Childhood and youth
Roman's biography begins in the city on the Neva on April 7, 1981. The boy’s father, Boris Rotenberg, in the distant times of perestroika, trained young judokas and taught self-defense lessons at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mother Irina Haranen held a position in the city's trade department.
Roman Rotenberg and his mother Irina Kharanen
Roman has a younger brother, named Boris after his father. Like the rest of the Rotenberg men, the biography of Boris Jr. is inextricably linked with sports. True, unlike his older relatives, the young man plays football professionally.
Already in the Soviet years, the family occupied positions far from ordinary ordinary people. Boris’s older brother, Arkady, is also involved in judo and conducted coaching practice. In addition, the current billionaire, the main person of Russian hockey, has often been a sparring partner of Vladimir Putin since childhood.
Arkady Rotenberg and Roman Rotenberg
Roman's mother had Finnish roots. In Leningrad, the boy entered school No. 204 near the Hermitage, the main distinguishing feature of which was the study of the Finnish language. Knowledge of the language served him well when the family immigrated to Helsinki in 1991. In Finland, a student went to a regular high school and eventually received citizenship of the country.
From childhood, his father instilled in his son a love of sports, and from the age of five he took Roman to training. However, the boy’s heart belonged to hockey, which he became interested in from the age of 11. After graduating from school, the young man entered a sports college, planning to continue his career as an athlete. My father warmly supported this decision.
Roman Rotenberg and Vladimir Putin
In 1999, the teenager's parents separated, and Boris returned to St. Petersburg. Irina Haranen, who remained committed to economics and entrepreneurship, insisted on educating her son in London. Roman himself did not speak out against it, because, as he admitted, he understood that a diploma in economics was much more profitable for his future profession. In London, Roman received a master's degree in international entrepreneurship.
Rotenberg and personal business
Everything Roman did was work for someone, but not for himself. Since he loves sports with all his heart, his personal business should be related to sports. In 2011, the younger Rotenberg founded, which produces sports nutrition.
After some time, it becomes clear that Roman Rotenberg is a good businessman, because the company began to make a profit. Due to his success, he decides to start producing special magnets that give strength and accelerate the healing of injuries.
Career and business
An excellent education, connections between his father and uncle in his homeland, a perspicacious mind and ambition opened the door for Roman to the world of young millionaires. In 2005, Rotenberg returned to Russia, where older family members had already achieved high status, being co-owners of SMP Bank.
However, Roman decided to build a career not in structures belonging to the dynasty. Following the advice of Rotenberg Sr., in 2006, the young businessman successfully passed an interview at its subsidiary, Gazprom Export.
And in 2009, a businessman’s career began at Gazprombank, where Roman currently holds the post of vice president. To obtain the position, the young man had to go through the procedure for restoring citizenship and receive a Russian economic education.
Despite the fact that Rotenberg did not become a hockey player, his life is associated with Russian hockey. Since 2020, the entrepreneur has been on the board of directors of the Continental Hockey League founded by A. I. Medvedev. Since 2011, at the invitation of Gennady Timchenko, he has been vice-president of the hockey club of his hometown - SKA. And in 2014 he received the position of vice-president of the Russian Hockey Federation.
Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg
An enterprising, diplomatic entrepreneur, well versed in hockey and with many connections, brilliantly copes with the responsibilities of developing a marketing strategy and attracting funding for the national team.
It is not surprising that Rotenberg is developing areas of his own business directly or indirectly related to sports. In particular, Roman is the founder of a company producing Russian sports nutrition. Conducts business in the field of sports marketing and equipment. Roman developed and popularized the “Red Machine” brand in the symbols and attributes of modern hockey. Owns the Finnish stadium Hartwall Arena.
Career in Entrepreneurship
Roman Rotenberg graduated from high school in Helsinki, where the whole family moved to live in the early 90s of the last century. Later, the young man received a good education in London (master's degree in entrepreneurial management), and, returning to Russia, got a job at Gazprombank. There Roman Borisovich Rotenberg met Alexander Medvedev, the general director of the Gazprom project, quickly built a career ladder and eventually took the position of vice president of the company. Medvedev, by the way, also turned out to be a great admirer of hockey in general and St. Petersburg SKA in particular.
