Ivan Savvidis
Ivan Ignatyevich Savvidi | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 27, 1959 Santa, Tsalka District, Georgian SSR |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, politician |
| Known for | Owner of PAOK FC, former member of Russian Parliament, prominent Russian-Greek businessman |
Ivan Ignatyevich Savvidi (; born 27 March 1959), also referred to as Ivan Savvidis (), is a prominent Russian-Greek entrepreneur and ranks among the wealthiest individuals in Russia, maintaining close ties with President Vladimir Putin. He is often characterized as an oligarch and has held positions within the Russian Parliament. Forbes estimates his fortune at approximately $1.4 billion.
Biography
Born in Santa, Tsalka District, Georgian SSR, Savvidis is of Pontic Greek descent with family roots in Turkey. Raised in the Orthodox Christian faith and initially fluent only in Pontic Greek, he relocated to Rostov-on-Don at the age of 14. There, he completed secondary education, served as a sergeant in the Soviet Army, and was employed at the Don State Tobacco Factory. He earned a degree in logistics from the Rostov Institute of National Economy in 1988.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Savvidis briefly moved to Greece before returning to Rostov. In 1993, amid Russia’s privatization wave, he was appointed general director and became the majority shareholder (holding 75.71%) and chairman of OJSC Donskoy Tabak.
Forbes placed him as the 30th richest businessman in Russia in 2013. That same year, he acquired an 82% stake in SEKAP, a Greek tobacco firm. By 2017, Savvidis had diversified into media by purchasing a 19% share in Mega Channel (later divested), acquiring Pegasus Publications—which publishes Ethnos and Imerisia newspapers—and obtaining E Channel.
In March 2018, he divested from Donskoy Tabak and SEKAP, selling both to Japan Tobacco for $1.6 billion.
In February 2024, Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court confiscated Savvidis’ assets within its jurisdiction due to his ongoing backing of Russia’s military operations since 2014. The seized properties included shares in food packaging companies PentoPak and Atlantis-Pak. Subsequently, the State Property Fund of Ukraine auctioned PentoPak in May 2024 with an opening bid exceeding 203 million hryvnia (approximately €4.5 million).
Real estate
In February 2013, Savvidis took over management of the Macedonia Palace hotel located in Thessaloniki. He has also purchased several historic villas in Thessaloniki such as the Longos mansion and Villa Zardinidi. His investments in Porto Carras amount to around €500 million.
Political career
Savvidis was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rostov Oblast twice, in 1998 and again in 2003. That same year, he secured a seat as a Deputy in the State Duma, where he served as Deputy Chairman of the Budget Committee and Taxes. Re-elected in 2007 under the United Russia party banner, he remained active until 2011 on the Committee on International Affairs, led Interparliamentary Relations with the Hellenic Parliament, and held the position of Deputy Chairman on the Foreign Affairs Committee for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarusian Union.
He has publicly expressed support for the Greek political party Syriza and drew parallels between its leader, Alexis Tsipras, and Vladimir Putin.
Sports
Between July 2002 and July 2005, Savvidis served as President of FC Rostov. On 10 August 2012, he became owner of Greek football club PAOK, which secured his place on the Forbes list of global billionaires.
In 2015, Savvidis settled PAOK’s outstanding debts to the Greek government amounting to €10,886,811. Reflecting on this payment, he famously stated: "I had a cup of tea that cost me €10.8 million." Under his stewardship, PAOK FC has won two titles in the Super League.
Gun incident
On March 11, 2018, during the decisive PAOK versus AEK match of the 2017–2018 season, Ivan Savvidis attracted international attention. At the 90th minute, PAOK’s Fernando Varela headed a goal that was initially accepted but subsequently overturned for offside following protests. This ruling triggered turmoil on the field, with players from both sides engaging in confrontations. Savvidis entered the pitch accompanied by security personnel, instructing PAOK players to exit, and was notably carrying a revolver holstered at his waist. The referee and AEK players withdrew to the dressing rooms, resulting in the suspension of the match.
Images of Savvidis’s firearm circulated widely online, provoking significant criticism despite the weapon remaining secured.
Initially, Savvidis received a 25-month prison sentence suspended for three years due to unauthorized stadium access and possession of weapons. Sports authorities also enforced a three-year stadium ban alongside a €100,000 fine. Upon appeal, his sentence was reduced to an eight-month suspension over three years, with the conviction limited to possession of an item capable of causing bodily harm during a sporting event.
Claims of dual ownership
The rivalry between Savvidis and Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Olympiacos F.C., is particularly fierce; their combined financial influence exceeds that of other Greek football clubs and is considered a contributing factor to ongoing issues within Greek football. In 2019, a Marinakis-controlled television station accused Savvidis of clandestinely acquiring another Super League club, Xanthi F.C., allegedly breaching FIFA’s rules on club ownership. A government-appointed committee investigated these claims and in 2020 recommended relegation for both clubs involved.
This recommendation provoked demonstrations in Thessaloniki amid allegations of institutional favoritism toward Olympiacos. In response to political pressure, the government revised legislation to replace relegation penalties with point deductions ranging from five to ten points for such ownership infringements.
The matter proceeded to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which referred it back to the Appeals Committee. In 2021, the EPO Appeals Committee exonerated PAOK F.C. from all allegations.
Personal life and community involvement
Ivan Savvidis holds the position of President at the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia and was instrumental in creating a new administrative region for Greeks around the Black Sea through the World Council of Hellenes Abroad.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he provided nearly 487 rooms at his Porto Carras resort in northern Greece to shelter Ukrainian refugees.
He is married to Kyriaki Savvidi and they have two sons: George (Giorgi) and Nick (Nikolai).
National honors
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV class (21 February 2008) – recognition for contributions in legislative work, strengthening Russian statehood, and advancing Rostov-on-Don
- Order of Honour (13 December 2003) – awarded for professional accomplishments and many years of dedicated service
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II class (6 September 1999) – honoring efforts toward Rostov-on-Don’s socio-economic progress on its 250th anniversary
Church
- Awarded the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, Second Class (2009)
- Recipient of the Order of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, Third Class (2011)
- Honored as an Orthodox Knight of the Holy Sepulchre by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem under the Greek Orthodox Church
Public organizations
- Received the "Patron of the Year" Medal (1999–2009) in recognition of efforts to rejuvenate Russian culture and support the Rostov-on-Don area