Kostyantyn Zhevago


Kostyantyn Valentynovych Zhevago is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, the youngest self-made billionaire in Europe. He was the first Eastern European to present one of his companies — Ferrexpo to the London Stock Exchange. Zhevago controls the "Finances and Credit" group — one of largest conglomerates of Ukraine; holds a post of FC Vorskla honorary president. He was a member of the Verkhovna Rada from 1998 until 2019.

Biography

Early years

Kostyantin Zhevago was born on January 7, 1974 in Iul'tin village in the family of a mining engineer.

Education

In 1991 Kostyantin Zhevago entered the Kyiv National Economic University, taking «Accounting and analysis of external economic activity» specialization. In 1996, he graduated with a master's degree in economics.
In 2003 Kostyantin Zhevago defended a candidate's dissertation «International investments and effective economic development» in the Kyiv National Economic University.

Business

While studying Kostyantin Zhevago began a career in the position of "Finances and Credit" chief financial officer, holding this post from 1993 to 1996.
From 1996 to 1998 he holds posts of "Finances and Credit" president, public corporation "Poltava ore-dressing and processing enterprise" council deputy and is member of public corporation "Ukrnafta" supervisory board.
Kostyantin Zhevago, 35-year-old investor, was the first of the Ukrainian multimillionaires to present one of his companies — Ferrexpo to the London Stock Exchange. In autumn 2007 Ferrexpo was added to the FTSE 250 Index.
Forbes magazine named Kostyantin Zhevago the youngest billionaire in Europe, who made his fortune by himself. His bank "Finances and Credit" was one of the TOP-10 largest Ukrainian banks with hundreds of branches across Ukraine. He controls developed and successful enterprises in mining and metallurgical, shipbuilding, engineering, heavy car production, pharmacology and food industries in Ukraine and countries of Western Europe and Middle East. Owns the football team of Ukrainian Premier League FC Vorskla Poltava.

Political activity

In Ukraine Kostyantin Zhevago conducts active political activity. In the period of March 1998 — April 2002 he holds the post of a State Deputy of Ukraine of 3rd convocation from 149th electoral district. June 1998 — Zhevago Kostyantin is a member of parliament committee of questions of economic policy, state economy management, property and investments.
April 2002 to April 2006 — post of a State Deputy of Ukraine of 4th convocation from 150 electoral district. June, 2002 — member of parliament committee of questions of legal policy, member of Verkhovna Rada permanent delegation in PACE.
May 2006 to April 2007 — State Deputy of Ukraine of 5th convocation from Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
Since December 23, 2007 Kostyantin Zhevago holds a post of State Deputy of Ukraine of 6th convocation in the list of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. Leader of deputy group of inter-parliamentary connections with Japan. He missed all 51 parliament sessions in 2010.
Zhevago returned to parliament after the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election after winning with more than 60% as an independent candidate in single-member districts number 150 located in the town Horishni Plavni; the successors of his former political association Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Batkivshchyna, did not have its own candidate in this district. Zhevago did not join a faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
In the 2014 parliamentary election Zhevago was re-elected into parliament again as an independent candidate in single-member districts number 150; this time with 43.81% of the votes. He again did not join a faction.
In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Zhevago failed to regain his seat in parliament, concluding his twenty one year career as a member of parliament. He lost the election in single-member district number 150 with 24.9% of the vote. The winning candidate was Alexei Movchan from the Servant of the People party, who won with 41% of the vote.

Controlled assets

"Finances and Credit" group is to one of the largest Ukrainian conglomerates. It includes enterprises in the fields of metallurgy, ferrous deposits and ferromagnetic ore, engineering, transport, pharmaceutics, shipbuilding, energetics.
"Finances and Credit" bank was founded in 1990 and by the size of assets it was considered one of the largest banks of Ukraine according to classification of National Bank of Ukraine. By April 1, 2009 authorized capital stock of the bank made 2 billion UAH, net wealth made 18,316 billion UAH, bank liabilities — 15,840 billion UAH. The loan portfolio made 15,880 billion UAH, loan portfolio of natural person — bank clients — 5, 983 billion UAH. By April 1, 2009 the bank system included 16 branches and 326 departments in all areas of Ukraine. The basic shareholders of "Finances and Credit" bank on 01.04.2009 were the close corporation "F&C Realty", LTD "Askaniya" and National joint-stock company "Naftohaz Ukrainy".
According to the data, by April 1, 2009 the bank occupied the 13th place among 162 operating in the country. On 17 December 2016 the National Bank of Ukraine withdrew the banking license of Finance and Credit and liquidated the bank.

"Finances and Credit" group companies

«Omega» insurance company
Joint-stock company «F&C Realty», Hotel «Salute» Kiev, Terminal in the seaport "Southern", Institute «Kievsoyuzdorproekt»
Joint-stock company “Biloterkovna teploelektrotsentral”, Ukrenerhosbyt, Odessaoblenerho, Ukrainian-German «Mega-motors», Luhanskoblenerho
Joint-stock company «Rosava», joint-stock company “Kremenchug factory of technical carbon”, Stakhanov factory of technical carbon, LTD. “Ukrtekhuglerod”, Zatisnyansk chemical factory
AvtoKrAZ, Uzhgorod «Turbogaz», Kharkov instrumental factory, Stakhanov carriage works, Berdychiv machine-shop «Progress», Poltava machine unit factory
Zaliv Shipbuilding yard, “Kiev shipbuilding and reconstruction factory”
Poltava GOK, Skopski Legury, Ferreekspo, Electrometallurgical plant «Vorskla Steel», Electrometallurgical factory «Vorskla steel Denmark»
Joint-stock companies “Kievmedpreparat”, “Gemoplast”, “Galichfarm”.
Joint-stock company Kremenchukm'yaso

Wealth

According to Forbes, he is Ukraine's youngest billionaire. In March 2012 Forbes placed him on the Forbes list of billionaires at the 719th place with $1.8 billion.