Alexander Mamut
Alexander Mamut | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1960 Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, lawyer, banker, investor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Co-ownership of Rambler Group, ownership of SUP Company, acquisition of Waterstones |
Alexander Leonidovich Mamut (; born 29 January 1960) is a billionaire entrepreneur, lawyer, banker, and investor with Russian-Israeli citizenship. Up until 2020, he held co-ownership of the Rambler Group. As of June 2022, Forbes valued his fortune at approximately $2 billion.
Early life and education
Mamut was born in Moscow to Leonid Solomonovich Mamut, a legal professional who contributed to drafting the Russian Constitution, and Cicilia Ludwigovna, a defense lawyer by profession. He completed his secondary education at Moscow gymnasium #17 in 1977 and subsequently graduated with a law degree from Moscow State University in 1982.
Career
Mamut's career commenced with a role as legal counsel at a printing enterprise. In 1990, he co-established "Business and Cooperation" Bank, which was renamed in 1991 to Commercial Bank "Imperial". This institution catered primarily to clients within the fuel and energy industries such as Gazprom and Lukoil, playing a pivotal role in financing associated companies throughout the 1990s.
That same year, he launched ALM-Consulting, a law firm where he acted as Managing Partner until 1993. ALM Consulting collaborated with London-based Frere Cholmeley Bischoff to create offshore entities for corporate clientele. Among its prominent clients were oligarchs including Alisher Usmanov, Roman Abramovich, and Boris Berezovsky. Notably, ALM employed Igor Shuvalov, who later ascended to influential government positions.
Throughout the 1990s, Mikhail Kasyanov from the Russian Ministry of Finance provided backing for Mamut’s business initiatives. In 1993, Mamut founded the Design Bureau "Company of Project Financing" (KOPF), serving as CEO until 1998. KOPF played an instrumental role in supporting Boris Yeltsin’s successful 1996 presidential campaign. Additionally, Mamut co-founded Sedmoy Continent and invested in ALM Development up until 2001.
Between 1999 and 2002, Mamut headed Moscow Business World (MDM-Bank) as chairman. He also advised Alexander Voloshin, who was chief of the Russian presidential administration from 1998 to 1999. In May 1999, Mamut joined Sobinbank’s board of directors.
In 2008, his investment company "A&NN" acquired full ownership of Evroset from founders Evgeniy Chichvarkin and Timur Artemiev; by October that year, nearly half of the company was sold to VimpelCom. The following year, he gained majority control over Spar Moscow Holding and purchased the Torpedo-ZIL football club for $1. His investments expanded to Nomos-Bank in 2011 and included significant holdings in insurance firm Ingosstrakh, investment bank Troika Dialog, mining company Polymetal International, and construction giant PIK Group.
Media
In 2006, Mamut established SUP Company and acquired LiveJournal Russia in 2007.
After meeting James Daunt in May 2011, Mamut purchased UK bookstore chain Waterstones through Capital Fund Management Limited—a subsidiary of A&NN—for roughly $66 million. Daunt was appointed managing director, succeeding Dominic Myers. By April 2018, Mamut sold a controlling interest to Elliott Advisors, valuing Waterstones at $250 million; Elliott retained Daunt as CEO. In August 2019, Elliott acquired Barnes & Noble and appointed Daunt CEO of both retailers, relocating him from London to New York.
In December 2012, Mamut became sole proprietor of SUP Media. He acquired Lenta.ru in 2013 and by 2014 served as chairman of Rambler&Co, a Russian news platform. That year, he replaced Lenta.ru’s editor Galina Timchenko with a journalist aligned with Kremlin perspectives following contentious editorial decisions.
In 2016, Mamut purchased sports betting operator Rambler and later sold a 46.5% stake to Sberbank in December 2019 amid an intellectual property dispute. A&NN diversified into cinema by acquiring Moscow art-house theaters "Pioneer" (2008) and Khudozhestvenny (2016), followed by movie chains Cinema Park and Formula Kino in 2017.
By 2020, Mamut divested his remaining shares in Rambler to Sberbank, which then assumed full ownership. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, reports indicated Mamut left Russia after liquidating most assets except for his apartment. As of January 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.3 billion and noted his residence is in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Personal life
Mamut is a widower following his second marriage and is a father to five children. As of 2016, his primary residence was in Moscow, Russia, while he also maintained a secondary home in Kensington, London. He possesses a yacht and has contributed £200,000 to Eton College.