Samvel Karapetyan (businessman)

Samvel Karapetyan was born on August 18, 1965, in the town of Kalinino (now Tashir, Lori province) in the Armenian SSR.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Karapetyan graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1986. He moved to Russia in the 1990s and in 1997, he became the president of the Kaluga-based Kalugaglavsnab OAO, which provides logistics services, particularly to Russia's state gas company Gazprom.{{Cite web|last=Danielyan|first=Emil|date=2017-11-02|title=Russian-Armenian Tycoon Expanding Influence in Armenia|url=https://eurasianet.org/russian-armenian-tycoon-expanding-influence-in-armenia|access-date=2021-09-26|website=eurasianet.org|language=en}} He then expanded into Moscow's real estate market. In 1999, he established the Tashir Group, a conglomerate of industrial, construction, supply and delivery companies, hotels, restaurants and other firms numbering more than 200 in total and employing more than 30,000 people.

Karapetyan's Tashir Group has made a number of investments and philanthropic endeavors in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. Tashir Group owns two large shopping complexes in Yerevan, as well as a major Armenian electricity company, Electric Networks of Armenia, among other enterprises. In 2013, Karapetyan financed the construction of a new hospital in Stepanakert, capital of the Republic of Artsakh.{{Cite web|date=2013-09-24|title=Tashir group invests USD 22 mln in new medical center in Stepanakert|url=https://mediamax.am/en/news/karabakh/8025/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=mediamax.am|language=en}} At the end of October 2020, Karapetyan vowed to rebuild the maternity hospital of Stepanakert City that was destroyed by the Azerbaijani bombardment on October 28.{{Cite web|title=Tycoon Samvel Karapetyan vows to rebuild Stepanakert hospital after Azeri air strike|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1033127/tycoon-samvel-karapetyan-vows-to-rebuild-stepanakert-hospital-after-azeri-air-strike.html|access-date=2021-07-07|website=armenpress.am|language=en}} In September 2021, he announced that Tashir Group plans to invest $600 million to expand and modernize Armenia's energy sector.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-20|title=Samvel Karapetyan plans to invest nearly 600 million USD in Armenia's energy sector|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1063548/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=armenpress.am|language=en}}

In June 2020, Karapetyan paid part of the 2 billion dram bail for ex-president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan's release from custody.{{Cite web|title=Российские бизнесмены выплатили залог за экс-президента Армении|url=https://www.rbc.ru/business/20/06/2020/5eedead19a794743bd1c7f94|website=РБК|date=20 June 2020 }}

In April 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan opened a criminal case against Karapetyan for allegedly illegally transporting weapons to Nagorno-Karabakh, which Karapetyan denied.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-18|title=Tashir group of companies says Azerbaijani accusations against Samvel Karapetyan are outrageous|url=http://arka.am/en/news/politics/tashir_group_of_companies_says_azerbaijani_accusations_against_samvel_karapetyan_are_outrageous/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=arka.am}}

He is married, with three children (two sons and a daughter), and lives in Moscow.{{cite web|title=Forbes profile: Samvel Karapetyan |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/samvel-karapetyan/ |website=Forbes |access-date=18 August 2020}} Karapetyan's son, Sarkis, and daughter, Tatevik, are top managers of Tashir. Tatevik also heads the area of cinema chain development.{{cite web |title=Samvel Karapetyan |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/samvel-karapetyan/?sh=2437929e6e19 |accessdate=2024-01-12 |publisher=forbes.com |lang=en}} He owns an 85 meter Lurssen superyacht named ACE.{{Citation|last=TARMAC|first=L'AMI DU|title=ACE 85M 2012 Lürssen Yachts Owner Samvel Karapetyan Russia For sale EUR145 millions 09 07 20 Golfe de St Tropez|date=2020-07-09|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129731853@N07/50132752051/|access-date=2021-08-13}}

His brother, Karen Karapetyan, is a politician in Armenia from the Republican Party of Armenia and a former member of Armenia's parliament.{{Cite web|title=Sargsyan appoints brother of billionaire as new Armenian PM {{!}} The Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin|url=https://thebulletin.news/newsdesk/sargsyan-appoints-brother-billionaire-new-armenian-pm/|access-date=2020-12-05|language=en-GB}}

In November 2017, he was appointed the president of the football club FC Ararat Moscow.{{cite web|publisher=FC Ararat Moscow|url=https://vk.com/fcararatmsk?w=wall-147003260_17301|script-title=ru:Президентом ФК ”Арарат” избран Самвел Карапетян|date=17 November 2017|language=Russian}}

In 2011, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan awarded Karapetyan with the Mesrop Mashtots Medal "for significant contribution to the promotion of national interests, long term and fruitful pro-Armenian activities, dedication to the development and advancement of the Republic of Armenia and provided services."{{Cite web|url=https://www.president.am/en/domestic-visits/item/2011/09/20/news-310/|title=President Serzh Sargsyan attended the ceremony of inauguration of the research compound of Matenadaran - Domestic visits - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia|website=www.president.am|language=en|access-date=2019-09-05}}

