Leonid Fedun

{{short description|Russian billionaire businessman|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Spartak-Zrvena (1).jpg

| image_size =

| name = Leonid Fedun

| caption = Fedun in 2014

| native_name = {{nobold|Леонид Федун}}

| native_name_lang = ru

| birth_name = Leonid Arnoldovich Fedun

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|4|5|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education =

| occupation = Businessman

| spouse = Married

| parents =

| children =

| relatives =

| website =

| awards = {{plainlist |

25px Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (3rd and 4th class)
25px Order of Honour

}}

Leonid Arnoldovich Fedun ({{langx|ru|Леонид Арнольдович Федун}}; born 5 April 1956) is a Ukrainian-born Russian billionaire businessman known for co-founding Russian oil company Lukoil. Until retiring in 2022, Fedun was vice president of Lukoil.{{Cite news |date=2022-06-27 |title=Co-founder of Russian oil company Lukoil steps down |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/co-founder-russian-oil-company-lukoil-steps-down-2022-06-27/ |access-date=2023-07-03}} He formerly served as president of FC Spartak Moscow before selling 100% of his shares to Lukoil.

Prior to entering the private sector, he was a military officer. He is considered to be a close associate of Vagit Alekperov, who he co-founded Lukoil with.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Daniel |title=The 25 richest Russian oligarchs on the 'Putin list' that the US just released |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/richest-russian-oligarchs-putin-list-2018-1 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |quote="Fedun is the "right hand man" of Vagit Alekperov, the CEO of oil and gas company Lukoil."}}

In February 18, 2022, Fedun was estimated to have had an estimated fortune of $8.5 billion, a figure that declined to $1.7 billion by March 28, 2022.{{Cite news |last1=Wahid |first1=Raeedah |last2=Rojanasakul |first2=Mira |last3=Halftermeyer |first3=Marion |last4=McIntyre |first4=Alex |date=2022-03-30 |title=Half of Russia's 20 Richest Billionaires Are Not Sanctioned |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-russian-billionaires-sanctioned-ukraine-war/ |access-date=2023-07-03}} Critics have labelled Fedun as an oligarch.

Education

Leonid Fedun was born in Kyiv in 1956, but grew up in Baikonur, as his father was sent as a military surgeon. He fimished School No. 1 in Baikonur and pursued a military career. In 1977, he graduated from the Military-Political Department of the Rostov Higher Military Command School. Later, he entered post-graduate education in the Dzerzhinsky Military Academy. In 1984, he obtained a Ph.D with a thesis on the public opinion of military servants as the component of army morale.{{cite web |url=https://stadium.ru/news/partners/17-11-2016-biografiya-leonida-arnoldovicha-feduna |title=Leonid Fedun Biography |date=November 17, 2016 |publisher=The Russian Stadium |access-date=March 20, 2025}}

From 1984 to 1992 he taught Sociology at the Academy and rose to the rank of colonel.{{Cite web |date=2010-12-04 |title=Леонид Федун занимает 20 место в рейтинге 100 богатейших бизнесменов России {{!}} Forbes.ru |url=http://www.forbes.ru/rating/100-bogateishih-biznesmenov-rossii/2010/fedun |access-date=2024-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204171214/http://www.forbes.ru/rating/100-bogateishih-biznesmenov-rossii/2010/fedun |archive-date=4 December 2010 }} In 1993, he complete a post-graduate course in the Higher School of Privatization and Entrepreneurship.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-21 |title=Что известно о бывшем владельце ФК «Спартак» Леониде Федуне? |url=https://aif.ru/sport/person/chto_izvestno_o_prezidente_fk_spartak_leonide_fedune |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=AiF |language=ru}} Since 1995, he has been a member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Career

In addition to his work at the Academy, Fedun was a lecturer in the Znanie organization. In 1987, he visited Kogalym with a lecture, was introduced to the management of production company Kogalymneftegaz, and got a job offer from its director Vagit Alekperov.{{cite web |url=https://ko.ru/biography/leonid-fedun/ |title=Leonid Fedun (profile) |publisher=KO |access-date=March 20, 2025}}

In 1990, Alekperov was appointed as the deputy minister of oil and gas industry and invited Fedun to Moscow. In 1992, Alekperov left the public service and created a {{strong|L}}angepas{{strong|U}}rai{{strong|K}}ogalymneft concern which included companies working on the largest oil pools in Langepas, Urai, and Kogalym regions. In 1993, this company was transformed into LUKoil. From 1992 to 1994, Fedun was the founder and CEO of Neftkonsult (which later became LUKoil-Consulting) consulting firm and Lukoil Reserve Invest (which became the core of the IFD Kapital Group) oil brokerage company. In 1995, he was appointed the vice-president of LUKoil.{{cite web |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5434803 |title=What Leonid Fedun is known for? |date=June 27, 2022 |publisher=Kommersant}}{{Cite web |title=Leonid Fedun - $3.9 billion - 2016-05-17 - The 93 Global Billionaires In Oil And Energy, 2016 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/hddf45edjl/leonid-fedun-39-bill/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

In 1993, Fedun was officially dismissed from the Russian military and within the same year became the CEO of JSC.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

As of May 2006, Fedun was one of the main owners of IFD Kapital Group.{{cite news|last=Teagarden |first=Michael |title=Lukoil Executives Alekperov and Fedun Own Russia's IFD Kapital |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2006-03-01/lukoil-executives-alekperov-and-fedun-own-russia-s-ifd-kapital.html |access-date=11 April 2014 |newspaper=Bloomberg News |date=1 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141839/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2006-03-01/lukoil-executives-alekperov-and-fedun-own-russia-s-ifd-kapital.html |archive-date=13 April 2014 }}

In 2020, he donated 10 million rubles to the Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery to the fight COVID-19.

