Who is Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler, who bought Angelina Jolie’s share of Chateau Miraval and upset Brad Pitt? 5 things to know, from his Victoria’s Secret model wife to his drinks empire
- His wife Tatiana Kovylina has walked for Calvin Klein and Givenchy while his company SPI Group makes Stoli vodka and owns vineyards in Spain and Italy
- He used to own Serene, one of the world’s biggest superyachts, and has homes in Surrey, on the Cote d’Azur and on the Tulchan Estate in Speyside, Scotland
The Oscar-winning actress has reportedly sold her share of Chateau Miraval and its famous vineyard to the Stoli Group, a Luxembourg-based spirits manufacturer owned by a Russian oligarch and billionaire named Yuri Shefler. This news surprised music fans as Pitt had planned to reopen the chateau’s equally legendary recording studio later this year.
Many fans are also curious about the mysterious buyer, Yuri Shefler, a big player in the alcoholic drinks industry with a net worth of US$2.4 billion, per Forbes.
Last year, the oligarch made headlines when he fired his UK-based group chief investment officer, Vlad Zabelin, after he expressed concerns that a temporary 30 per cent pay cut for their 2,000 workers during the pandemic might become permanent, according to The Times.
So, what do we know about the media recluse?
1. He owns the SPI Group and was forced to leave Russia
Born in Oryol in Russia, Shefler, 54, graduated from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. Previously chairman of JSC Vnukovo Airlines, among other roles, he established the SPI Group in 1997.
He got into trouble when he was accused of misappropriation of the alcohol brand Stolichnaya Vodka and was forced to leave Russia. According to Forbes, he bought the brand from state-owned VVO Soyuzplodoimport for US$285,000 in 1997, but the Russian Supreme Court ruled the sale illegal in 2001, banning Shefler from selling his vodka inside the country. He relocated to Latvia, where he still has major factories today before settling in the UK in 2002, according to Russian website TAdviser.
2. He deals in alcoholic drinks, property and agriculture
