Ivan Ignatyevich Savvidi (Russian: Иван Игнатьевич Саввиди, [jɪˈvan jɪɡˈnatʲɪvit͡ɕ sɐˈvʲɪdʲi(s)], Greek: Ιβάν Σαββίδης, romanized: Ivan Savvidis, [iˈvan saˈviðis], Georgian: ივან ეგნატეს ძე სავიდი, Ivan Egnates dze Savidi, [ivan eɡnates dze savidi], also known as Ivan Savvidis; born 27 March 1959[1]), is a Russian-Greek businessman and politician. Savvidis is one of Russia's wealthiest men and was a member of the Russian Parliament. Believed to be closely linked to the President Vladimir Putin.[2][3]
Ivan Savvidis | |
|---|---|
 Ivan Savvidis in 2010 | |
| Deputy of the State Duma | |
| Fifth Convocation | |
| In office 2 December 2007 – 4 December 2011 | |
| Constituency | Rostov |
| Fourth Convocation | |
| In office 7 December 2003 – 2 December 2007 | |
| Constituency | Rostov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 March 1959 Santa Gruzino, Tsalka District, Georgian SSR, USSR |
| Nationality | Russian, Greek |
| Political party | United Russia |
| Residence(s) | Thessaloniki, Greece Rostov-on-Don, Russia |
| Education | Rostov State University of Economics, Rostov-on-Don |
| Occupation | Owner of PAOK F.C. Founder & Owner of Agrokom Group Chairman of CJSC Donskoy Tabak Owner of Dimera Group Ltd Owner of Dimera Media Investments Owner of Belterra Investments Ltd Owner of Open TV |
| Website | http://www.savvidi.ru/ |
Professional biography
Savvidis was born in Santa Gruzino, Tsalka District, Georgia, to Pontic Greek immigrant parents from Dumanlı (Sanda).[4] After serving in the Soviet Army,[5] Savvidis was educated at the Rostov State University of Economics in Rostov-on-Don.[1] In the 1980s and early 1990s, Savvidis was employed in various positions at the Don State Tobacco Factory.[5] In 1992, the tobacco factory was privatised and renamed CJSC Donskoy Tabak; in the following year Savvidis was appointed as its General Director.[5]
In 2013, Forbes listed Savvidis as the 30th wealthiest Russian businessman in the world.[6] In 2013 he purchased 82% of the Greek tobacco company SEKAP.[7]
In 2017 he acquirred 19% of Mega Channel but some months later he sold it.[8] In 2017 his Dimera Media company acquired the Pegasus Publications, which includes the newspapers of Ethnos and Imerisia.[9] On 11 August of the same year, he bought the E Channel from businessman Philipos Vryonis and the market agreement was ratified on 21 August 2017.
In March 2018, he sold the CJSC Donskoy Tabak, together with the Greek SEKAP, to Japan Tobacco for 1.6 billion.[10]
According to Forbes, his fortune is estimated to $1.4 billion.[11]
Real estate
In February 2013, Savvidis took over the management of the Macedonia Palace in Thessaloniki.[12]
He has also acquired a number of historic villas of Thessaloniki (such as the Longos mansion, Villa Zardinidi etc.), while his recent investment in Porto Carras reaches €500million.[13]
Political career
Savvidis was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rostov Oblast in 1998 and 2003. In 2003, Savvidis was elected as a Deputy in the State Duma; he subsequently served as the Deputy Chairman of the Budget Committee and Taxes. In 2007, Savvidis was re-elected as a Deputy in the State Duma as a member of the party United Russia led by chairman Vladimir Putin, serving until 2011. He served as a member of the Committee International Affairs,[5] as coordinator of Interparliamentary Relations with the Hellenic Parliament[5] and as Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarusian Union.[14]
He has previously made positive comments about the Greek political party Syriza and has likened Alexis Tsipras to Vladimir Putin.[15] Ivan Savvidis is accused by a section of the press of being involved with Kyriakos Velopoulos, president of the Greek Solution.[16][17]
Sports
Between July 2002 and July 2005, Savvidis was President of FC Rostov.[18]
As of 10 August 2012, he had acquired ownership of the Greek football team PAOK[19] and entered the Forbes list of the richest people in the world.[20]
In 2015 Savvidis paid all of the club's debts to the Greek State, an amount that totalled at €10,886,811.[21] After his exit from the tax office he stated: "I had a cup of tea that cost me 10,8 million €."[22]
Under his presidency, PAOK FC has won two Super League championships.
Controversies
On 11 March 2018, during the PAOK–AEK football match at the Toumba Stadium and after PAOK had a goal ruled out for offside in the 90th minute, Savvidis entered the pitch with his bodyguards and tried to take the team off. It later surfaced that he had been carrying a handgun in a holster when he entered the pitch. The Greek Super League was subsequently suspended[23][24][25] and Savvidis had a three-year punishment of entering football stadiums by the HFF.
In 2018, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, reportedly accused him of giving hundreds of thousands of euros to individuals and groups who participated in the riots against the Prespa agreement in Skopje.[26] Savvidis with an official statement denied these accusations.[27]
Personal life and community service
Savvidis is President of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia,[28] and was a key figure in pushing for the newly created region by the World Council of Hellenes Abroad in the Black Sea countries.
In 2022, during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Savvidis ordered his associates to prepare around 487 rooms available at the Porto Carras resort in Chalkidiki within northern Greece in order to host refugees of the country during this time.[29]
He is married to Kyriaki Savvidi and has two sons, George (Giorgi) and Nick (Nikolai).
Awards
State
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV degree (21 February 2008) – for achievements in legislative activity, strengthening of Russian statehood and the development of Rostov-on-Don[30]
- Order of Honour (13 December 2003) – for labor achievements and many years of diligent work [31]
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree (6 September 1999) – for his contribution to the socio-economic development of the city of Rostov-on-Don, and in connection with its 250th anniversary [32]
Church
- Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree (2009)
- Order of Saint Seraphim of Sarov III degree (2011)[33]
- Orthodox Knight of the Holy Sepulchre by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Public organizations
- Medal "Patron of the Year" – for the revival of Russian culture and the Rostov-on-Don region (1999–2009)