Vitaly Antonov: biography, date and place of birth, family, business and hobbies

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Entrepreneur Vitaly Antonov, whose biography is connected with the fuel business, was included in the Russian sanctions list in November 2018. I was wondering what this person is doing? There are many white spots in his biography. Let's talk about the life and business of Vitaly Antonov, his hobbies and family.

Beginning of life

The future businessman Antonov Vitaly Borisovich was born on December 12, 1962 in the city of Stryi, Lviv region in Ukraine. Nothing is known about the entrepreneur’s childhood and his parents; Antonov himself does not like to talk about the topics of his private life. We can only say with certainty that he lived in his hometown until graduation.

From 1970 to 1978 he studied at secondary school No. 4 in the city of Stryi. From childhood, Vitaly was fond of sports, seriously engaged in mountaineering, and this tempered his character. After graduating from 8 classes, Antonov enters the vocational school in the city of Stryi. And at the end of it, in 1981, he gets a job in repair shops as an electric and gas welder.

Education

In 1983, Vitaly Antonov entered the Ternopil Financial and Economic Institute with a degree in Finance and Credit. He studies well, continues to play sports. And in 1988 he received a diploma of graduation with honors.

Later, in 2011, Antonov decided to improve his qualifications and defended his Ph. D. thesis in economics. The theme of the work "Activation of attracting foreign direct investment in the economy of Ukraine in the context of global competition" is related to his professional activities.

Work history

After graduation, Antonov decided to follow the path associated with his passion for mountaineering and rock climbing. In 1988, he became the director of the mountaineering and tourist club "Karpaty" in his native city. And two years later, the young man already becomes the head of the rescue service of the Red Cross Society of the city of Stryi, Lviv region. At this time, a wave of private entrepreneurship begins to rise in the country. And active Vitaly decides to try himself in this area. The death of a mountaineer friend also pushed him to this. Antonov says that this scared him away from hiking in the mountains for a while.

Business

In 1992, Antonov, together with friends, opened a private firm "Karat" for wholesale trade in various groups of goods. According to the businessman, they traded everything that was possible: from oranges to truck cranes. The company was looking for its niche in the market. For several years of work, they have identified the most profitable segment, and the main activity istrade in petroleum products.

In 1995, Antonov creates an open joint-stock company "Galnaftogaz" and becomes its president. The company is rapidly gaining weight in the country, occupying an increasing share of the market. In 2001, a concern was established on the basis of a joint-stock company, and Antonov became its president.

In the same year, the capacities of three large fuel companies are combined: Ivanofrankivsknaftoprodukt OJSC, Zakarpatnaftoprodukt-Uzhgorod OJSC and Zakarpatnaftoprodukt-Khust OJSC. They create a network of gas stations, the Galnaftogaz concern is appointed their owner, and Vitaly Antonov is at the head of the network.

OKKO was the name of Antonov's first gas station, it was a complex with a cafe, a car wash and a shop. This enterprise has become a model for all stations of the network. And the name for the chain was also adopted from this first gas station. So, in a few years, Vitaly Borisovich reached a completely new level, becoming one of the largest businessmen in the country.

In 2004, Antonov became president of the Universal Investment Group. Two years later, he is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Khlebprom concern. Two years later, he heads the Supervisory Board of the Universalnaya insurance company. All these years, Antonov continues to head the Supervisory Board of Galnaftogaz.

In 2009, a businessman decides to sell a 20% stake in the fuel concern to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He invests the resulting profit of $ 50 million in the development of the OKKO network. At the same time Antonovcontinues to develop other branches of its business. He combines his construction and development companies and creates a large holding UDC. Vitaliy Borisovich strengthens the food companies of the Hlebprom concern through the purchase of the Yavir-Mlyn company.

Since 2010, Antonov has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Lvov Invest, an investment attraction company. Later, restaurant chains and grocery retail stores appeared in Antonov's empire. Now the businessman is thinking about building a ski resort in his homeland. Despite the difficult situation in the country, Antonov's companies show a steady increase in net profit for the third year in a row.

