Valeri Belokon

Valērijs Belokoņs or Valeri Belokon (; born 14 February 1960) is a Latvian businessman. He is a majority shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board of Baltic International Bank; a former co-owner of Blackpool F.C. From 12 January 2010 to 4 June 2013, he served as a Trustee of The Prince's Foundation for Building Community.

For his continuous support of Latvian literature he is well known as Patron of literature.

Education Born in Riga, when Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union, Belokoņs studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (USA) and the University of Latvia, Faculty of Philology.

Business career Belokoņs is the chairperson of the supervisory board of Baltic International Bank, and his corporation Belokoņs Holdings has interests in finance, media, the Food industry and social projects in Latvia as well as football in England.

In the 1980s, prior to becoming involved in business, Belokoņs worked as a correspondent in Soviet Youth newspaper in Latvia.

Main business interests:

Finance and investments Baltic International Bank servicing VIP customers. Position - founder, main shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board. In 2020, Belokon held a 62.08% stake and his brother Vilorijs Belokon held a 32.99% stake. On 11 February 1999, Latvian Industrial Bank became insolvent and on 23 December 1999 the "BALTIJAS STARPTAUTISKĀ BANKA" (BSB), which is what Baltic International Bank was known as then, gained Lainbanka's assets. Maval Aktivi AS - a holding company jointly formed in June 2006 with Maxim Bakiev JSC "Brīvais vilnis" establish 1 December 2014. Formerly known as SIA „BALTIC FINANCE & CAPITAL” until 1 December 2014 when JSC "Brīvais vilnis" gained a 100% stake and on 2 December 2014 SIA „BALTIC FINANCE & CAPITAL” was removed from the register of Latvian companies. On 1 December 2014, the brothers Belokon, who act in concert, held a 97.25% stake in JSC "Brīvais vilnis". On 11 February 2019, JSC "Brīvais vilnis" became a closed firm and ended trading on the regulated market. Manas Bank – formerly Insan Bank in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Acquired in 2008. Placed in insolvent liquidation on 6 July 2015. Position - Sole owner. On a petition from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Paris Court of Appeal of the French Republic found on 21 February 2017 "that Insan Bank was taken over by Mr Belokon in order to develop, in a state where his privileged relations with the holder of economic power guaranteed him the absence of any true monitoring of his activities, money laundering practices which could not have flourished in the less favourable environment of Latvia."

Personal life Belokoņs has three children.