Andrei Skoch

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch
Born	(1966-01-30) January 30, 1966 Nikolskoye, Moscow region, Russia
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Partial proprietor of a steel manufacturing company; Member of the State Duma since 1999

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch (, born 30 January 1966) is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and partial proprietor of a steel manufacturing company. Recognized by Forbes as one of Russia's wealthiest individuals, he has appeared in the publication's The World's Billionaires list since 2012. Skoch has served as a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation since 1999.

Early life

Skoch was born on 30 January 1966 in Nikolskoye, located in the Moscow region. In 1984, he fulfilled his military service in the Soviet Army.

He pursued higher education at the Institute of Physical Culture, where he successfully defended his dissertation. Later, in 1998, he graduated from the Faculty of Psychology at Moscow State University for Humanities named after M. A. Sholokhov.

Career

During the late 1980s, Skoch embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by launching a bakery in partnership with Lev Kvetnoi. Subsequently, he engaged in trading computer hardware and owned enterprises involved in fuel distribution. He held the position of Deputy General Director at "Kuznetsov and Partners LLC".

In 1995, he assumed the role of Deputy General Director at the investment firm "Interfin". His professional experience also includes work at MontazhSpetsBank before forming a business alliance with billionaire Alisher Usmanov within the metals sector.

Skoch's acquaintance with Usmanov dates back to 1995 when he was employed as an oil trader at the bank. Alongside Lev Kvetnoi, they acquired Lebedinsky Mining and a steel production facility situated in Belgorod.

By 1999, Skoch occupied the Deputy General Director role at JSC Lebedinsky GOK. In 2006, following Usmanov's acquisition of Mikhailovsky GOK, the Metalloinvest holding was established by merging it with Lebedinsky Mining. Skoch continues as a stakeholder, possessing a 30% share of Metalloinvest, though ownership is reportedly registered under his father Vladimir’s name.

In 2016, Skoch was among the parliamentary members identified in the Panama Papers. In April 2018, he was subjected to sanctions imposed by the United States alongside 23 other Russian nationals.

Political career

Skoch entered politics in 1999 as a deputy of the State Duma during its third convocation representing the Belgorod region. The following year, he was appointed Chairman of the Expert Council on Metallurgy and Mining Industry and defended his thesis focusing on charity as a form of social protection for children.

He secured election to the State Duma IV convocation in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007 under the United Russia party list. Since 2012, he has been affiliated with an inter-factional deputy group dedicated to upholding Christian values. His tenure continued through subsequent convocations VI (2011), VII (2016), and VIII (2021), serving as a United Russia representative from Belgorod region with support amounting to 63.9% of votes.

Between 1999 and 2019, Skoch co-authored a total of 163 legislative proposals and amendments. By late 2022, he ranked among the top 130 most productive parliamentarians, securing the 128th position according to a 'Usefulness Coefficient' metric based on voting participation and expert evaluations.

Charity

In 2000, Skoch initiated the independent literary accolade known as "Debut," which remained active until 2016. Beginning in 2005, he took charge of organizing the International youth seminar «New Generation», which had been conducted 33 times by 2022.

He founded the humanitarian Pokolenie ("Generation") Foundation, dedicated to assisting cultural professionals, researchers, large families, World War II veterans, elderly individuals, and supporting healthcare institutions within Belgorod Oblast. Additionally, the foundation contributes to the preservation and restoration of military burial sites.

In 2007, Skoch contributed 3,000 VAZ-2105 vehicles valued at 260 million rubles to veterans in the Belgorod region. By 2012, the foundation had supplied 51 ambulances to local medical centers and restored Soviet Army cemeteries in Hungary, identifying more than a thousand soldiers and establishing a commemorative monument.

The foundation also donated VAZ-2104 cars to 180 large families in Belgorod in 2013. Overall, Skoch has provided donations exceeding $117 million, which include financing for the restoration of war memorials across Russia. Through Pokolenie, he also supported the Debut Prize awarded to Russian authors under the age of 25.

By 2023, the foundation had invested over 15 billion rubles into a variety of philanthropic initiatives.

Controversies and sanctions

Due to alleged connections with organized crime and his position as a Duma deputy, Skoch was listed on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions roster targeting Russian oligarchs closely associated with the Kremlin amid geopolitical tensions. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions on Skoch on 23 February 2022 for backing the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics—actions considered to compromise Ukraine’s sovereignty. Subsequently, on 15 March 2022, the United Kingdom enforced an asset freeze and travel ban against him for comparable reasons.

Personal life

Skoch is a father to ten children, including quadruplets born in 1994, along with a daughter named Varvara. As of early 2022, he is also a grandfather. His father, Vladimir Nikitovich Skoch, served for many years at the Salute engineering plant and was honored with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour as well as the "Labour Veteran" medal. After securing election to the State Duma, Andrei Skoch transferred his ownership stake in "Interfin" to his father, who additionally holds shares in Vnukovo Airport and possesses a 30% interest in USM.

Wealth

Bloomberg estimated Skoch’s net worth at $6.3 billion as of February 2021. Forbes placed him at number 288 on its 2021 World's Billionaires List, valuing his family fortune at approximately $8.6 billion.

Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Net worth (billion USD)	3.9	4.2	7.9	8.2	5.7	5.3	6.9	4.9	5.2	6.3	8.8	4.7	7.9
Rank (Russia)	29	28	19	18	18	18	17	23	22	19	21	26	20

Skoch is the owner of the £100 million yacht Madame Gu and enlisted a British public relations agency to manage narratives concerning its ownership. His charitable contributions exceed $117 million and include funding for Russian war monument restorations.

Honours

• Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd Class (14 November 1998) – awarded for efforts in social rehabilitation and advocacy for the rights of disabled individuals.
• Medal of the Order "For Services to the Fatherland," 1st Degree (13 February 2003) – in recognition of professional accomplishments and long-standing diligent work.
• Presidential Gratitude of the Russian Federation (21 October 2009) – granted for effective legislative contributions and public service.
• Order of Honour (13 December 2010) – bestowed for dedication to preserving the legacy of Russian and Soviet soldiers in China and active involvement in charitable initiatives.
• Order of Honour (South Ossetia, 29 May 2011) – awarded for promoting interethnic friendship and cooperation, charitable endeavors, and support of socially important projects within South Ossetia.
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (2016) – recognizing efforts to restore monuments dedicated to Russian and Soviet soldiers located in Belgorod Region, China, and Hungary.
• Certificate of Merit from the Government of the Russian Federation (2019) – honoring significant input into Russian parliamentary development and proactive legislative work.
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd Class (November 2024) – for enhancing parliamentary processes, legislative accomplishments, and many years of committed service.

See also

• List of Russian billionaires