Yuri Shefler

Yuri Shefler (Russian: Юрий Викторович Шефлер; (born 10 September 1967) is a Russian,[3] British and Israeli billionaire businessman. He is the owner of SPI Group, an international consortium that sells alcohol in 160 countries, most notably the Stolichnaya vodka brand.[4] As of March 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$1.5 billion.[2]

Yuri Shefler
Юрий Викторович Шефлер
Born (1967-09-10) September 10, 1967
Oryol, Oryol Oblast, Soviet Union
CitizenshipRussia, United Kingdom, Israel[1]
Alma materPlekhanov Russian University of Economics (1996)[2]
Known forOwner of SPI Group
SpouseTatiana Kovylina
Children4[2]

Business career

Shefler left the Soviet Army in September 1987. In the early 1990s, as a student, he was engaged in vouchers and petty trade. Co-founded the Sadko-Arkada (Садко-Аркада) trading house , became a shareholder and headed Vnukovo Airlines, Nafta-Moscow (Нафта Москва), GUM and TSUM.

He used to own one of the largest yachts in the world, Serene, with a length of 133.9 m (439 ft 4 in).[5][6][7] In 2015 he sold Serene to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a reported $550 million.[8] In March 2017 he bought Tulchan Estate on Speyside, Scotland's most expensive sporting estate.[9]

On 17 February 2022, Brad Pitt alleged that Angelina Jolie sold to Shefler's wine group Tenute del Mondo, which is a subsidiary of Shefler's Stoli Group, her interest in the Château Miraval at Correns in Provence, France, which Pitt and Jolie purchased in 2008 for $28.4 million.[10]

SPI Group

SPI Group produces and sells alcohol under 380 brands in 160 countries, most notably Stolichnaya vodka. SPI Group also owns Louisiana Spirits Company, Fabrica de Tequilas Finos in Mexico and Achaval Ferrer in Argentina.[2]

Despite a more than 15 year dispute with Russian state-owned company FKP Sojuzplodoimport (FKP) regarding the ownership of the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya trademarks, Shefler's SPI Group owns the trademarks in more than 180 countries. The only notable decision against SPI Group has been in the Netherlands, but that decision remains subject to appeal before the Dutch Supreme Court.

Personal life

Shefler was born to a Russian Jewish family in Oryol.[11] He has citizenship in the United Kingdom and Israel.[11]

He is married to Tatiana Kovylina, a Russian model who once worked for Victoria's Secret.[4] They have four children and live in Geneva, Switzerland.[2][12] As reported by Forbes in March 2022, Shefler had an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion.[2]

References
  1. "Bloomberg - Vodka Drinkers Are Changing Brands in Wake of Ukraine Invasion". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. "Forbes profile: Yuri Shefler". Forbes. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  3. "Vodka Drinkers Are Changing Brands in Wake of Ukraine Invasion". Bloomberg.com. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  4. "Who is Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler, who bought Angelina Jolie's share of Chateau Miraval and upset Brad Pitt? 5 things to know, from his Victoria's Secret model wife to his drinks empire". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  5. "Serene". Super Yacht Fan.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  6. "A 30-year-old Saudi prince could jump-start the kingdom – or drive it off a cliff". The Washington Post. 28 June 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016.
  7. Mazzetti, Mark; Hubbard, Ben (15 October 2016). "Rise of Saudi Prince Shatters Decades of Royal Tradition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017.
  8. "Rise of Saudi Prince Shatters Decades of Royal Tradition". New York Times. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  9. Auslan Cramb (30 March 2017). "Scotland's most expensive sporting estate bought by Russian vodka billionaire". The Telegraph.
  10. "BRAD PITT SUES ANGELINA JOLIE... You Secretly Sold Winery To Russian Oligarch!!!". TMZ. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  11. Eshman, Rob; March 4, 2022. "The Jewish billionaire caught in the middle of the Stoli boycott". The Forward. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  12. "US governors order state-run liquor stores to stop selling Russian vodka". the Guardian. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
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