In addition to the sports nutrition business, Roman Borisovich Rotenberg is a co-owner of the Hartavall ice arena in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. The Russian businessman is also the owner of the Finnish company Langvik Capital (a hotel and conference hall in a picturesque area) and the local HC Jokerit, which has been playing in the Kontinental Hockey League since 2014.
Personal life
A handsome, wealthy young man could not do without female attention and broken hearts. In 2010, the press exploded with the news that the top model from Latvia, Marta Berzkalna, became the wife of a businessman. The young people decided to legalize their relationship a few months after they met. The bride chose her wedding dress in an accelerated manner. A luxurious ceremony took place near Helsinki in Finland.
Roman Rotenberg's wedding
A detailed interview with the newlyweds in Tatler, accompanied by numerous photos of the married couple, unfortunately, did not remain relevant for long.
Soon, Martha, unable to bear her husband’s constant fans, left Roman, being in her fifth month of pregnancy. The girl left for the United States, where she is raising a child on her own. Of course, the young father did not abandon his responsibilities as a parent and financially supports his ex-wife.
Roman Rotenberg and Galina Keda
The eligible groom did not remain single for long after he divorced Martha. Soon he was seen in the company of model Galina Keda. Since 2012, young people have been living together in a civil marriage. In 2013, the beauty gave Roman a daughter, Arina, and in 2020, a son, Roman.
However, Rotenberg has another son, Robert, who was born in the same significant year of 2020 by another model, Margarita Banet. The entrepreneur’s children do not need anything and are fully provided for, just like their mothers.
Roman Rotenberg and Margarita Banet
It is noteworthy that the girls are aware of each other's existence. The press and subscribers are watching with interest the photos that appear with enviable frequency on the Instagram pages of both young mothers. One gets the impression that the beauties staged an unspoken competition.
Users of social networks noticed that both models post with images of gifts, which, by the way, are sometimes very similar. True, more often Roman’s face can be seen among Galina Keda’s posts.
Roman Rotenberg and Karolina Sevastyanova
The businessman was also credited with an affair with the fatal beauty from the world of rhythmic gymnastics, Karolina Sevastyanova. However, the girl explained in an interview that she and Roman were just good friends and no amorous relationships arose between the young people.
Roman Rotenberg now
In 2020, the vice president of SKA is making optimistic plans for the development of the club. However, the performance of the players' hockey players' games at the beginning of the year leaves much to be desired. The team was eliminated from the competition for the Gagarin Cup.
Roman Rotenberg in 2020 in Pyeongchang
The victory of the national hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, according to Rotenberg, will be a new starting point for the development of Russian hockey. At the same time, the national team coach Oleg Znarok, who is also the head coach of SKA, leaves his post after the Olympic victory.
According to media reports, Roman Rotenberg is tired of the rudeness, arrogance and disrespectful attitude of the head coach. And Znarok himself said that he was tired psychologically. In general, the cards fell in such a way that the national team coach, like the SKA coach, changed. Ilya Vorobyov became the new mentor.
Arkady Rotenberg
Arkady Romanovich Rotenberg was born on December 15, 1951 in Leningrad.
Childhood and youth
Arkady was born into an intelligent family; his parents were Jewish. He has a younger brother, Boris, who is also his business partner.
In his preschool years, he was sent to the sports section for acrobatics, and already at the age of 12 he began attending sambo and then judo classes. The coach of the future billionaire was Anatoly Rakhlin, and he studied in the same group with the current President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
This type of martial arts became his main hobby and contributed to his future career.
Education
In 1978, he completed his studies at the Leningrad State University of Physical Culture named after P. F. Lesgaft.
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences.
