Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
Russian-British-Israeli businessman (born 1953)
| Viatcheslav Kantor | |
|---|---|
| Image | Viatcheslav_Moshe_Kantor.jpg |
| Born | 08 09 1953 (age 73 years old (as of 2026) |
| Died | |
| Nationality | Russian, British, 'Israeli' |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Kantor |
| Children | |
| Sibling(s) | |
| Website | moshekantor.com |
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor is a Russian-born British and 'Israeli' oligarch.[1] He serves as President of the European Jewish Congress, President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kantor was placed on sanctions lists by the United Kingdom and the European Union. He was removed from the EU and Swiss sanctions lists in March 2025 and re-elected President of the European Jewish Congress for a fifth term in May 2025.[2]
Early life and education
Kantor was born on 8 September 1953 in Moscow.[3] He graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1976 and completed a PhD there in 1981 in spacecraft automatic control systems.[4]
Career
Kantor gained his wealth as the largest shareholder of the Acron Group, one of the world's largest mineral fertiliser producers.[5][6] He also owns shares in the Polish chemical company Grupa Azoty.[7] Kantor has close ties to Vladimir Putin according to the Zionist press.[8]
Sanctions
In March 2022 the British government sanctioned Kantor.[9] The European Union imposed sanctions on 8 April 2022.[10] He was removed from the EU sanctions list on 14 March 2025[11] and from the Swiss list on 18 March 2025.[12]
Civic activities
Kantor served as President of the European Jewish Congress from 2007 to 2022 and was re-elected for a fifth term in May 2025.[13][14] He founded the World Holocaust Forum in 2005, the European Jewish Fund in 2006, and the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation. He established the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University in 2010.[15] In 2020 the World Holocaust Forum organised by Kantor was criticised after Vladimir Putin gave a speech that allegedly distorted the history of the Soviet Union in the Second World War.[16]
Personal life
Kantor holds citizenship of Russia, the United Kingdom and Israel.[6][17] He is married to Anna Kantor.
Honours and awards
Kantor has received the Order of Friendship (Russia, 1998), the Order of Leopold (Belgium, 2009), the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France, 2012 and 2014) and the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (Austria, 2021), among others.[18] He is an honorary citizen of Veliky Novgorod (1997) and an Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Resources
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sanctioned-trustee-removed-and-charity-closed-down-following-investigation
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/commission-appoints-interim-manager-to-kantor-foundation-and-kantor-charitable-foundation
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/moshe-kantor/
Affiliations
See also
- The Sunday Times Rich List 2022
- Kantor Charitable Foundation
- Kantor Foundation
- World Holocaust Forum Foundation
- Kantor Trustees
European Jewish Congress | World Jewish Congress \ European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation | World Holocaust Forum Foundation
External links
- Official website
- Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (website)
- European Jewish Congress
- European Jewish Fund
- Kantor Center on the Study of Contemporary European Jewry
- National Institute of Corporate Reform
Notes
- ↑ Asher Schechter, Just Don't Call Them Gaydamak: Meet Israel's Russian Oligarchs Haaretz, 3 July 2013.
- ↑ European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor re-elected EJC President: 'Europe's Jews stand with Israel' Israel National News, 22 May 2025.
- ↑ Alina Rebel, History of the Jews in Russia Litres, 3 September 2020, p. 249.
- ↑ Viatcheslav Kantor, Viatcheslav Kantor Forbes, 1 April 2025.
- ↑ Hasia R. Diner, The Oxford Handbook of the Jewish Diaspora Oxford University Press, 2021, p. 553.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Viatcheslav Kantor, Viatcheslav Kantor Forbes, 1 April 2025.
- ↑ Andrzej Kublik, Rosyjski oligarcha odbił akcje Grupy Azoty. Ale pozostają objęte sankcjami Gazeta Wyborcza, 31 July 2024.
- ↑ Anshel Pfeffer, How Putin's Man Made His Way to the Top of European Jewry Haaretz, 1 February 2016.
- ↑ Sean Coughlan, Queen's hospital donor placed on UK's Russia sanctions list BBC News, 6 March 2022.
- ↑ Council of the European Union, Official Journal L 110/2022 EUR-Lex, 8 April 2022.
- ↑ Council of the European Union, Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/527 of 14 March 2025 EUR-Lex, 14 March 2025.
- ↑ State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Situation in der Ukraine Delta 2025-03-18 SECO, 18 March 2025.
- ↑ European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor re-elected EJC President: 'Europe's Jews stand with Israel' Israel National News, 22 May 2025.
- ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, EJC elects Moshe Kantor for fifth term despite sanctions over Putin ties The Jerusalem Post, 21 May 2025.
- ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, 'Holocaust didn't erase Jewish life' The Jerusalem Post, 10 May 2010.
- ↑ Catherine Philp, Vladimir Putin's Holocaust speech rewrote history, museum admits The Times, 4 February 2020.
- ↑ Jessica Elgot and Jasper Jolly, Moshe Kantor: UK sanctions Russian billionaire over ties to Putin The Guardian, 6 April 2022.
- ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, Grapevine November 12: Yet another honor The Jerusalem Post, 11 November 2021.