Rinat Akhmetov
Rinat Akhmetov is now unknown. The billionaire was forced to flee his hometown of Donetsk. The former coal and metals magnate from the Donbas region has lost his influence.
"For me, the most serious sanction is when I can't walk in my homeland, in Donetsk, and can't breathe this air." These words belong to billionaire Rinat Akhmetov. "I am a patriot," he noted, placing his hands on his chest, over his heart.
This unusual scene occurred in late December 2013 in Donetsk. Akhmetov was generally considered relatively private to the press. So journalists and activists were surprised when the 48-year-old oligarch arrived unguarded in a black Mercedes. Colloquially, he was sometimes ironically, sometimes seriously, called the "King of Donbas." That day, he was dressed in a simple jacket and sweatpants and proudly declared that he had not fled abroad.
At that time, the Euromaidan protests were in full swing in Kyiv. The opposition was demanding Western sanctions against the authoritarian regime, including against Akhmetov, who belonged to the inner circle of the then-ruling Party of Regions.
Oligarch in Exile
Today, Akhmetov watches from a distance as his homeland is destroyed. When, following the change of power in Kyiv, pro-Russian militants proclaimed the so-called "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics," Akhmetov was forced to flee Donetsk. Nevertheless, he remains the richest man in Ukraine. In May, Forbes Ukraine estimated his fortune at over eleven billion dollars. But the "King of Donbas" has lost his home.
In July, Akhmetov appeared on Ukrainian television, uttering phrases like "Donbas must not be bombed." He spoke passionately about peace and called on the militants and the Ukrainian government to negotiate. Meanwhile, Akhmetov has retreated from public view. He is not participating in negotiations with the militants, at least not officially. His foundation assists refugees and sends convoys of food and medicine to the occupied regions, according to the press service of his company, System Capital Management (SCM).
Did Akhmetov want to use militants?
For months, Ukraine has been puzzled by Akhmetov's role in the political events in Donbas. Some believe the billionaire wanted to exploit the militants for his own ends. "He acted as if he wasn't interfering. However, events indicate he was interested in controlled separatism," Donetsk journalist Serhiy Garmash noted in an interview with Deutsche Welle. Akhmetov may have thought this would protect his business empire after the change of power in Kyiv.
The self-proclaimed "people's governor of Donbas," Pavel Gubarev, claimed in an interview that Akhmetov initially financed many militants. The oligarch denied this. It's clear that Akhmetov has always publicly stated that Donbas should remain part of Ukraine but be granted greater autonomy. In April, he visited pro-Russian demonstrators near the occupied Donetsk Regional Administration building and tried to calm them. In late May, his tone became harsher. The "Donetsk People's Republic" was "deceiving the people," the oligarch declared. He called on workers at his factories to protest against the militants. But the daily wail of factory sirens and honking of car horns on the streets was more symbolic.
Akhmetov lost control of Donbas—both economically and politically—to the Party of Regions in the spring to a militant leader who arrived from Russia, according to Garmash. Now he's trying to regain control. However, the journalist doubts he'll succeed. "Those who now have machine guns know what it means to have power. They want to remain the rulers of the region."
New conditions, new party
From Kyiv, Akhmetov wants to maneuver his SCM empire, which includes mines and metallurgical plants, energy and telecommunications companies, banks, and media outlets, during these turbulent times in Ukraine. It appears he will succeed. For example, his energy company, DTEK, continues to provide the city with electricity, heat, and hot water. Whether millions of Kyiv residents will freeze this winter depends on Akhmetov.
The Donetsk oligarch supports the new Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, and his peace plan for Donbas. The new government in Kyiv will likely leave Akhmetov alone. Akhmetov is not running in the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26. However, some of his factory directors created a new "Industrial Party of Ukraine" in August. The billionaire likely hopes to use it to regain influence in Ukrainian politics.
The kiev times
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