Entrepreneurship and business
For about 15 years he trained judo and sambo students in sports clubs in Leningrad. In the early 1990s, he acted as a sparring partner for Vladimir Putin in training so that he, already as the head of the Committee for External Relations (KBC) of the St. Petersburg City Hall, could stay in shape and continue to practice judo.
As the businessman himself said, in 1991 he participated in the creation and functioning of the SOVA cooperative, which prepared and held martial arts competitions.
At the same time, together with Boris (his brother lived in Finland at the time), he was engaged in barter supplies, including for Gazprom structures.
In December 1991, he was one of the founders and had a 10% share in the authorized capital.
In July 1993, he headed the Grant Firm, and in February 1997, he established the International Information and Analytical Center Foundation.
Since 1998, he has held the post of general director of the St. Petersburg sports judo club “Yawara-Neva”. This club was created by him in partnership with Gennady Timchenko according to the idea of Vladimir Putin, who is its honorary president.
In 2000, he headed Rosspirtprom, a state-owned enterprise created by President Putin, which controlled 30% of the vodka market.
In 2001, with his partner Konstantin Goloshchapov, he bought the Northern Sea Route bank (SMP Bank) and took the post of chairman of the board of directors of the credit institution. Later, the businessman’s brother Boris acquired the partner’s share. Since 2002 - member of the board of directors of SMP Bank, in 2004 he again assumed the position of chairman.
In 2002, the Rotenberg brothers founded Pipe Metal Rolling.
In 2007, he founded Stroygazmontazh LLC, which won the first Gazprom competition for the construction of the onshore part of the Nord Stream line Gryazovets - Vyborg. Then the businessman bought five companies from Gazprom for $348 million and formed the Stroygazmontazh holding (SGM), which a year later made a profit of more than two billion dollars.
Next he became the owner of the Northern European Pipes project. About 90% of large-diameter pipes were supplied to Gazprom, the profit was 30% (twice the industry average).
In October 2008, SMP-Bank, controlled by the entrepreneur, became the owner of the Bashkir credit organization Investcapital.
In the summer of 2008, he acquired Volgogradneftemash and four construction companies, Spetsgazremstroy, Krasnodargazstroy and Volgogaz with a total turnover of 43.5 billion rubles for 8.39 billion.
Without competition in May 2009, he received a contract from Gazprom for the construction of the Dzhubga - Lazarevskoye - Sochi gas pipeline, and later - for the construction of the Sakhalin - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok gas pipeline.
In 2009, he opened an insurance company.
In March 2010, the Rotenbergs bought a 76% stake in Northern European Pipe Project LLC (closed in 2014).
In 2013, he took the post of chairman of the Prosveshchenie publishing house, the largest supplier of educational literature. The publishing house won about 70% of contracts for the coming 2014.
In 2014-2015, the nominal owner of the Red Square holding Larisa Sinelshchikova - according to the entrepreneur, his business partner - first transferred to him 51% of the shares of the group (including shares of the limited liability companies Red Square, Mandarin, Granat and “Izyum”), and then the remaining 49% of the shares of “Red Square” and the companies controlled by it.
In 2014, during preparations for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, he received government contracts worth a total of seven billion, including a coastal highway worth two billion and an underwater gas pipeline.
On January 30, 2015, the head of government, Dmitry Medvedev, by decree appointed Arkady Romanovich as the sole contractor for the design and construction of the Crimean Bridge. The work was also carried out by Mostotrest, which he controlled.
In December 2015, Stroygazmontazh was selected by Gazprom as a contractor for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline for a total amount of 197.7 billion rubles.
In August 2016, together with Artem Obolensky, head of the board of directors of SMP-Bank and Mosoblbank, he founded (NGG). In November 2016, he sold his share.
In 2017, information appeared in the media that its structures would acquire the assets of the sports and entertainment district “Park of Legends”.
In February 2018, he announced the upcoming free project “Krugozor”, aimed at development and entertainment for teenagers 12-16 years old.
