30 Facts About Alexander Lebedev

Alexander Lebedev's fortune has since declined, and he is no longer considered to be a billionaire.

Alexander Lebedev is part owner of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and owner of two UK newspapers with his son Evgeny Lebedev: the Evening Standard and The Independent.

In May 2022, Lebedev was put on Canada's sanctions list following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Alexander Lebedev was separately reported to have met Vyacheslav Dukhin, a senior Russian government official, weeks before the invasion.

Alexander Lebedev's father, Yevgeny Nikolaevich Lebedev, was an elite athlete: a member of the Soviet national water polo team, and later a professor at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow's highest technical school.

In 1977, Alexander Lebedev entered the Department of Economics at Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

Alexander Lebedev transferred to the First Chief Directorate of the KGB.

Alexander Lebedev worked for the KGB's successor, the Foreign Intelligence Service, until 1992.

Alexander Lebedev used to own the Moskovski Korrespondent, but according to Channel 4's Dispatches programme, Alexander Lebedev closed it down for publishing an article about Vladimir Putin having an affair with Alina Kabayeva.

Alexander Lebedev promised not to interfere with the editorial running of the paper.

Alexander Lebedev commented that during his time as a spy in London, he used the Evening Standard to find information.

Also in November 2012, Alexander Lebedev announced that he was selling off his assets in Russia.

In 2019, Alexander Lebedev invested in the Emperium shipbuilding project, which produces electric-powered passenger ships.

Alexander Lebedev said afterwards that he had reacted to Polonsky's threat of violence towards him.

Alexander Lebedev was later charged with disorderly conduct and sentenced to community service for that incident.

In 2003, Alexander Lebedev stood as a candidate for elections to the Mayoralty of Moscow and the State Duma.

Alexander Lebedev remained in the Duma until 2007, when new elections were held.

Alexander Lebedev was formerly the Vice Chairman of Duma's committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States, the coordinator of Duma's group on interactions with Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the coordinator of the State Duma group dealing with the city.

Alexander Lebedev, together with the former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, was a co-owner of Novaya Gazeta, one of the most vocal newspapers critical of the current Russian Government.

Alexander Lebedev is a founder and the President of the National Investment Council, a non-political and non-government organization working to improve the investment sentiments in Russia, protecting interests of the Russian business abroad, and fighting the negative sentiments towards Russian business.

In March 2009, Alexander Lebedev announced that he would be running for mayor of Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, but a court ruling declared his candidacy invalid on 13 April 2009.

The court ruling was a result of a complaint by another candidate, Vladimir Turukhanovsky, that Alexander Lebedev's campaign received three donations from minors that is forbidden by Russian electoral law.

Alexander Lebedev's campaigners sent the money back the same day it was received but still it was found sufficient to disqualify his candidacy.

Alexander Lebedev said that he intended to appeal against the court's decision.

Alexander Lebedev was described by The New York Times as an oligarch as recently as 2020, when his son Evgeny was nominated for a life peerage by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Alexander Lebedev has a long history of supporting culture and charity, and created an organization named Charitable Reserve Fund to bring order to these activities.

Alexander Lebedev was awarded the Saint Innokenty of Moscow Order by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Dialogue of Cultures medal by UNESCO.

Evgeny Alexander Lebedev has sat in the House of Lords as a crossbench life peer since 19 November 2020.

Since 2005, Alexander Lebedev's partner has been Elena Perminova, a former model; some sources report they are married while others say they are engaged.

Alexander Lebedev owns the Palazzo Terranova in Ronti and the nearby Castello di Santa Eurasia near Monte Tezio in the countryside of Citta di Castello in Perugia.