He’s a Russian businessman, one of the leaders of an iconic global steel company that employs 125,000 people from around the world.
He has a net worth of $8 billion and his name is associated with some of the most talented business people in the world.
He has appeared so much in the news over the years, that most people think that they know everything there is to know about Alexander Abramov.
But here are four facts that you probably didn’t know about him:
He was born in a city that inspired the world of steel
Alexander Abramov now calls Moscow home, but he was born in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar in 1959, something which may have unconsciously propelled him to a career in steel imports.
We can imagine a young Abramov heading to his studies each day with the famous Shukhov Tower in the background.
The steel lattice hyperboloid tower was built by the Russian engineer and scientist Vladimir Shukhov in 1928. The unusual openwork metal structure is eye-catching, to say the least, and would have at least piqued the interest of Abramov.
He has a Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics
Before he became a multimillionaire by co-founding Evraz, one of the world’s largest steel and iron empires, Alexander Abramov was heading for a career in physics and mathematics.
In fact, he has a Ph.D. in these fields from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and he once headed a research lab.
But it took the collapse of the Soviet Union and the drying up of government funds to push him in a different direction. He founded a precursor to Evraz Holding in 1992 and the rest, as they say, is history.
He owns a piece of heaven in New Zealand
Alexander Abramov has a love affair with the small Oceanian country of New Zealand. So much so that he built the Helena Bay Lodge which, according to him, is a monument of his love for the country.
The Lodge is situated in the northeast corner of the North Island and boasts three miles of pristine, wilderness-like coastline and four private beaches.
Guests can enjoy a wide range of activities that include kayaking, fishing, clay shooting, and sophisticated bike riding.
So much love and attention have been given to Helena Bay Lodge, that National Geographic Traveler Magazine ranked it second equal in the World’s Top Rated Islands, Coastlines, and Beaches.
He Pays it Forward
For all his wealth and billions, Alexander Abramov doesn’t forget his roots. He came from a working-class family and life in academia certainly didn’t make him rich.
Although he is now worth billions, Abramov remembers to never take things for granted and pays it forward. He is well-known for his philanthropic activities and regularly donates to worthy causes.
In 2017, Russia awarded Abramov with the highly coveted Decoration for Beneficence in recognition of his public work and charity activity.
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