# Leonid Mikhelson

_Russian businessman_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/leonid-mikhelson
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson (Russian: Леони́д Ви́кторович Михельсо́н; born 11 August 1955) is a Russian-Israeli billionaire oligarch, businessman, CEO, chairman and major shareholder of the Russian gas company Novatek.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 11 August 1955 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kaspiysk ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Soviet Union; Russia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P27))
- **Occupation:** entrepreneur ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P106))
- **Education:** Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P69))
- **Positions held:** chief executive officer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of the Badge of Honour; Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class without swords; Medal "100 years anniversary of the foundation of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic" ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424#P166))

## About

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mikhelson obtained a stake in a privatized pipeline construction company out of which he formed Novatek. He is a business partner of Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko, a close confidante of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Mikhelson had a net worth of US$24.8 billion as of 24 August 2026, making him the 103rd richest person in the world and the second richest in Russia. In the 2026 Forbes annual billionaires ranking, he was ranked 88th in the world and fourth in Russia, with an estimated net worth of US$28.3 billion.

## Questions

**When was Leonid Mikhelson born?**  
Leonid Mikhelson was born on 11 August 1955 in Kaspiysk.

**What positions has Leonid Mikhelson held?**  
Positions held by Leonid Mikhelson include: chief executive officer.

**Where did Leonid Mikhelson study?**  
Leonid Mikhelson was educated at Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Leonid Mikhelson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Mikhelson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1819424](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1819424) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: 11-03-2020 Leonid Mikhelson.png by council.gov.ru (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:11-03-2020_Leonid_Mikhelson.png)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Leonid Mikhelson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: 11-03-2020 Leonid Mikhelson.png — council.gov.ru, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Leonid Mikhelson". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/leonid-mikhelson. Retrieved 5 November 2026.