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Bidzina Ivanishvili & family

Bidzina Ivanishvili & family

B. family
0% | + $0.00M
$2.7 B ₹ 24,770 Cr
Real Time Net Worth #1548 Ranking as of 01 Mar 2026 By Forbes

More on Bidzina Ivanishvili & family

Gender

Male

Age

70Y

Country

Georgia

Born On

February, 1956

Deceased

No

Relationship Status

Married

Children

4

Education

Unknown

Designation Info :

Self-Made

Yes

Entrepreneur Type

Self-Made (Investments)

Primary Organization

Georgian Dream

Titles

Founder & Honorary Chairman

Sources of Wealth

Diversified Investments

Industry

Investments, Metals, Banking, Politics

About Bidzina Ivanishvili & family


B idzina Ivanishvili is a Georgian politician and oligarch who is the country's richest person by a vast margin. He amassed his initial fortune in Russia during the 1990s, primarily in the banking and metals sectors. He co-founded Rossiysky Kredit Bank and built a portfolio of industrial assets, which he later sold for a significant profit before returning to his native Georgia.

Upon his return, Ivanishvili entered politics, forming the Georgian Dream coalition that won the 2012 parliamentary elections, leading him to become the Prime Minister of Georgia. He served for a year before stepping down, but he is widely considered to have remained the country's most powerful and influential figure, wielding immense power from behind the scenes as the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling party. He is also a major philanthropist in Georgia and a noted art collector, with a private collection said to include works by Picasso and Monet.

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Quick Reads


  • The richest person in the country of Georgia.
  • Made his fortune in banking and metals in Russia in the 1990s.
  • Served as the Prime Minister of Georgia from 2012 to 2013.
  • Founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, he is considered the country's de facto leader.
  • He is a major art collector and has funded numerous philanthropic projects in Georgia.

Early Life and Background


Born in 1956 in Chorvila, a poor village in the Imereti region of Georgia (then part of the USSR), Bidzina Ivanishvili is a Georgian billionaire and former politician who founded the ruling Georgian Dream party. His early life was marked by extreme poverty; he was the youngest of five children, and his father worked in a manganese factory. Ivanishvili famously recalled not having access to shoes as a child, a background that later endeared him to rural Georgians.

He was academically gifted, graduating from Tbilisi State University in 1980 with a degree in Engineering and Economics. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in economics in Moscow, completing his studies just as the Soviet Union began its massive privatization and collapse. This theoretical knowledge, combined with his humble roots, prepared him for the chaotic, high-stakes market that followed.

Career Journey of Bidzina Ivanishvili & family


Bidzina Ivanishvili’s career is a masterclass in capitalizing on the post-Soviet economic transition. He began in 1988 by starting a small computer cooperative, quickly moving into finance, banking, and metal trading. He amassed colossal wealth by acquiring cheap banking and metals assets during the privatization of Soviet-era state enterprises, notably founding Unikombank.

By 2002, Ivanishvili, having secured his multi-billion dollar fortune, left Russia and moved to France, becoming a French citizen. His greatest pivot came in 2012 when he entered Georgian politics, founding the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party. He successfully secured victory in the parliamentary election and served as the Prime Minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013. Although he frequently steps away from official political positions (resigning in 2013 and 2021), he remains the central de facto ruler of Georgia, using his immense wealth and influence to guide the country's political trajectory.

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Bidzina Ivanishvili & family's Timeline


Major Business Ventures and Investments


Bidzina Ivanishvili’s wealth is concentrated in his vast, liquid investment portfolio, accumulated from his successful sales of Russian banking and metals assets.

  • Russian Banking and Metals (Former Assets): The foundational source of his fortune, built on strategic acquisitions during the privatization era (including Unikombank and various metals interests).
  • Georgian Dream Party (Founder & Honorary Chairman): His primary political vehicle, which has ruled Georgia since 2012, providing him with immense national influence.
  • Art Collection: He is known for possessing a massive, high-value modern art collection, a significant private asset.
  • Real Estate and Philanthropy: His personal wealth is often deployed in large-scale, often eccentric, real estate and cultural projects in Georgia.

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Philanthropy and Social Impact


Bidzina Ivanishvili is a major philanthropic figure in Georgia, channeling billions of dollars into projects related to infrastructure, culture, and community development in his home country. His background in poverty fuels a strong, visible commitment to the rural poor, which helped secure his political support.

His philanthropy has been broad, funding everything from new infrastructure to the maintenance of cultural sites. His most significant social impact is his role in shaping Georgia’s post-Soviet political direction, using his wealth to create and lead a powerful political opposition force and eventually govern the country, a unique blend of business and national destiny.

Fashion, Style, and Lifestyle


Bidzina Ivanishvili maintains a discreet, highly controlled style, often favoring quality business attire and a publicly modest persona that contrasts with his immense wealth. His aesthetic is one of powerful, often reclusive, authority.

His lifestyle is famous for its eccentricity and privacy. His primary residence in Georgia is a massive, highly visible glass mansion built atop a hill overlooking Tbilisi, a dramatic architectural symbol of his wealth. He is a major art collector, owning works by masters like Picasso and Lucian Freud. His luxury is the political and financial power to reshape his country's trajectory, a life defined by a powerful, active engagement at the highest levels of national governance and global finance.

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Quotes and Philosophy


No publicly available quotes.

Fun Facts & Trivia


  • He was the Prime Minister of Georgia from 2012 to 2013.
  • He grew up in extreme poverty and recalled not having access to shoes as a child.
  • He is known for his eccentric glass mansion overlooking Tbilisi.
  • He made his fortune through strategic acquisitions in Russian banking and metals in the 1990s.
  • He holds a massive, high-value modern art collection.
  • He is a French citizen.
  • He frequently resigns and returns to official political roles, maintaining his influence as the de facto ruler of Georgia.

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Sources & References


This profile is compiled from verified biographical and financial records:

  • Wealth Data: Real-time tracking and historical data from Forbes Billionaires and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
  • Biographical Records: Educational and career history sourced from Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and official university alumni directories.
  • Regulatory Filings: Shareholder and executive disclosures from stock exchange databases, including HKEX, SSE, SZSE, and SEC EDGAR.
  • Corporate History: Primary data from annual company reports, founding charters, and verified press announcements.

All information is cross-referenced with public sources for accuracy; some narrative sections are AI-assisted summaries.

If you find any inaccuracies, please report them to admin@redcarpetlife.in

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