According to Forbes, his net worth in September 2021 was estimated at $5 billion.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-26|title=Samvel Karapetyan|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/samvel-karapetyan/|access-date=2021-09-26|website=Forbes|language=en}} In March 2013 Karapetyan became the richest ethnic Armenian in the world, overtaking Armenian-American businessman Kirk Kerkorian.{{cite news|title=Russian-Armenian beats U.S.-Armenian on latest Forbes billionaire list|url=http://www.armenianow.com/news/44117/armenian_samvel_karapetyan_kirk_kerkorian_billionaire_forbes_list|access-date=29 April 2013|newspaper=ArmeniaNow|date=5 March 2013}}{{cite news|title=World's richest Armenians according to Forbes; Kerkorian no longer leads list|url=http://tert.am/en/news/2013/03/05/forbes-richest-armenians/|access-date=29 April 2013|newspaper=Tert.am|date=5 March 2013}}

In January 2018 Karapetyan was named by the US Treasury Department in the Putin list, consisting of 114 senior political figures and 96 oligarchs, all of whom rose to prominence under Russian President Vladimir Putin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/30/politics/full-us-list-of-russian-oligarchs-with-putin-ties-intl/index.html|title=Full list of Russian oligarchs released by US|author=Sheena McKenzie, Nicole Gaouette and Donna Borak|website=CNN|date=30 January 2018 |access-date=2019-09-05}}{{Cite web|url=http://arka.am/en/news/politics/samvel_karapetyan_and_danil_khachaturov_in_us_black_books/|title=Samvel Karapetyan and Danil Khachaturov in US black books|website=arka.am|access-date=2019-09-05}}

Karapetyan was arrested on 18 June 2025 for making public calls to usurp power, violating Part 2 of Article 422 of Armenia’s Criminal Code.{{cite web |last1=Novruz |first1=Akbar |title=Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan arrested in Yerevan |url=https://www.azernews.az/region/243414.html |website=Azer News |access-date=26 June 2025}} Karapetyan had publicly defended the Armenian Apostolic Church saying that "political leaders fail, we will intervene in our own way" after the government of Nikol Pashinyan accused Karekin II of violating his celibacy vows.{{cite web |last1=Minoyan |first1=Hoory |title=Armenian authorities target businessman Samvel Karapetyan amid church dispute |url=https://armenianweekly.com/2025/06/18/armenian-authorities-target-businessman-samvel-karapetyan-amid-church-dispute/ |website=The Armenian Weekly |access-date=26 June 2025}} Pashinyan stated that it was "likely" that the Russian government was using Karapetyan to wage a "hybrid operation" in the "hybrid war" against the Armenian government, and trying to find a "Ivanishvili 2.0" for Armenia.{{cite web |title=Moscow attempting ‘Ivanishvili 2.0’ operation in Armenia, says analyst |url=https://jam-news.net/moscow-attempting-ivanishvili-2-0-operation-in-armenia-says-analyst/ |website=JAM.news |access-date=26 June 2025}}

Karapetyan has also claimed from prison that his arrest was done at behest of the Azeri government, called Pashinyan an agent of the Pakistani and Turkish government, denounced his refusal to declare war on Azerbaijan during the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, and his efforts to not be a stringent and stalwart Russian ally. Noted Russophile former president Robert Kocharyan denounced the arrest as a "national disgrace" and described Pashinyan's actions as "anti-national and unlawful" and called him a "dictator." The Russophile I Have Honor Alliance also denounced the arrest, while also saying "This will achieve nothing."

A week after his arrest, primate Bagrat Galstanyan was also arrested in connections to plotting a coup to overthrow Pashinyan 's government with a group of ~1,000 ex-military and police loyal to him.{{cite web |last1=Papachristou |first1=Lucy |title=Armenia arrests archbishop over alleged coup plot |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/armenia-arrests-archbishop-over-alleged-coup-plot-2025-06-25/ |website=Reuters |access-date=26 June 2025}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web|title=Самвел Карапетян Биография|url=http://www.vedomosti.ru/persons/22108/%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%20%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%BD|website=Vedomosti|access-date=17 February 2015|language=ru}}

{{cite news|title=Հպարտ եմ, որ հայ եմ. Սամվել Կարապետյանի զրույցը Forbes-ի հետ|url=http://civilnet.am/2015/02/16/samvel-karapetyan-forbes-interview/#.VOPR9ubF9gh|work=CivilNet|date=16 February 2015|language=hy}}

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Category:1965 births

Category:Armenian billionaires

Category:People from Tashir

Category:Living people

Category:Russian billionaires

Category:Businesspeople from Moscow

Category:National Polytechnic University of Armenia alumni

Category:Russian people of Armenian descent

Category:Armenian businesspeople