Eugene Shvidler

Evgeny Markovich Shvidler (; born 23 March 1964), known in English as Eugene Shvidler, is a Soviet-born billionaire businessman, and winemaker.

Shvidler was sanctioned by the UK Government in March 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and he remains under United Kingdom sanctions. Shvidler holds dual British and American citizenship. In August 2023, the UK High Court rejected Shvidler's application for his being sanctioned to be reviewed. In February 2024, Shvidler's appeal to the UK Court of Appeal was rejected.

As of April 2014, Shvidler's wealth is estimated at $1.6 billion, although it is unclear how much of this is sanctioned. In 1989, Shvidler moved to the US, and studied at Fordham University in New York, receiving an MBA in 1992. Shvidler then worked for Deloitte & Touche in New York. He became a US citizen in 1994. This would be the first of a number of business collaborations between Shvindler and Abramovich over the years. In 1995, the friends partnered again to gain control of oil giant Sibneft for $250 million, in an auction that some experts suspected of having been "rigged"; Shvidler joined Sibneft initially as senior Vice President and served as company president from 1998 until October 2005, when Russian state energy company Gazprom acquired Sibneft for $13 billion. For most of his tenure, Sibneft was Russia's fastest growing oil company in terms of production, and its most profitable in terms of earnings per barrel. Shvidler was chairman of Millhouse LLC, Abramovich’s Moscow-based investment company, but he stepped down in early March 2022 after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government. On 12 March, The Guardian ran an article under the headline 'Why has Abramovich’s billionaire friend been left off the UK sanctions list?'. Shvidler's case was the first appeal against sanctions to reach the High Court, and was described as a 'landmark' case.

Appeals against Sanctions

At the High Court hearing in July 2023, Shvidler’s lawyers told the court that Shvidler was a British national, who had "never been a citizen of Russia, nor visited Russia for 15 years", has "no relationship with President Putin (whom he last saw at Boris Yeltsin’s funeral in April 2007)", and has "never been involved in politics". Shvidler's lawyers stated that he has "no ability to influence or affect Russian government policy or to compel the Russian government to withdraw from Ukraine", contending that their client had been sanctioned for being a "friend of Roman Abramovich and a director of a FTSE 100 company", that sanctions breached his human rights, and that Shvindler was being discriminated against for being Russian. Shvindler's lawyers further claimed there had been improper procedure by the UK Government, and that the lives of Shvidler's ex-wife Zara, and their children, had been "turned upside down" by sanctions, with his children rejected school places in the UK, and having to move to the USA, and his "ability to conduct his businesses has been destroyed." The court heard that Shvidler's two private aircraft have been grounded, and he has been unable to pay the expenses necessary to ensure his private yacht is safe and seaworthy. UK Government lawyers cited his 'close ties' and business connections to Abramovich, and the "financial benefit" he has received from this association, and from the Russian Government.

In August 2023, Shvidler's challenge was rejected by the High court, with the judge, Mr Justice Garnham, saying that the sanctions "do not threaten Shvidler's life or liberty". On 27 February, the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment, ruling against Shvidler and Naumenko. Shvidler's solicitor stated that Shvidler retained his belief in the UK Court system and planned to appeal the ruling in the UK Supreme Court. In its judgement, the Court said: "Sanctions often have to be severe and open-ended if they are to be effective. The object of the designation in relation to Mr Shvidler is that he should so far as possible be disabled from enjoying his assets and pursuing his wealthy lifestyle."