Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Len Blavatnik has been granted honorary Greek citizenship, along with his 21-year-old son, Ariel.
The decision was formalized in a Presidential Decree published in Greece's Government Gazette, following a proposal by Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios and signed by President Konstantinos Tasoulas.
Under Greek law, honorary naturalization may be conferred on foreign nationals who have rendered exceptional services to the country or whose citizenship is deemed to serve the national interest. The decree described Blavatnik as a "figure of global influence" with a long record of philanthropic contributions in education and science, particularly in the field of innovation. His son, it added, has supported him in these efforts, justifying their inclusion under the provision.
Blavatnik, who is 68, is one of the world's wealthiest individuals, ranked 65th on the latest Forbes list with a net worth of $31.3 billion. Born in Odessa and raised in Moscow, he emigrated with his family to the United States in 1978. He studied computer science at Columbia University and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. His fortune was built in part on the Russian oil company TNK-BP, from which he earned billions in dividends before selling his stake in 2013 for $7 billion. His business dealings in Russia have frequently been the subject of media scrutiny for their proximity to senior officials in Moscow.
Beyond oil and gas, Blavatnik has expanded his investments across multiple industries. In 2011 he acquired Warner Music for $3.3 billion, later taking it public in 2020 and quadrupling its value. His investment company, Access Industries, today holds significant stakes in firms such as LyondellBasell in chemicals, Calpine in energy, and Opendoor in digital real estate. He has also given more than $1 billion to leading universities and research institutions, including Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, and Yale.
Although Greece has not yet seen major business ventures by Blavatnik or his Access Industries group, one notable link is the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, which trains current and future leaders and has hosted members of the Greek government as speakers.
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