Condition

The successful entrepreneurial activity of Vitaly Antonov allowed him to earn a very serious capital. According to 2018, his fortune is estimated at more than half a billion dollars. He is only 18 million behind the President of Ukraine A. Poroshenko. Over the past three years, the businessman has been able to move from 21st place in the list of "100 richest people in Ukraine" to thirteenth position.

Community activities

Active and successful entrepreneur Vitaly Antonov, whose business is developing well, finds strength and time for various social activities. At the end of the 20th century, he headed the commission for the work of the fuel and energy complex of the Ukrainian Council of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Since 1999, the businessman has been the permanent Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Lviv, and since 2007 - the General Honorary Consul of this country. Since 2001, he has headed the Lithuanian-Ukrainian Council named afterpoet Taras Shevchenko.

In 2002, Antonov tried to enter politics for the first time, he participated in the elections for deputies from the For a United Ukraine bloc and failed. From now on, he prefers to cooperate with politicians, but not to do this himself.

In 2008, the entrepreneur became one of the founders of the Business School at the Catholic University in Lviv.

In 2009, he works in the Council of Investors under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Antonov is constantly looking for opportunities to protect and lobby his business, so he actively cooperates with the government. In 2013, he is a member of the Investment Council under the Ministry of Revenue of Ukraine.

In 2016, Antonov is a member of the Supervisory Board of Lviv University.

Awards and titles

During his successful career, Vitaly Antonov, whose photo can be found in Ukrainian gossip columns, was often awarded high ranks. He systematically gets into the lists of the richest and most influential people in Ukraine. More than once he received the title of the Best Manager in the oil and gas industry. In 2011, Antonov was included in the top three top managers in the whole country. In 2012, he won in the Salesperson and Marketer nomination, and in 2014, Vitaliy Borisovich became the first in the ranking of the best top managers in Ukraine according to Kompanion magazine. Since 2013, he has been annually included in the list of "100 most influential people in Ukraine".

Antonov has several government awards on his account: the Ukrainian Order of Merit, the Lithuanian Order of the Millennium Star of Lithuania,several awards from the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Hobbies

From his youth, Vitaly Antonov has a passion for the mountains. He has the title of candidate master of sports in rock climbing and mountaineering. Leaving the idea of doing this sport professionally, the businessman continues to go to the mountains, although he no longer makes extreme ascents. He is also interested in skiing, freeride, heli-skiing, diving, moto sports, travelling. The businessman regularly works out in the gym, even manages to hold meetings from there. Antonov skillfully distributes his time between business and hobbies, which helps him to do many things at the same time.

Private life

Vitaly Antonov, whose family is of great interest to the public and journalists, often try to attribute various novels. But the businessman does not pay attention to these rumors. For several years Antonov has been divorced, and this haunts gossip. Previously, the businessman was married, has three children from this marriage. Daughter Julia (b. 1985) is a member of the TV Council of Glanaftogaz, has an MBA degree. Antonov also has another daughter (born in 1993) and a son (born in 2003). After the divorce, the children stayed with their mother, but Antonov helps them financially, there was no scandal in connection with the divorce.

Interesting facts

Vitaly Antonov was nicknamed "a billion with a smile" by the press. So he was nicknamed for the habit of always smiling at everyone, he demands the same from all his employees.

The businessman does not hide his sympathy for the views of Karl Marx. Hebelieves that money is the main measure of a relationship.

In 2018, Antonov and his company were charged with operating gas stations in Crimea, as well as financing and inciting separatism in eastern Ukraine.

Quotes

Vitaly Antonov is an entrepreneur with a reputation for being very cautious. He does not tend to make harsh comments or make ambiguous statements. Among the notable quotes from his speeches, the following are the most famous:

• “For me, money is not a goal at all, but a way to measure relationships. If relations with the outside world are of high quality, then there is more money, if they are of poor quality, then money, respectively, is less.”
• “In the mountains, you can lose everything, including life. In business, the situation is the same.”
• "Business is a means of self-realization."
• "A company's main asset is its reputation."