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Russian billionaire Sergey Galitsky: I am proud of my Armenian roots
by Emil Sanamyan
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectidæ01E8DB-6299-11E3-BA1600155D008B1E
Published: Wednesday December 11, 2013
Sergey Galitsky. Courtesy image
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PM: Diaspora drives Armenia's economy
WASHINGTON - One of the richest people in Russia, who owns of the
country's biggest retail chain that he created from the ground up,
discussed his Armenian background in a live radio program.
In the December 10 interview with Mayak that was mostly dedicated to
football and Galitsky's role as the owner of FC Krasnodar, a Russian
premier league side, Sergey Galitsky was asked if reports of his
Armenian background were true and if he speaks Armenian.
"75 percent of my ethnic background is Russian and 25 percent is
Armenian," Galitsky said in the interview. "Since I grew up in a
Russian environment, I unfortunately do not know the Armenian
language, nevertheless I am proud of my Armenian roots."
Galitsky is also in part responsible for the rise of the Armenian
national team star forward Yura Movsisyan, who was scouted by FC
Krasnodar from Denmark in 2011. Last year, Movsisyan transferred to
Spartak Moscow, but as Galitsky recently told Sport-Express.ru, he
remains one of his favorite players.
Galitsky was born Sergey Arutyunyan in Lazarevskoye, a suburb of the
city of Sochi, the upcoming site of the Winter Olympic Games.
(Incidentally, Lazarevskoe is named after a Russian admiral of
Armenian descent Mikhail Lazarev.) According to media reports,
Galitsky took on his wife's family name when they got married.
A stand-out among the billionaires
After opening his first grocery store in 1998, the Magnit retail chain
grew to include more than 5,000 stores, employing more than 200,000
people around Russia. According to Forbes, Galitsky's personal wealth
amounts to $8.2 billion, making him the richest known person of
Armenian descent in the world.
Among others, wealth of the 96-year-old Armenian American Kirk
Kerkorian is currently estimated at about $3.9 billion, leaving him
nearly "tied" with another Russian Armenian billionaire, 48-year-old
real estate developer Samvel Karapetian, estimated to be worth $3.8
billion. Russian Armenian Danil Khachaturov, 42, is reportedly worth
$2.4 billion and Argentinean Armenian Eduardo Eurnekian, 71 - $1.8
billion.
Brothers Sergey and Nikolay Sarkisov, co-owners of Russian
RESO-Garantia insurance and worth $1.35 billion each, were recently
appointed Armenia's consuls general in Los Angeles and Lyon,
respectively.
Kerkorian, Karapetian, Eurnekian, Khachaturov and Sarkisovs have all
made major investments in Armenia's infrastructure and economy.
by Emil Sanamyan
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectidæ01E8DB-6299-11E3-BA1600155D008B1E
Published: Wednesday December 11, 2013
Sergey Galitsky. Courtesy image
Related Articles
PM: Diaspora drives Armenia's economy
WASHINGTON - One of the richest people in Russia, who owns of the
country's biggest retail chain that he created from the ground up,
discussed his Armenian background in a live radio program.
In the December 10 interview with Mayak that was mostly dedicated to
football and Galitsky's role as the owner of FC Krasnodar, a Russian
premier league side, Sergey Galitsky was asked if reports of his
Armenian background were true and if he speaks Armenian.
"75 percent of my ethnic background is Russian and 25 percent is
Armenian," Galitsky said in the interview. "Since I grew up in a
Russian environment, I unfortunately do not know the Armenian
language, nevertheless I am proud of my Armenian roots."
Galitsky is also in part responsible for the rise of the Armenian
national team star forward Yura Movsisyan, who was scouted by FC
Krasnodar from Denmark in 2011. Last year, Movsisyan transferred to
Spartak Moscow, but as Galitsky recently told Sport-Express.ru, he
remains one of his favorite players.
Galitsky was born Sergey Arutyunyan in Lazarevskoye, a suburb of the
city of Sochi, the upcoming site of the Winter Olympic Games.
(Incidentally, Lazarevskoe is named after a Russian admiral of
Armenian descent Mikhail Lazarev.) According to media reports,
Galitsky took on his wife's family name when they got married.
A stand-out among the billionaires
After opening his first grocery store in 1998, the Magnit retail chain
grew to include more than 5,000 stores, employing more than 200,000
people around Russia. According to Forbes, Galitsky's personal wealth
amounts to $8.2 billion, making him the richest known person of
Armenian descent in the world.
Among others, wealth of the 96-year-old Armenian American Kirk
Kerkorian is currently estimated at about $3.9 billion, leaving him
nearly "tied" with another Russian Armenian billionaire, 48-year-old
real estate developer Samvel Karapetian, estimated to be worth $3.8
billion. Russian Armenian Danil Khachaturov, 42, is reportedly worth
$2.4 billion and Argentinean Armenian Eduardo Eurnekian, 71 - $1.8
billion.
Brothers Sergey and Nikolay Sarkisov, co-owners of Russian
RESO-Garantia insurance and worth $1.35 billion each, were recently
appointed Armenia's consuls general in Los Angeles and Lyon,
respectively.
Kerkorian, Karapetian, Eurnekian, Khachaturov and Sarkisovs have all
made major investments in Armenia's infrastructure and economy.