Patokh Chodiev

Patokh Chodiev (Russian: Фаттох Каюмович Шодиев Fattoh Kayumovich Shodiev; born 15 April 1953, in Jizzakh (Uzbek SSR),[1] is a London-based Uzbek oligarch with Belgian citizenship who, with Alexander Mashkevich and Alijan Ibragimov, is part of the "Trio," a group of Central Asian businessmen who made their fortune through deals in minerals, oil, gas, and banking in Kazakhstan. Chodiev is currently ranked #287 on the Forbes list of billionaires.[2]

Biography

Early life

Chodiev was born in Uzbekistan. He studied international law and Japanese in Moscow, Russia. Chodiev lived in Japan.[2] Chodiev later established the Chodiev Group.

The Trio and Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

With his partners Mashkevich and Ibragimov, Chodiev is a major shareholder in Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), one of the world's leading natural resources groups. ENRC, based in London, operates a number of metals assets in Kazakhstan and Africa, having acquired numerous mining operations in Eastern Europe and Africa. In 2009, ENRC generated a $1,462 million profit on sales of $3.8 billion.

ENRC was floated on the London Stock Exchange in December 2007, with a market capitalisation on Admission of approximately £6.8 billion.

Acquisition of Belgian citizenship

Chodiev acquired the Belgian citizenship on 27 June 1997 with help from the mayor of Waterloo, Serge Kubla (Mouvement Réformateur), of Czech origin and his closest neighbour, and later (1999-2004) Minister of Economy and Foreign Commerce in the regional Walloon Government. That naturalization was irregularly obtained as knowledge of at least one official language of Belgium (Dutch, French or German) was then compulsory to become a Belgian citizen, and Chodiev spoke none of them. Moreover, the Belgian State Security Service had sent beforehand a report to the local police informing it of the mafia connections of Chodiev.[3][4]

Forbes ranking of the richest people in the world

References

  1. ↑ French: "Chodiev, Patokh, né à Jizak (Ouzbékistan) (Russie) le 15 avril 1953" in Ministère de la Justice, Loi accordant les naturalisations, Belgian Official Journal, 25 June 1997
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 #2 Patokh Chodiev Forbes
  3. ↑ Dutch: Walter De Bock & Walter Pauli, Patokh Chodiev, een speciale snel-Belg, De Morgen, 6 February 2002
  4. ↑ French: Gilbert Dupont, Milliardaire belge inculpé, La Dernière Heure, 21 March 2007

External links