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Bidzina Ivanishvili (; born 18 February 1956), also known as Boris Grigoryevich Ivanishvili, is a French-Georgian businessman, politician and
billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultr ...
oligarch. He is founder and the leader of the ruling
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
party and has ruled Georgia ''de jure'' and ''de facto'' since 2012, after Georgian Dream secured victory in the
2012 Georgian parliamentary election 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to s ...
. Since 2024, he has been sanctioned by the United States and several European Union countries "for undermining Georgian democracy and advancing the interests of the Russian Federation".Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia Sanction Ivanishvili, MIA Officials
Civil Georgia: 2 December 2024.
Ivanishvili is the richest man in Georgia, with his wealth estimated at $7.6 billion in 2024, a figure equivalent to 24.8% of Georgia's 2023 GDP. Ivanishvili made his wealth in Russia in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He initially sold computers in Russia before acquiring banking and metals assets for cheap when the Russian government
privatized Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation w ...
its Soviet-era state assets under
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
, and subsequently
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
. Ivanishvili left Russia in 2002 and moved to France, becoming a French citizen. Ivanishvili entered Georgian politics in 2012, when he founded the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party and secured victory in the
2012 Georgian parliamentary election 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to s ...
against the United National Movement party of incumbent
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...
. After serving as
Prime Minister of Georgia The prime minister of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრემიერ-მინისტრი, tr) is the head of government and chief executive of Georgia (country), Georgia. In Georgia, the President of Georgia, presi ...
from October 2012 to November 2013, he claimed that he was leaving political life; however, he continued to be widely viewed as the '' éminence grise'' controlling the Georgian political process from behind the scenes. After formally returning to politics in 2018 as chairman of the ruling party, Ivanishvili again claimed to be leaving politics behind in 2021, only to stage yet another comeback in late 2023 as the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream.


Early life and education

Bidzina Ivanishvili was born in Chorvila, a village in the
Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...
region of Georgia. He was the youngest of five children in a poor family. His father, Grigor Ivanishvili, worked in a
manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...
factory. As a child, Bidzina was raised in extreme poverty (for example, not having access to shoes). His poor background would later endear him to rural Georgians and help to bring him victory in the 2012 Georgian parliamentary election. Bidzina graduated from high school in Sachkhere. He also graduated from the Faculty of Engineering and Economics of the
Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr; often shorten ...
in 1980, and in 1982, went to Moscow to pursue a PhD in economics at the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering.Wendell Steavenson
"The good oligarch"
''Prospect Magazine'' (21 July 2010). Retrieved 11 November 2011


Business career

In 1988, Ivanishvili turned to business. He founded a cooperative — the only private company allowed in the Soviet Union of the 1980s. Prior to 1990, while living in Moscow, Ivanishvili met Vitaly Malkin, a Russian businessman currently into politics, with whom he formed a partnership selling computers, and later importing what was then a novelty in Russia,
push-button telephone A push-button telephone is a telephone that has buttons or keys for dialing a telephone number, in contrast to a rotary dial used in earlier telephones. Western Electric experimented as early as 1941 with methods of using mechanically activated ...
s. The fortune they made from this trade allowed them to purchase lucrative metals and banking assets on the cheap when the Russian government privatized its Soviet-era state assets. Metals and banking are source of Ivanishvili's great wealth.


Early political career

In 1996, Ivanishvili became part of '' Semibankirschina'', a group of influential Russian bankers who supported the re-election of
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
as Russian president during the 1996 Russian presidential election. Ivanishvili sponsored the presidential campaign of
Alexander Lebed Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (; 20 April 1950 – 28 April 2002) was a Soviet and Russian military officer and politician who held senior positions in the Airborne Forces before running for president in the 1996 Russian preside ...
in an attempt to pull votes from the
Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
candidate
Gennady Zyuganov Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov (; born 26 June 1944) is a Russian politician who has been the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and served as Member of the State Duma since 1993. He is also the Chair of the Union ...
, who was Yeltsin's main opponent. Ivanishvili was later criticized by his political opponents in Georgia for his support of Lebed, who was one of the leading Soviet military figures in the
April 9 tragedy April 9 Tragedy (also known as the massacre of Tbilisi or Tbilisi tragedy) refers to the events in Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, on April 9, 1989, when an anti-Soviet, pro-independence demonstration was crushed by the Soviet A ...
. Ivanishvili maintained that he was a supporter of Boris Yeltsin who opposed the Communist candidate. Therefore, he was indirectly supporting the independence of Georgia by opposing the return of Communists to power and restoration of the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Ivanishvili left Russia in 2002 and moved to France. In 2003, he returned to Georgia. Upon his return, he began giving out goods such as DVD players and stoves, as well as promising free healthcare for his town's residents. However, at the same time, he remained elusive, preferring to remain out of the attention of the press. Ivanishvili had provided the funds to build Tbilisi's Sameba Cathedral, the largest church in Georgia, the fact that was unknown to the general public until former President of Georgia
Eduard Shevardnadze Eduard Ambrosis dze Shevardnadze ( ka, ედუარდ ამბროსის ძე შევარდნაძე; 25 January 1928 – 7 July 2014) was a Soviet and Georgian politician and diplomat who governed Georgia (country), Georgi ...
named Ivanishvili in his memoirs. According to Raphaël Glucksmann, Mikheil Saakashvili's French adviser, Ivanishvili supported the Rose Revolution and financed the reforms enacted by the government afterwards. Ivanishvili donated to support the government of Georgia after the Rose Revolution. He provided funds to reform the police and build a new infrastructure in the country. It is speculated that his support for the government after the Rose Revolution may have stemmed from his conflict with another Georgian oligarch
Badri Patarkatsishvili Arkady Shalvovich "Badri" Patarkatsishvili ( ka, ბადრი პატარკაციშვილი; ; 31 October 1955 – 12 February 2008) was a Georgian businessman who also became extensively involved in politics. He contested the 2 ...
who was in opposition to Mikheil Saakashvili. At that time, Ivanishvili was allegedly close to Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, while Saakashvili allegedly remained more sceptical of him. However, according to Ivanishvili, he often met Saakashvili as well. Ivanishvili allegedly fell out with Saakashvili at the beginning of 2008. It is speculated that with the death of Patarkatsishvili, Ivanishvili was no longer reliant on the support from the state, which allowed him to break ranks with the government. Ivanishvili himself stated that he came under increasing pressure from the Saakashvili government and was no longer interested in providing funds for the government projects.


