Support The Moscow Times!

Blavatnik Puts $400M Into German Firm

Russian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik, ranked 44th in the Forbes Rich List with a fortune of $16 billion, has invested about $400 million in German venture capital firm Rocket Internet, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

Founded in 2007 by German brothers Alexander, Marc and Oliver Samwer, Rocket Internet has financed and built one of the biggest online fashion stores in Latin America, along with multiple businesses projects in Russia, Asia and the Middle East, the British newspaper reported.

The company said Tuesday it had attracted an extra $400 million in funding, bringing the total raised since the start of last year to $1.8 billion. Blavatnik, who sold his stake in TNK-BP for $7 billion in March, has provided much of that new capital, the paper said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more