Yuri Shefler
Yuri Shefler | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 10, 1967 Oryol, Russia |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Proprietor of SPI Group, Stolichnaya vodka |
Yuri Shefler (; born 10 September 1967) is an entrepreneur originally from Russia and the proprietor of SPI Group, a global conglomerate that distributes alcoholic beverages across 160 nations, with the Stolichnaya vodka brand being its flagship product. As of July 2025, his fortune was valued at approximately US$1.1 billion.
Professional background
After departing from the Soviet Army in 1987, Shefler embarked on a commercial path, overseeing operations at one of Moscow's premier shopping centers as well as Vnukovo Airlines.
He once possessed one of the largest yachts worldwide, named Serene, with a length of . In 2015, this vessel was sold to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for close to $550 million. Later, in March 2017, Shefler purchased Tulchan Estate located in Speyside, recognized as Scotland’s priciest sporting estate.
On 17 February 2022, Angelina Jolie divested her share in Château Miraval—a winery in Provence she acquired alongside Brad Pitt in 2008 for $28.4 million—to Tenute del Mondo, a wine division under Shefler’s SPI Group.
SPI Group
Operating under the SPI Group umbrella are over 380 alcohol brands marketed in 160 countries, with Stolichnaya vodka being the most prominent. The group also controls Louisiana Spirits Company, Fabrica de Tequilas Finos based in Mexico, and Achaval Ferrer from Argentina. Additionally, its Luxembourg-based subsidiary Amber Beverage Group Holding S.à r.l. owns Latvian company SIA Amber Beverage Group, which produces Riga Black Balsam through its brand Latvijas Balzams.
SPI Group has been involved in a protracted legal conflict with the Russian government-owned entity FKP Sojuzplodoimport concerning the trademarks for Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya. In 2020, the Dutch Supreme Court determined that the trademark rights belong to Russia and mandated SPI Group to halt sales within the Benelux countries.
In 2022, Shefler was ordered to compensate a former UK executive with over £1.6 million following dismissal related to objections against salary reductions.
Personal details
Born into a Russian Jewish family in Oryol, Shefler holds citizenships in both the United Kingdom and Israel. He was previously married to Russian model Tatiana Kovylina, with whom he shares four children; they separated in 2021 and lived together in Geneva, Switzerland. More recently, he has been romantically associated with Ksenia Sukhinova, who earned titles as Miss Russia 2007 and Miss World 2008.
As of March 2022, Forbes assessed Shefler’s net worth at $1.5 billion.