Biography
Vladimir Potanin acquired a stake in Norilsk Nickel during Russia's privatization in 1995; today he owns just over a third of the company. Potanin served as deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin and maintains ties with President Vladimir Putin. Potanin spent $2.5 billion developing Rosa Khutor, a ski resort, snowboard park and freestyle skiing center for the 2014 Olympics; he still has a stake in it. In the spring of 2022, he bought Rosbank from Societe Generale, which stopped business in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, and 35% of Tinkoff Bank from its founder Oleg Tinkov. Potanin and his Rosbank were sanctioned by U.S. in December 2022. Potanin and his ex-wife continue to battle over assets in UK Court in what could be one of the biggest divorce settlements in history.