Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko transferred 32 billion rubles ($335 million) to the Sirius educational center in 2023 after Russia's Prosecutor General's Office moved to confiscate his power company Sibeco, The Economist reported, citing sources familiar with the agreement.
The donation came after prosecutors alleged that Melnichenko had colluded with former owner Mikhail Abyzov when acquiring the asset. Two weeks after the transfer, the prosecutors dropped their claims, according to the magazine.
The sum — 32 billion rubles — matches the amount Melnichenko and his entities paid for Sibeco years ago, The Economist noted.
Sirius, an educational center founded on the initiative of President Vladimir Putin, has received large donations from other Russian businessmen as well. Suleiman Kerimov, owner of potash producer Uralkali, transferred about $100 million after the company's director Vladislav Baumgertner was arrested in Minsk. In 2022, the Proekt investigative outlet reported that entrepreneurs were required to contribute at least $1 million annually to Sirius's budget.
Forbes estimates Melnichenko's fortune at $20.4 billion, ranking him eighth among Russian billionaires.
The Economist also described Melnichenko's first personal meeting with Putin in May 2025. According to the businessman, Putin received him after midnight; a red folder lay on the table, which Melnichenko assumed was a security service dossier. During the conversation, Melnichenko said the Russian elite's mistake was separating its fate from the country's and relying on Western guarantees of property protection. Putin, according to Melnichenko, liked that position. The meeting lasted over an hour.