B oris Zingarevich is a Russian billionaire who co-founded and controls Ilim Group, one of Russia's largest timber and pulp and paper companies. He began his business career in the late 1980s with his brother, Mikhail, and longtime business partner, Zakhar Smushkin. They started by trading various goods before focusing on the timber industry during the post-Soviet privatization boom.

Through a series of acquisitions, often complex and contentious, they consolidated control over a number of major pulp and paper mills, creating the Ilim Pulp Enterprise. A key strategic move came in 2007 when they formed a 50/50 joint venture with the American paper giant International Paper, which brought in capital and international expertise, creating the modern Ilim Group. The company is now a dominant force in the Russian forestry sector, with vast timber leases and massive production facilities. Zingarevich's fortune is derived from his large stake in this powerful pulp and paper enterprise.