Alisher Usmanov Biography: Wife, Age, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Companies, Sanctions

Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov, is a Russian-Uzbek billionaire and business magnate known for his extensive investments in metals, mining, telecommunications, and media.

As the founder of USM Holdings, he holds a 49% stake in Metalloinvest, Russia’s largest iron ore producer, and co-owns MegaFon, Russia’s second-largest mobile operator.

His wealth, built after the Soviet Union’s collapse, has made him one of Russia’s richest individuals, though his net worth has fluctuated due to sanctions and market volatility.

Profile

• Full Name: Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov
• Stage Name: Alisher Usmanov
• Born: September 9, 1953
• Age: 71 years old
• Birthplace: Chust, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union (now Uzbekistan)
• Nationality: Russian, Uzbek
• Occupation: Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Investor, Philanthropist
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Bourkhan Usmanov, Dilbar Usmanova
• Siblings: Bakhodir Usmanov, Saodat Narzieva
• Spouse: Irina Viner (m. 1992–2022)
• Children: Anton Viner
• Relationship: Single
• Net Worth: $16.7 billion

Early Life and Education

Alisher Usmanov was born on September 9, 1953, in Chust, Uzbek SSR, to Burhon Usmanov, a Tashkent prosecutor, and Dilbar Usmanova.

Raised in a Muslim family alongside his siblings whose names are Bakhodir Usmanov and Saodat Narzieva, he spent his childhood in Tashkent before moving to Moscow to pursue a diplomatic career.

He graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1976 with a degree in international law and later earned a master’s degree from the Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation.

Career

Usmanov began his career in the early 1990s, where he ventured into plastic bag production and tobacco trading before joining Gazprom Investholding as CEO from 1998 to 2014, managing complex financial transactions.

In 2006, he consolidated metallurgical assets into Metalloinvest, where he holds a 49% stake through USM Holdings, encompassing Mikhailovsky GOK, Ural Steel, Lebedinsky GOK, and Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant.

He co-owns MegaFon, Russia’s second-largest mobile operator, and Udokan Copper, a major copper deposit developer. His media ventures include owning Kommersant (purchased for $200 million in 2006) and stakes in Mail.ru Group, with early investments in Facebook, Alibaba, and Airbnb through DST.

Usmanov’s sports involvement is notable, having served as president of the FIE from 2008 until 2022, when he suspended his duties due to sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He founded the “For the Future of Fencing” charity in 2004 and expanded the Olympic fencing program to 12 disciplines.

His philanthropy includes donating $4.8 million to buy and return James Watson’s Nobel Prize medal, €1.5 million for Rome’s Basilica Ulpia restoration, and $5–10 million for Soviet cartoons donated to a Russian children’s channel.

In 2012, he announced plans to retire at 63, stepping back from active management in 2014 to focus on philanthropy, supporting Uzbekistan’s cultural projects like the Imam Bukhari International Research Center.

Sanctions imposed by the US, EU, UK, and Ukraine in 2022, citing alleged ties to Vladimir Putin, froze his assets, including the yacht Dilbar (which a Hamburg court in 2025 ruled he does not own).

Usmanov denied these allegations, and his appeal to lift EU sanctions was dismissed in February 2024, though the term “oligarch” was dropped, labeling him a “leading businessperson.”

In November 2024, German prosecutors dropped a money-laundering probe, requiring him to pay €4 million to charities and the state.

Social Media

Alisher Usmanov does not have any active social media accounts.

Personal Life

Usmanov married Irina Viner, a Jewish rhythmic gymnastics coach, in 1992 after meeting her in Tashkent during their teenage years.

They separated after Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion, reportedly for strategic reasons.

He has no biological children but adopted Viner’s son, Anton, a real estate investor born in 1973.

Usmanov’s sister, Saodat Narzieva, a gynecologist in Uzbekistan, was briefly sanctioned by the EU in 2022.

Net Worth

Alisher Usmanov’s net worth is estimated to be around $16.7 billion USD, per Forbes, ranking him 124th globally.

His wealth derives from USM Holdings (49% stake in Metalloinvest, MegaFon, Udokan Copper, Akkerman Cement), media assets like Kommersant, and past investments in tech giants.

Sanctions and market declines reduced his fortune by $7.29 billion in 2023, per Bloomberg.