According to Forbes, the businessman’s capital currently consists of: the group (owns 100%), Minudobreniya (80%), TPS Avia (35%), which controls Sheremetyevo International Airport, SMP Bank (50%).
From August 21, 2015 to the present, he heads the Russian Hockey Federation as Chairman of the Board.
American and European sanctions
On March 20, 2014, then US President Barack Obama signed a document according to which sanctions were imposed on a number of friends and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, including the Rotenberg brothers. The reason for this is “violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” On July 30 of the same year, he was included in the list of Russians subject to sanctions from the European Union, and on June 21, 2020 - the sanctions list of Ukraine.
Ratings and personal fortune
Since 2011, he has been included in the rating of “200 richest businessmen in Russia”, published by Forbes magazine in March of each year. He was included in the list in 92nd place with a fortune of $1.1 billion, in 2012 he dropped to 94th line, having lost $100 million in a year. In 2013, he rose sharply - immediately to 31st place - increasing his fortune to $3.3 billion. In 2014, he was placed in 27th position, and his fortune was estimated at $4 billion - the best figure in eight years.
In 2015 and 2016, the billionaire’s fortune more than halved ($1.4 and $1 billion / 60th and 75th place in the ranking, respectively).
In 2017, he rose again to 39th place with a fortune of $2.6 billion, in 2018 he dropped one position, while his fortune increased to $3 billion.
In 2018, in another Forbes ranking called “Kings of Government Contracts” he took third place (the amount of contracts is 88 billion rubles).
Awards
He holds the title of Honored Trainer of Russia. For his contribution to the development of physical education and sports, as well as domestic hockey, he repeatedly received awards and titles. Thus, in 2005 he received the title “Honored Worker of Physical Culture of the Russian Federation.”
In 2013, he was awarded a Presidential Certificate of Honor and the Order of Friendship, and in 2015, the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree. In 2016, he received a letter of gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation.
Family status
Divorced, five children. The billionaire's first wife is Galina, they have three children: Igor (born in 1973), Lilia (born in 1978) and Pavel (born in 2000).
The second wife Natalya, with whom they were married from 2005 to 2013, lives in the UK with their two children - Varvara and Arkady.
The billionaire also has grandchildren - the children of Igor and Lilia - and nephews (children of his younger brother): Roman (born in 1981) and Boris (born in 1986).
Condition assessment
The financial condition of Roman Rotenberg was not independently assessed by reputable economic publications. The young entrepreneur was not included in the lists of oligarchs and the wealthiest people in Russia and the world.
Roman Rotenberg
But the Rotenberg family, including Roman, has been included in the ranking of the richest dynasties in the Russian Federation for more than one year. In 2014, businessmen occupied first place according to Forbes estimates. Due to the sanctions policy in 2015, the Rotenbergs lost the title of the richest in the country and moved to second place, losing the position of leader to the Gutserievs’ business.
Biography of Boris Rotenberg
Boris Romanovich Rotenberg is an athlete, honored coach of Russia, businessman, co-founder of SMP Bank and Stroygazmontazh Group of Companies, one of the owners of TEK Mosenergo, Novorossiysk Seaport, deputy head of the Russian Judo Federation, ex-head of FC Dynamo.
In 2010, according to Forbes, with an estimated assets of $700 million, he was included in the list of the hundred richest Russians. In 2020, this print publication assessed the business value of the wealthiest Russian families. The Rotenbergs were in second position on this list (after the Gutserievs). Their total financial assets amounted to $2.95 billion.
Rotenberg Boris Romanovich
Boris owns 920 million of them (elder brother Arkady – 1.55 billion). In 2014, their family fortune was estimated at $5.55 billion. After the oligarch brothers came under EU and US sanctions, in order to avoid possible losses, they transferred part of their assets to their sons.
The businessman is known for being friends with Vladimir Putin. Even as a child, together with his brother, he studied in the same sports section with the future head of state. Arkady was a sparring partner of the President of the Russian Federation. They have maintained friendly relations for more than half a century.
