In brief
Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska (born 2 January 1968) is a Russian billionaire industrialist who founded Basic Element, a conglomerate spanning aluminum production, energy, transportation, and finance, and holds significant influence over United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminum producer by output. Born in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, he graduated with a degree in theoretical physics from Moscow State University and later pursued studies in economics, entering the metals trading business in the early 1990s amid Russia's post-Soviet privatization.
Deripaska was born to a Jewish family in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Soviet Russia and grew up in Ust-Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai.
Deripaska amassed his fortune by consolidating fragmented aluminum assets during the turbulent 1990s, often through aggressive mergers and acquisitions that earned him recognition as Russia's youngest billionaire by age 35, with his wealth peaking as the ninth-richest person globally in before market crashes and debts tested his empire. As of October 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $4.1 billion, derived primarily from stakes in EN+ Group and RUSAL, reflecting resilience in commodities amid geopolitical pressures. He has received state honors, including the Order of Friendship in 1999 for contributions to economic development, and was named Businessman of the Year by Vedomosti in 1999, 2006, and 2007. Deripaska also established the Volnoye Delo Foundation, funding education and infrastructure projects across Russia.
Photographs
Hero photograph: Wikimedia Commons
