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Eduard Shifrin

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Eduard Volodymyrovych Shifrin (alternative spelling: Shyfrin) (Ukrainian: Едуа́рд Володи́мирович Шифрі́н; Russian: Эдуа́рд Влади́мирович Шифри́н; born 12 July 1960) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur who is a co-owner of the Midland Group. He is a resident in London.[1]

Biography

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Early life and education

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Shifrin was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Soviet Ukraine, the son of metallurgy professor Vladimir Moiseyevich Shifrin.[1] In 1976–7 he came first in the National Ukrainian Physics Olympiad. From 1977–1983, he attended the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, becoming a metallurgical engineer. He later returned to school and obtained a PhD in metallurgy in 1992.[2]

Business career

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From 1983 to 1993, Shifrin worked in Zaporizhia at the steel company Dniprospecstal, rising from assistant foreman to manager of the steel plant and then head of marketing.[1][2] He then rose to prominence as a business oligarch in newly independent Ukraine, taking control of privatized steelmaker Zaporizhstal. He co-founded, with Alexander Shnaider, Midland Group, a holding company headquartered in Guernsey that embraces interests in steel (including Zaporizhstal, Ukraine's fourth largest steel mill), shipping, real estate, agriculture and sports. Together they own a share in The St. Regis Toronto and formerly owned Maccabi Tel Aviv and a Formula One team, Midland F1 Racing.[3]

In the 2006 edition of the Sunday Times Rich List, Shifrin was listed at no. 59 with an estimated wealth of £920 million.[4] In Forbes magazine's ranking of "The World's Billionaires" in 2009, Shifrin was ranked 559th with an estimated fortune of $1.3 billion.[5] In 2013, Focus magazine estimated his net worth at $893.3 million, making him the No. 20 richest person in Ukraine.[1] In 2008, the global economic crisis hit the group's assets, and the group began selling off its real estate and Russian and Ukrainian steel assets. In 2010, it sells the company's main asset, Zaporizhstal Steel Works, and all related assets..[6] After that, the division of assets between Shifrin and Shnaider began, which was finally completed in 2017 after the business co-owners concluded the trial by signing a settlement agreement. [7] As a result of the division, Shifrin acquires several Moscow properties, which he completes and sells, and then finally leaves Russia in 2020.By 2022 all his businesses in former-Soviet countries were closed.

Writing career

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In 2006, together with his late father, Shifrin published a book titled The Theory of Metallurgical Processes for which he was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine.

In 2018 Shifrin's book From Infinity to Man: The Fundamental Ideas of Kabbalah Within the Framework of Information Theory and Quantum Physics was published in Russian, with an English edition being released in 2019.[8]

In 2019, his children's book Travels with Sushi in the Land of the Mind was published in English.[9] In 2020 it was named a Distinguished Favorite by the Independent Press Award for Juvenile Fiction.[10]

He is a sponsor of Jewish Book Week.[11]

He regularly writes articles about the Kabbalah of Information for the Jerusalem Post.[12]

Musical career

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In 2022/23 Shyfrin wrote 12 jazz-rock-blues compositions (music and lyrics) and recorded them in Paris within the frame of the project Shyfrin Alliance. They are united in the Upside down Blues Album. Shyfrin sings himself 9 compositions. [13] Three singles, Whiskey Blues, The Cage, and Unconditional, have been released on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and US and UK radios, the videos were released on the YouTube, Facebook, Tic Tok.[14] [15]

Philanthropy

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In 2003 he financed the reconstruction of the oldest synagogue in Kyiv and Jewish educational center dedicated to his late father.[16] He also co-sponsored the construction of synagogues in Moscow, Volgograd, and Zaporozhye.[2] He sponsors over 60 Chabad educational classes for children. He served as regional vice-president of the World Jewish Congress.[2][17]

Political opinions

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Following the outbreak of full-scale hostilities between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, Shifrin decried armed conflict[18] and submitted a request to the Russian embassy in London in which he strongly condemned the aggression against Ukraine[19] and requested the renunciation of his Russian citizenship.[20] He and other family members donated to Ukrainian organizations supporting people within and near warzones[21] including the UK-based World Jewish Relief.[22] Put on the wanted list by the Russian authorities without any warning[23] In 2023, he was awarded the Cross of Freedom medal of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine for his work for Ukraine..[24]

Personal life

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Shifrin and his wife live in London with their three children.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Slobodyan, Yelena (27 October 2016). "Кто такой украинский миллиардер Шифрин, который получил гражданство России?". Argumenty i Fakty. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Eduard Shifrin, Vice-President". World Jewish Congress. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Profile: Eduard Shifrin". Forbes. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Steel tycoon seals £7m deal for Premiere club". The Jewish Chronicle. 21 December 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  5. ^ "The World's Billionaires: #559 Eduard Shifrin". Forbes. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ^ Кремлевский караул
  7. ^ Экс-партнеры по Midland Group урегулировали спор по московским проектам
  8. ^ Rothke, Ben (24 July 2019). "Book review: From Infinity to Man". blogs.timesofisrael.com. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  9. ^ Kiverstein, Angela (19 February 2021). "Love of books—and sushi". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  10. ^ "2020 Distinguished Favorites Independent Press Award". IndependentBookAward. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  11. ^ "Festival Sponsors and Partners". JBW. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  12. ^ "Kabbalah". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
  13. ^ "Eduard Shyfrin of Shyfrin Alliance". Just Listen To This. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  14. ^ "Shyfrin Alliance". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  15. ^ "Shyfrin Alliance". Youtube.
  16. ^ Rocker, Simon (8 March 2019). "The link between Kabbalah and quantum physics". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  17. ^ "13th WJC Plenary Assembly - 'We Stand By Israel'". World Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  18. ^ "E. Shyfrin -talks about Kabbalah and condemns aggression against Ukraine". The Jerusalem Post. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  19. ^ "Aggression against Ukraine and the Theory of Chaos - opinion". The Jerusalem Post. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  20. ^ "Renunciation of Russian Citizenship". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-05-31. What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of? My answer is Russian citizenship. In 2020 I left Russia because of the harassment by "siloviki". After 24/02/22 I tried to understand the procedure of renunciation of the Russian citizenship. In the beginning of May, 2022, I sent a letter to the embassy of Russian Federation in UK in which I expressed my protest against the aggression against Ukraine and renounced down my and my daughter's citizenship.
  21. ^ "Copies of letters from the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine and the Kyiv Jewish Community organisation". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  22. ^ "Eduard Shyfrin's appeal to help our brothers and sisters in Ukraine". The Jerusalem Post. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  23. ^ "МВД объявило в розыск получившего гражданство от Путина бизнесмена". 2023-10-12.
  24. ^ "Medal Krest Svobody". www.facebook.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-10-12.
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