Siberian Coal Energy Company, one of the world's largest coal energy companies). Over 15 years, his companies invested some $23 billion in modernizing these operations, turning Soviet-era assets into low-cost, high-efficiency, global commodity giants. In March 2022, following international sanctions, Melnichenko stepped down as non-executive director and his wife, Alexandra Melnichenko, became the beneficiary of the trust that holds the family's controlling stakes, ensuring the generational continuity of their wealth.

Andrey Melnichenko's philanthropy is primarily channeled through his focus on science, education, and art. His commitment to education reflects his own academic background, often supporting programs that foster scientific talent and excellence in Russia.

His companies, EuroChem and SUEK, contribute massively to the global economy by providing essential fertilizers for agriculture and energy for power generation, employing over 100,000 people. The SUEK group, in particular, has invested heavily in modernizing its coal mining operations for safety and environmental compliance, including building systems to capture coal mine methane for power generation under the Kyoto Protocol. While personal giving details are often private, his dedication to the arts, evidenced by his world-class art collection, marks him as a high-level cultural patron.

Andrey Melnichenko's lifestyle is the definition of ultra-high-end global luxury, characterized by extravagant, cutting-edge private assets. His style is typically high-end, European casual, favoring expensive but comfortable designer wear, often seen in environments like the French Riviera or his residence in the UAE.

His most famous luxury symbols are his superyachts. The Sailing Yacht A (SY A), with its futuristic design, and the Motor Yacht A (MY A), are considered some of the largest and most technologically advanced private vessels ever built. He maintains multiple international residences, including a residence in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and a significant Impressionist art collection. His life is one of intense global mobility, commanding immense industrial empires while indulging in the most sophisticated forms of luxury leisure and high culture.