STB international Media Centre

Viktor Pinchuk

Viktor Pinchuk is one of the wealthiest men on earth. Forbes places him in 2016 on 1476th place with real time net worth of USD 1.36 billion. He is married to Olena Pinchuk, the daughter of the former President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma. Together with his wife Victor owns one of the biggest media holdings in Ukraine Starlight Media. He founded “Interpipe” in 1990, a metallurgical mill company, controls several dozens of enterprises active in steel industry, wheel and tubular production (Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant, Nizhnednepropetrovsky Pipe Rolling Plant, “Dniprospetsstal”, etc.). Interpipe is among top 10 of the world’s largest seamless pipes’ producers and third largest producer of solid-rolled railways wheels in the world. In 2007 he founded EastOne Group, an international investment advisory group which provides services in investment management across the continent in various sectors. The company combines more than 20 businesses and large-scale projects which include Interpipe, media and banking sector (Credit Dnepr Bank). Viktor Pinchuk also owns a company ‘Impulse Group’ which was registered in 2001 and lists among its activities the following: wholesale of solid, liquid and gas fuels and similar products, wholesale of metals and metal ores, wholesale of waste and scrap, financial leasing and research and experimental development in the field of other natural and technical sciences.
According to media, he invests in Facebook and Twitter via American funds.
He owns a charity fund “Victor Pinchuk Foundation” which is a non-partisan philanthropic foundation active in education, healthcare and art. The foundation has two scholarship programmes Zavtra.ua (Tomorrow from Ukrainian) World Wide Studies, which provide young brilliant Ukrainians with opportunities to study in world’s best universities in fields of agriculture, environment and alternative energies, public administration/law and aerospace engineering. The Foundation also organizes public lectures and roundtables (Philanthropic Roundtable in Davos) with world renowned leaders and scholars. Medsanbat provides medical training to doctors in conflict zones and Cradle of Hope is a network of neonatal centers all across Ukraine. “PinchukArtCentre” supports artists and promotes artistic education.
Together with Volosyuk Viktor Mikhailovich Pinchuk owns TAVR Company which also belongs to TAVR Media, radio holding with the following radios: Hit-FM, Kiss-FM, Russkoe Radio Ukraina, Radio Relax, Radio Roks, Radio Melodia. TAVR company owns various radio companies – Liamin (100%), Mir (95%), Pilot (95%).
Viktor Pinchuk served two terms as a Member of the Parliament with the “Labour Ukraine” between 1998 and 2002. He was a member of Committee for economic policy, national economy management, ownership and investments during both convocations. In 2006 he supported election campaign “Viche” party (before the announcement of the off-year election in 2007 Inna Bogoslovska was a head of the party). Despite powerful sponsorship, the party didn’t enter the parliament.
He is known to keep close friendships with the Clintons, Sir Elton John and Tony Blair. Last year he was the largest individual contributor to the Clinton Foundation, and allegations were made that his company, Interpipe, conducted business with Iran, which he denies. In 2013 Pinchuk joined Giving Pledge, where he committed to giving more than half of this wealth back to his country and society. He and Kolomoyskyi were schoolmates.
Pinchuk was born in Kyiv in 1960.