• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Ukraine invasion

Meet Russia’s richest man who just transferred $1 billion of his empire to his wife

By
Tristan Bove
Tristan Bove
Contributing Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tristan Bove
Tristan Bove
Contributing Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 3, 2022, 3:27 PM ET

The hits are coming in fast and heavy for Russia’s oligarchs, and some of them might be coming up with creative ways to hold on to their wealth.

In a recent public filing submitted to the U.K. government on Wednesday, Russian mining company Nordgold revealed that majority owner Alexey Mordashov, billionaire businessman and potentially the richest man in Russia, secretly transferred his entire stake in Nordgold, around $1.1 billion,  to his wife, Marina Mordashova, in an effort to divest himself of assets vulnerable to E.U. sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs.

The businessman was placed on the EU’s latest list of sanctions targeting specific Russian oligarchs on Monday.

Mordashov is Russia’s richest man, according to Forbes’ annual billionaires’ list, with a family net worth clocking in at slightly more than $29 billion. Mordashov made his wealth primarily as the largest shareholder and chairman of Severstal, Russia’s fourth largest steelmaker by production volume. Nordgold was established in 2007 as a subsidiary of Severstal.

Nordgold did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

The Nordgold filing in Britain revealed that Marina Mordashova now holds over 50% of the company’s shares, and also disclosed that Alexey Mordashov had been terminated from his role as company director, effective Wednesday.

It’s been a tough week for Mordashov and family, since the latest round of sanctions was released. On Wednesday, the businessman also stepped down from the board of another company he held major stocks in, German tour operator Tui.

Mordashov resigned voluntarily from Tui’s board, and the company explained his decision in a statement. “The aim of the EU sanctions is to prevent Mr. Mordashov from disposing of his shares in TUI AG,” the company said. “This is to prevent Mr. Mordashov from realizing any proceeds or profits from his investment in TUI.”

The EU sanctions being levied on Mordashov prohibit him from reaping any benefits from companies listed in European stock exchanges. His share and equity holdings will also be frozen, and he will lose rights to any eventual shareholder dividends.

In a statement presenting the latest round of sanctions, the EU stated that Mordashov was targeted because of his connections with television stations which “actively support the Russian government’s policies of destabilization of Ukraine.” Other alleged transgressions of Mordashov’s businesses that the EU said justified the sanctions include business dealings in Crimea, a proclaimed “independent territory” in southern Ukraine that Russia invaded in 2014, and owning stock in Bank Rossiya, the “personal bank of senior officials of the Russian Federation.”

Mordashov’s business interests outside of tourism and mining include media, energy and engineering projects, and private investments through Severstal’s parent company, Severgroup.

Sanctions imposed on Mordashov may make it impossible for Severstal to repay a $800 million bond, after Citigroup, the steelmaker’s correspondent bank, asked the company to receive a special authorization from a U.S. sanction enforcement agency before resuming its payments according to the Financial Times. Mordashov is so far not on any U.S. sanctions list, which is why Severstal did not already possess these authorizations.

Severstal is said to be in the process of applying for all the required licenses and regulatory procedures, but an inability to pay off its debts could make it the first Russian company to default since sanctions were put in place.

The oligarch also holds some more tangible assets that he may want to keep a close eye on, including a Bombardier Global 6000 private jet, a line of aircraft valued at around $62 million, and a $500 million yacht last spotted cruising around the Seychelles.

European authorities have been seizing the physical assets of Russian oligarchs like yachts and jet planes since sanctions first came into effect, with German officials recently claiming a 500-foot super yacht worth nearly $600 million from Alisher Usmanov, Russia’s sixth richest man.

Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.
About the Author
By Tristan BoveContributing Reporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in International

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
Investing
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.