German Khan is a Russian entrepreneur, one of the richest businessmen in Russia and the world.
He was born in Kyiv, Ukraine on October 24, 1961. He finished school in 1978. After that he worked for a year as a mechanic at the Kyiv Experimental Non-Standard Equipment Plant.
In 1982 he received secondary vocational education at the Industrial and Pedagogical College. This was followed by higher education at the Faculty of Ferrous Metal Casting of the Moscow State Institute of Steel and Alloys, from which Khan graduated in 1988. The future partners of Alfa Group graduated from the same institute. Mikhail Friedman graduated a year earlier, and Alexei Kuzmichev graduated with Khan.
In 1988 German Khan got a job in the Cosmos cooperative, which specialized in wholesale of clothes, shoes and jewelry. In 1989, the entrepreneur founded the Alexandrina sewing cooperative.
A year later, Mikhail Friedman offered Khan the position of head of Alfa-Eco’s wholesale department, which he held until 1992, when his interests expanded to include petroleum products and cooperation with refineries. In 1995, Khan became head of Alfa-Eco LLC’s Raw Materials Division.
In 1996, the entrepreneur was appointed president of Alfa-Eco, the largest trading company within the Alfa Group. At the same time, Khan was elected to the Board of Directors of two oil companies – OJSC Siberian-Dalnevostochnaya Oil Company (SIDANCO) and OJSC Saratovneftegaz.
In 1997, the businessman was one of the founders of the closed joint stock company New Holding, which represented the interests of Alfa Bank at the auction for the sale of shares in Tyumen Oil Company (TNK). German Khan became one of the members of TNK’s Board of Directors, and in 1998 he assumed the positions of Deputy Chairman of the Board and First Vice President.
In 1999, Khan stepped down from TNK’s board to focus on strategic components.
The businessman was responsible for dealing with the West Siberian companies Kondpetroleum and Chernogorneft. They were purchased by SIDANCO in 1999, and later TNK returned control of Chernogorneft to its former owner in exchange for a blocking stake in SIDANCO.
In November 2000, Khan became a member of the board of directors of OJSC ONAKO and later OJSC Orenburgneft.
In the summer of 2001, Khan was re-elected to the Board of Directors of Alfa Bank.
In February 2003, Khan became a member of the Board of Directors of OJSC Slavneft, and in the spring he assumed the post of Chairman. Also in 2003, the businessman gave up his position as deputy chairman of the board of directors of TNK and became head of the advisory committee of A1, a company that invests in undervalued non-public projects. Khan was also involved in the selection of potentially interesting projects in the oil and gas sector.
In March 2013, when TNK-BP was sold to Rosneft, German Khan resigned from TNK.
In mid-June 2013, Khan became CEO of L1 Energy, which invests in oil and gas production, transportation, refining and distribution companies. It became part of LetterOne Group, Alfa Group’s new international investment company.
After the targeted sanctions in March 2022, German Khan left Alfa-Bank as a shareholder and the board of directors of LetterOne. In the fall of the same year, the entrepreneur returned to Moscow from London and resides in the capital.
Khan is a member of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group Union of Enterprises. He also sits on the boards of Alfa Finance Holdings S.A., which consolidates oil and financial assets, and ABH Holdings Corp., which controls Alfa Banking Group companies.
The entrepreneur supports the Life Line Foundation’s programs to help children with serious illnesses. Mr. Khan is also a co-founder of the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Foundation.
German Khan is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Jewish Congress and participates in the activities of the European Jewish Congress. Both non-governmental organizations promote ideas of tolerance and support the Jewish population. He is one of the founders of Genesis Philanthropy Group, a charitable foundation that strengthens Jewish identity. Khan served on its board of directors until he resigned due to sanctions.
