Sergey Petrov (businessman)

Sergey Anatolyevich Petrov
Sergey Anatolyevich Petrov
Born	August 16, 1954 (age 72); Chkalov, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Founder of ROLF Group, State Duma deputy (2007–2016)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Sergey Petrov (businessman), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Sergey Anatolyevich Petrov (; born 1954 in Chkalov) is a prominent Russian entrepreneur and political figure, recognized as the founder of the ROLF Group. He held a seat as a deputy in the State Duma from 2007 until 2016, representing the Spravedlivaya Rossiya party. Upon concluding his parliamentary career, he resumed leadership at ROLF, serving as Chairman of the Board until 2019.

Biography

Petrov was born on August 16, 1954, in Chkalov. He completed his education at The Higher Military Aviation School in 1971, qualifying as a pilot-engineer. Following this, he worked as a flight instructor but was discharged from the Soviet Army in 1982 with the rank of Major due to involvement in anti-Soviet activities.

From 1982 to 1987, Petrov pursued studies in labor economics through correspondence at the Institute of Soviet Trade, now known as Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. Between 1989 and 1991, he managed car rental services at Rozek-Car.

In August 1991, Petrov established the ROLF Group, which expanded to become one of Russia’s leading automotive dealerships. Although he stepped down from the role of President in 2004, he continued overseeing the company’s long-term strategic initiatives.

Petrov was elected to the State Duma in 2007 and secured re-election in 2011. During his tenure, he served on the Budget and Taxes Committee. He was notably critical of certain legislative acts such as the Dima Yakovlev Law and the «Yarovaya Package», expressing opposition to various government policies.

In June 2019, authorities conducted searches at ROLF’s offices following accusations that Petrov and other executives illicitly transferred nearly 4 billion rubles abroad using falsified documents. Petrov refuted these allegations, suggesting they were either part of a corporate takeover attempt or politically motivated retaliation due to his dissenting views. Subsequently, he resigned from ROLF’s Board in July 2019.

By September 2019, Russian law enforcement had issued an international warrant for Petrov related to the currency transfer investigation. Later that year, he declared intentions to sell ROLF and initiated a confidential bidding process; however, this transaction was never finalized.

Wealth

The following table outlines Sergey Petrov’s net worth over several years according to Forbes:

Year	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Net worth ($ mln)	700	750	1000	950	750	950	1000	900	500	950
Ranking in Russia	141	140	109	97	113	106	104	114	189	127

Among his significant rankings are 51st place on Forbes’ Russian list in 2009, 50th position in «Vlast I Dengi» (2010), and ranking 114th among Russia’s wealthiest businessmen according to Forbes in 2019 with an estimated fortune of $900 million.

Personal life

Petrov is married and has two sons named Alexey and Alexander. He lives permanently in Austria and enjoys alpine skiing, cycling, as well as collecting scale models of ships from the Russian-Japanese War.

Views on business in Russia

Petrov points out the precarious position of businesses in Russia, underlining the scarcity of safeguards for entrepreneurs. While recognizing the importance of capital, he insists that successful enterprises must operate with fairness. He calls for reforms that indicate a move toward democratization to lure serious investors and emphasizes the necessity of equitable treatment in business, cautioning against capricious government measures that undermine economic stability. Petrov endorses a combination of liberal economic principles with social democratic values, maintaining that business plays a vital role in advancing Russia’s economy.

External links

References