Quick Facts
Biography
Alexander Temerko is a prominent Ukrainian-born British businessman in the energy sector, currently a director of the UK company Aquind Limited, which is responsible for building a power link between the UK and France. Previously, he was director and Deputy Chairman of the UK-based company OGN Group. In 2011 Temerko received British citizenship.
He was a senior executive at the Russian company Yukos, becoming vice president in 2003 after the arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He left this post in 2005. The circumstances of Yukos’ collapse provoked strong international censure of the Russian government, as did the prosecution of its senior executives, including Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev, and Temerko himself, who was charged with a fraud committed in 2002 and with perverting the course of justice.
He was alleged to have defrauded the state-owned Rosneft of shares in another company, Yeniseineftegaz (YNG). As in several other cases, including those connected with Yukos (such as those of Natalia Chernysheva and Dmitry Maruev), the Russian government failed in its attempt to have Temerko extradited from the United Kingdom to stand trial in Russia. The judge in the case, Timothy Workman, found in favour of Temerko: "I am satisfied that the request for Mr Temerko's extradition is in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing him for his political opinions. I am satisfied that, if he were extradited, he would be prejudiced at his trial and punished or detained by reasons of his political opinions."
Temerko’s views on the energy market and the Russian economy are frequently quoted in the media, for example in the Financial Times. He has himself contributed articles on these issues, for example in The Observer and the Moscow Times. It was reported that the murdered former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko had warned him of FSB attempts to extort money from former Yukos employees. He has in another context spoken out against corporate raiding in Russia.
Temerko is a member of, and major donor to, the British Conservative Party where he is a member of the Leader's Group. He also actively supports local Party associations in the North-East England where his company is based and Cities of London & Westminster association where his office and residence are located.
During the Scottish Independence Referendum 2014, Alexander Temerko publicly supported for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and voiced his support for Britain to remain a part of the European Union. He often comments on the United Kingdom energy policies and advocates for greater support for British manufacturers.