Sports

In 2004, Fedun became the second-largest shareholder and the president of FC Spartak Moscow (Fedun owned 32.7% while Alekperov owned 36.7%).[http://www.forbes.ru/rating/100-bogateishih-biznesmenov-rossii/2010/fedun Леонид Федун]{{Cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Neil |date=27 November 2014 |title=Lukoil executive predicts significant fall in Russian oil output |newspaper=Financial Times |url=https://next.ft.com/content/5fab8828-7651-11e4-a704-00144feabdc0}} According to the entrepreneur, by 2014, he invested nearly a billion dollars the club. Fedun remained the president of FC Spartak Moscow until 2022. Under his management, the club got a home stadium, Lukoil Arena, opened a football school, Spartak Academy, became a 2017 champion of Russia, won the 2017 Russian Super Cup and the 2021–22 Russian Cup. On August 22, 2022, Leonid Fedun resigned as president of FC Spartak Moscow, selling 100% of his shares to Lukoil.{{Cite web |last=Прохоров |first=Павел |title=Леонид Федун ушёл из «Спартака»! Все подробности |url=https://www.championat.com/football/article-4793375-lukojl-vykupil-100-akcij-futbolnogo-kluba-spartak-leonid-fedun-pokidaet-spartak-chto-dalshe-budet-s-klubom.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.championat.com |language=ru}}

In July 2021, Fedun made a £400 million offer to purchase the English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, which was rejected.{{Cite web|title=Миллиардер Леонид Федун пожертвовал 10 млн рублей на борьбу с коронавирусом|url=https://www.forbes.ru/newsroom/milliardery/398465-milliarder-leonid-fedun-pozhertvoval-10-mln-rubley-na-borbu-s|access-date=2021-07-22|website=Forbes.ru|date=17 April 2020 |language=ru}}

Awards and honors

His business ventures have earned him numerous state awards (Order For Merit to the Fatherland of III and IV class, and the Order of Honour).{{Cite web |title=Федун Леонид Арнольдович биография и пресс-портрет |url=https://whoiswho.dp.ru/cart/person/786103 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=whoiswho.dp.ru |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=2012-08-15 |title=Леонид Федун награжден орденом "За заслуги перед Отечеством" |url=https://www.rusfootball.info/pliga/1146208831-leonid-fedun-nagrazhden-ordenom-za-zaslugi-pered.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Русфутбол |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 08.08.2012 № 1127 - Сейчас.ру |url=https://www.lawmix.ru/prof/91219 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=www.lawmix.ru}}>

Family

Fedun's father was Arnold Antonovich Fedun (1928-2021), the People's Doctor of the USSR, former chief surgeon of the RVSN, colonel of the medical service.{{Cite web |last=Телингатер |first=Григорий |title=Умер отец Леонида Федуна. Он был хирургом и оперировал до 10 человек в день |url=https://www.championat.com/football/article-4296231-umer-arnold-fedun-otec-leonida-feduna-vladelca-spartaka-iz-chempionata-rossii.html |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=www.championat.com |language=ru}}

Fedun was married twice. He has two children with his first wife Marina Fedun: Anton (born 1985) and Ekaterina (born 1988){{Cite web |date=2020-08-27 |title=Дочь Федуна – на 3-м месте в рейтинге богатейших женщин России по версии Forbes |url=https://sport.business-gazeta.ru/article/258026 |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=sport.business-gazeta.ru |language=ru}}{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.ru/milliardery/520132-starsie-deti-sovladel-ca-lukojla-leonida-feduna-stali-milliarderami |title=The elder children of Leonid Fedun turned billionaries |date=September 2, 2024 |publisher=Forbes |access-date=March 20, 2025}} He also has five children with his second wife Zarema Salikhova: Leo, Lucas, Lavr, Adriana, and another daughter born in 2022.{{cite web|title=Forbes profile: Leonid Fedun|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/leonid-fedun/|website=Forbes|access-date=9 June 2019}}{{Citation |title=ЗАРЕМА САЛИХОВА: о Федуне, "Спартаке" и российском футболе | date=21 June 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA-I6X4-_Hs |access-date=2021-07-22 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/AA-I6X4-_Hs |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |language=en}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web |url=https://www.championat.com/football/news-4742011-istochnik-zarema-salihova-rodila-pyatogo-rebyonka-ot-vladelca-spartaka-leonida-feduna.html |title=Zarema Salikhova gave birth to her fifth child with Leonid Fedun |author=Maksin Khrusch |date=June 30, 2022 |publisher=Championate |access-date=March 20, 2025}}