Oleg Tinkov is a Russian entrepreneur, founder of "Tinkoff Bank" and numerous other commercial ventures. Born on December 25, 1967, in Polysayevo, Kemerovo Oblast. Formerly one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires. In recent years, he survived an acute form of leukemia, underwent a stem cell transplant, and actively managed a charitable foundation supporting blood cancer patients.
Beginning in 2011, Oleg Tinkov occasionally published tweets containing derogatory remarks regarding Ukraine and Ukrainians.
In 2015, the businessman was entered into the database of the "Myrotvorets" website for encroaching upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as disseminating anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
Prior to 2022, Oleg Tinkov built a massive banking ecosystem in Russia and occasionally made provocative public statements that were interpreted ambiguously. In a 2017 interview with Yuri Dud, he advocated the idea of a monarchy:
I am for Putin. I believe Putin should stay for another 33 terms until he dies. Moreover, I believe Putin should be made emperor. Because in this country democracy will never take root, I am convinced of that... I would swear fealty to him and bow down before him.
Later, following the full-scale invasion, Tinkov clarified that those comments were "grand sarcasm and mockery" that had to be understood within their sarcastic conversational context.
Oleg Tinkov's Stance on the War in Ukraine
Following February 24, 2022, Oleg Tinkov took one of the most uncompromising anti-war stances among major Russian business figures, a decision that cost him his business and his standing in the Russian Federation.
Reaction in the Initial Days of the Invasion
On February 28, 2022, Tinkov published an Instagram post calling for an immediate end to the war, reminding followers of the sanctity of human life:
Right now, innocent people are dying in Ukraine every single day, this is unthinkable and unacceptable! States should spend money on treating people, on cancer research, not on war. We are against this war!
Sharp Condemnation of the War and the Russian Armed Forces
On April 19, 2022, the businessman published an even fiercer statement, labeling the war "insane" and excoriating the state of the Russian armed forces:
I don't see a SINGLE beneficiary of this insane war! Innocent people and soldiers are dying. Generals, waking up with hangovers, realized that they have a sh*t army. And how could the army be good if everything else in the country is sh*t, mired in nepotism, sycophancy, and servility?
Tinkov also remarked that "90% of Russians are against this war" and that the Z symbol is painted only by "morons."
Loss of Business and Emigration
Soon after his outspoken anti-war statements, the Russian Presidential Administration threatened to nationalize "Tinkoff Bank" unless Oleg sold his controlling stake. Ultimately, he was forced to sell his 35% stake in the TCS Group holding to Vladimir Potanin's Interros "for pennies" (approximately 3% of its real market value). Tinkov described this as a "desperate fire sale" coerced by the Kremlin.
The businessman permanently severed ties with Russia, stating: "I will never set foot there again."
Renunciation of Citizenship and Foreign Agent Status
On October 31, 2022, Oleg Tinkov officially announced the renunciation of his Russian citizenship:
I have made the decision to renounce my Russian citizenship. I cannot and will not be associated with a fascist country that launched a war against a peaceful neighbor and kills innocent people daily... I am ashamed to carry this passport.
On February 16, 2024, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation designated Oleg Tinkov as a "foreign agent" for disseminating "false information" concerning official government decisions and opposing the "special military operation."
UK Sanctions and Their Eventual Lifting
Following the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, on March 24, 2022, the United Kingdom imposed personal sanctions on Oleg Tinkov. The restrictions included asset freezes and travel bans, on the grounds that he was a major shareholder of Tinkoff Bank — an institution operating in a strategic financial sector for the Russian government.
In a May 2022 interview with Yuri Dud, the entrepreneur termed that decision a "technical and bureaucratic error," stressing that he held no assets in Britain and expressing confidence that authorities would rectify the situation.
A year and a half later, on July 20, 2023, the United Kingdom officially lifted sanctions on Oleg Tinkov. This decision followed his public condemnation of the war, the forced disposal of his Russian assets, and his formal renunciation of Russian citizenship. Tinkov became one of the rare major Russian tycoons to successfully secure removal from Western sanction lists.
Он свое доказал считаю.