Mikhail Evgenyevich Prokhorov

3rd richest man in Russia and the 32nd fortune global according to Forbes’ ranking in 2011, Mikhail Prokhorov is the head of Onemix, a private equity fund that holds shares in the technology of fuel cells, nanotechnology, the mining and more recently energies renewable.

Graduated in Economic relations at Institute of State for Finance in Moscow in 1989, Prokhorov began his career as manager at Camecon Bank. In 1991, he met the man who is in charge of privatization started by Yeltsin government, Vladimir Potanine, who became his business partner.

Appointed as Onexim’s head by his new friend, Michael Prokhorov prepares the Norilsk Nickel’s acquisition, the world largest company in nickel. Four years later, he obtained 38% stake for 170 million Euros and he became the CEO. The two businessmen made acquisitions also in the media sector, buying the Russki Telegraf and the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda.

But the honeymoon between two men is ended. Under Potanin’s pressures, Michael Prokhorov resigned as CEO of Norilsk Nickel.
On July 6 2007, Prokhorov announced that Norilsk Nickel has acquired around 90% of the Canadian company LionOre, becoming the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, and the most important golf producer in Russia.

In 2008, the Russian tycoon in metallurgy and finance announced plans to invest $10 billion in new mining company Intergeo.
In 2009, he became the richest man in Russia with a fortune of $ 9.5 billion.