Leonid Mikhelson

Leonid Mikhelson
Леонид Михельсон
Mikhelson in 2020
Born (1955-08-11) 11 August 1955
Citizenship
Alma materKuibyshev Civil Engineering Institute

BEng

Master of Engineering
OccupationBusinessman
Known forMajor Shareholder of Novatek
Richest Person in Russia
TitleChairman & CEO, Novatek
SpouseMarried
Children2

Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson (Russian: Леони́д Ви́кторович Михельсо́н; born 11 August 1955) is a Russian-Israeli billionaire oligarch, businessman, CEO, chairman and major shareholder of the Russian gas company Novatek.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mikhelson obtained a stake in a privatized pipeline construction company out of which he formed Novatek. He is a business partner of Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko, a close confidante of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes, he had a net worth of US$29.5 billion, as of 2025, making him the 64th richest person in the world and the second richest in Russia. According to the 2023 Forbes annual rating, Mikhelson is ranked 4th among Russian billionaires with a net worth of $28.5 billion.