Mikhail Gutseriyev

Education

In 1981, Mikhail Gutseriev graduated from the Dzhambul Technological Institute of Light and Food Industry with a degree in "Leather and Fur Technology". In 1995 he graduated from Finance Academy under the Government of Russian Federation, majoring in "Finance and Credits", Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, majoring in "Methods and Technology of Oil and Gas Engineering", St. Petersburg University of Law, majoring in "Civil Law" and Post graduate course at St. Petersburg University of Law, having received master's degree in "Criminal Procedural Law". Eventually he pursued Doctoral studies at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, majoring in "Free Economic Zones". In 1996 he defended his PhD thesis on "Criminality in major cities: State of affairs and prevention problems on the materials of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg in Saint-Petersburg Law University, PhD in Law.

Getting back into business

On 27 February 2001, Gutseriev was elected the Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

In 2002 the stocks of Slavneft were sold to Sibneft Consortium (now Gazpromneft) and Tyumen Oil Company for US$1.86 bn, and Gutseriev established and became a head of OJSC NK "RussNeft" in 2002. The stocks of Slavneft were sold at knockdown prices.

In September 2002, Gutseriev founded and ran RussNeft, the oil and gas company.

Gutseriev is married and has two sons (Chingiz, Said) and a daughter (Sofya). His elder son Chingiz died from a brain hemorrhage after crashing his Ferrari in 2007. Gutseriev's other son, Said, is a businessperson. In 2016, Said held a wedding that reportedly cost $1 billion.

The younger brother of Mikhail, Sait-Salam (born 1959) is a businessman. Mikhail transferred his Rossneft stake to Sait-Salam when he was placed under sanctions.

Gutseriev is involved in poetry writing and song writing.

In 2020 during the pandemic Gutseriev offered Moscow authorities the use of his hotels to fight the coronavirus.

In 2022, a joint investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center, Transparency International and The Guardian found several properties in London owned by Said Gutseriev, Mikhail's son. Previously, the property owned by Said was mentioned in the Pandora Papers. Representatives of the family told reporters that Said has no business ties with his father and that Mikhail has nothing to do with these assets, while at the same time, a significant part of these properties were purchased when Said was still studying and not involved in business.