Leonid Nevzlin

Leonid Nevzlin
Leonid Nevzlin
Born	Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin; September 21, 1959 (age 67); Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist
Years active	1981–present
Known for	High-level positions at Group Menatep and Yukos, co-owner of Haaretz newspaper, philanthropy
Notable work	Coauthor of "Man with a Ruble"

Leonid Borisovich Nevzlin (; ; born 21 September 1959) is a Russian entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and formerly recognized as a Russian oligarch.

Nevzlin occupied high-level positions within Group Menatep and its affiliate, the Yukos Oil Company. Following the Russian government's seizure of Yukos in 2003 and the subsequent targeting of its leadership, Nevzlin was tried in absentia in 2008, found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2014, the Permanent Court of Arbitration sided with Nevzlin and other Yukos shareholders, condemning Russia’s actions as an "unrelenting campaign to dismantle Yukos and seize its assets."

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nevzlin renounced his Russian citizenship, expressing his opposition to the regime. He also holds Israeli nationality.

Professional career

Between 1981 and 1987, Nevzlin was employed as a software engineer at Zarubezhgeologia under the Soviet Ministry of Geology. In 1987, he partnered with Mikhail Khodorkovsky at the Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of the Youth (MENATEP), which was affiliated with Moscow's Komsomol committee.

MENATEP established one of Russia’s earliest private banking institutions, Bank Menatep. Nevzlin acted as its president from 1989 until 1991, later assuming roles as vice chairman (1993–1996) and head of public relations (1994–1996). He also held executive positions at Group Menatep, concentrating on corporate communications, government affairs, and human resources. In April 1996, following Menatep's acquisition of a 78% stake in December 1995, he was appointed vice president of Yukos.

From September 1997 to October 1998, Nevzlin served as first deputy director general of the ITAR TASS news agency, managing plans to transform it into a joint-stock company. In April 1998, he became first vice chairman of Bank Menatep; by 1999, he was first vice chairman on Yukos’s board. Between November 2001 and March 2003, he represented the Republic of Mordovia in the Federation Council. Additionally, he briefly held the position of rector at the Russian State University for the Humanities in 2003.

In 2002, Nevzlin was ranked as Israel’s 69th wealthiest individual. He appeared on Forbes magazine’s global top 100 richest list in both 2003 and 2004. By 2010, his estimated net worth reached US$1.3 billion. He is acknowledged as a Russian oligarch.

Nevzlin co-owns and sits on the board of Haaretz, one of Israel’s prominent liberal newspapers; he acquired a 20% share in 2011 for 140 million shekels. The Schocken family maintains majority control with a 60% stake. In 2014, he launched Liberal, a monthly Hebrew publication focused on Israeli politics and culture; its inaugural issue appeared in May that year.

Legal disputes

Following confrontations with the Kremlin in 2003, Yukos' principal shareholder Mikhail Khodorkovsky and senior executive Platon Lebedev were detained on charges including fraud and tax evasion. Both were convicted in politically contentious trials in 2005. The European Court of Human Rights upheld Khodorkovsky's sentence. Subsequently, Yukos’ assets were forcibly auctioned off to state-owned enterprises, culminating in the company’s bankruptcy declaration in August 2006.

Nevzlin relocated to Israel in 2003. In 2004, Russian authorities requested his extradition on contentious criminal allegations linked to Yukos; however, Israel declined due to lack of sufficient evidence. Efforts by Israeli citizens to revoke his citizenship were unsuccessful as courts determined the charges were politically driven. In May 2008, Israel's Supreme Court rejected extradition demands and ordered reimbursement of Nevzlin's legal expenses. Meanwhile, Russia tried Nevzlin in absentia in 2008, convicting him for conspiracy to murder and sentencing him to life imprisonment—a verdict he denounced as a politically motivated show trial orchestrated by Vladimir Putin.

In a landmark decision in 2014, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague declared that Russian authorities orchestrated a "ruthless campaign" aimed at dismantling Yukos and seizing its assets through bankruptcy proceedings framed as state expropriation rather than legitimate tax enforcement. Former shareholders were awarded $50 billion—the largest arbitration award ever recorded—with Nevzlin holding a dominant position due to his approximate 70% share in GML (Yukos' former holding company). Russia failed to meet the January 2015 payment deadline, prompting investors to pursue enforcement actions via courts in the U.S. and European Union.

In March 2024, associates of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny accused Nevzlin of orchestrating a hammer assault against exiled dissident Leonid Volkov in Lithuania. An investigation by The Insider further alleged that Nevzlin attempted to abduct Volkov and ordered additional attacks on Navalny's affiliates. Nevzlin refuted these claims as "fabricated in Moscow."

Public affairs and philanthropy

Nevzlin was honored with the Order of Friendship, one of Russia's most prestigious awards, in recognition of his support for Boris Yeltsin's 1996 reelection campaign.

Between March and December 2001, Nevzlin held the position of president at the Russian Jewish Congress, where he significantly contributed to initiatives preserving Jewish heritage, including the Moscow Jewish Cultural Center and the International Center for Russian and Eastern European Jewish Studies. He also played an active role in advancing educational programs in collaboration with World ORT, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Following his move to Israel, Nevzlin established the NADAV Foundation, which invests in projects related to Jewish scholarship, education, and fostering connections between Israel and the Diaspora. The foundation annually awards the "NADAV Peoplehood Prize," recognizing distinguished individuals such as Elie Wiesel, former Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court Aharon Barak, and Rabbi David Stav.

Nevzlin founded the Leonid Nevzlin Research Center for Russian and Eastern European Jewry at Hebrew University and has served on the governing boards of both Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University.

In collaboration with the Israeli government, he contributed to revitalizing Beit Hatfutsot – the Museum of the Jewish People – and currently chairs its International Board of Governors. The NADAV Foundation initiated the International School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies at Beit Hatfutsot in 2006 and subsequently launched the Nevzlin Center for Jewish Peoplehood at IDC Herzliya in 2010.

His leadership roles extend to organizations such as the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal), and he has acted as associate chairman of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute. Additionally, Nevzlin has been a dedicated supporter of Ezra LeMarpeh, an Israeli healthcare charity.

Family and education

Born in Moscow on 21 September 1959 into a family with Lithuanian Jewish roots, Nevzlin completed his studies at Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in 1981. He later obtained a master's degree in management and marketing from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. Nevzlin is a father to five children, among them Irina Nevzlin, who serves as chairperson of Beit Hatfutsot’s board. Through Irina, he is connected by marriage to Israeli politician Yuli Edelstein.

In 2014, Nevzlin acquired a luxury apartment within Jerusalem’s Waldorf-Astoria complex for roughly US$11.5 million.

Writings

Nevzlin coauthored Человек с рублём ("Man with a Ruble") alongside Mikhail Khodorkovsky, promoting free-market economic principles, and authored Public Relations – кому это надо?” ("Public Relations – Who Needs Them?").

Publications

Chelovek s rublyom (The Man with the Ruble), coauthored with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Moscow: Menatep-Inform 1992

External links