2012 parliamentary election

Prior to entering politics, Ivanishvili was asked by the opposition leaders to lead the opposition a number of times. For example, in January 2008, the Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili said that in case of winning the
presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...
, he would offer the office of prime minister to Ivanishvili, without clarifying whether he had Ivanishvili’s approval for such move. This statement of Natelashvili came in sharp contrast with his accusation in September 2006 that Ivanishvili was financing Saakashvili. On 7 October 2011, Ivanishvili announced his intention to lead the opposition in the
2012 Georgian parliamentary election 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to s ...
in a written statement, citing the perceived authoritarianism of
President of Georgia The president of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, tr) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U ...
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...
. In the same statement, he stated he would renounce his French and Russian citizenship, as well as sell off all of his assets in Russia. His bank Rossiysky Kredit was sold for 352 million dollars, to a group of investors comprising major Russian bankers. His drugstore chain Doktor Stoletov was sold for 60 million dollars to the Imperia-Pharma company. His agriculture company Stoilenskiy Niva was also sold. Four days after declaring his intentions, Ivanishvili was stripped of his citizenship by Georgian authorities, citing article 32 of the Georgian Law on Citizenship. On 27 December 2011, a Tbilisi court upheld the revocation of Ivanishvili's citizenship, but overturned the revocation of his wife's citizenship. Subsequently, she announced her intentions to run for a seat in the
Parliament of Georgia The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members elected through fully pr ...
. On 21 February 2012, Ivanishvili announced a coalition by the name of Georgian Dream, composed of his planned political party of the same name, the Republican Party of Georgia, Our Georgia – Free Democrats, and the National Forum. Georgian Dream's 12-point manifesto included among other policies, the development of
liberal democracy Liberal democracy, also called Western-style democracy, or substantive democracy, is a form of government that combines the organization of a democracy with ideas of liberalism, liberal political philosophy. Common elements within a liberal dem ...
, deepening integration with the European Union and NATO, and improvement of education and healthcare infrastructure. Following the announcement, the Industry Will Save Georgia party joined the coalition on 11 April 2012. On 21 April 2012, Ivanishvili formally established the
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
political party. Since Ivanishvili was not a Georgian citizen at the moment of the party's inaugural session, the lawyer Manana Kobakhidze was elected as an interim, nominal chairman of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. The main goals of Georgian Dream were stated to be a revival of agriculture, lowering taxes on the poor, universal health insurance, normalization of relations with Russia and strengthening Georgia's ties to the EU and NATO. Ivanishvili united much of the Georgian opposition around him. The Georgian Dream coalition included parties of diverse ideological orientations. The coalition was made up of parties ranging from pro-market and
pro-western The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
liberals to nationalists and protectionists, united in their dislike of Saakashvili and the United National Movement. The name of the alliance was inspired by a rap song by Ivanishvili's son Bera. Ivanishvili's personal wealth amounted to 6.4 billion dollars, according to
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
, which was more than the Georgian State budget (5.7 billion dollars). During the pre-election campaign, Ivanishvili was giving out gifts, televisions, dishwashers and washing machines to the residents of his hometown. The Georgian Dream volunteers handed out – implying that a vote for the opposition would be materially rewarded. In June 2012, the administrative court fined Ivanishvili US$90 million for breaking political party funding regulations. The court of appeals upheld the decision of the lower court on the merits, but halved the fine imposed to US$45 million. The court ruled that Ivanishvili used offshore companies linked to him to by-pass the law, illegally donating to the Georgian Dream coalition. LTD Burji and Elita Burji offered preferential prices on car renting and office renovation to the Georgian Dream coalition. Their official representative in Georgia, Kakha Kobiashvili, was a nephew of Bidzina Ivanishvili. The State Audit Service said that this constituted an illegal donation Ivanishvili had made through his companies in violation of the party funding rules and requested the court to fine him. In another case, The Global TV, owned by Ivanishvili's brother, has distributed and installed satellite dishes for free in provinces. The representative of the state audit agency at the court hearing alleged that Global TV launched this campaign only after it received a loan from Cartu Bank, which was presumably owned by Ivanishvili's Cartu Group. In August 2012, Ivanishvili was fined US$12.3 million for irregular party donations on account of being unable to demonstrate that a cash withdrawal of around US$3 million from his private bank account had not been spent furthering the electoral aims of the "Georgian Dream". The court decisions were criticized as poorly evidenced. Ivanishvili was not provided with adequate time or sufficient equality of arms to contest effectively. The Court rejected the defence's applications to call and cross examine the witnesses whose testimony was relied on to establish ownership of Cartu Bank. Ivanishvili was also denied the opportunity to cross-examine State Audit Organization witnesses. Ivanishvili's lawyer criticized the decisions as politically motivated. The Georgian Dream coalition successfully challenged the ruling United National Movement (UNM) in the 2012 parliamentary election. Georgian Dream won the election with 54.97% of the vote. Widespread celebrations in the Georgian capital of
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
were held in support of Georgian Dream. The next day, Saakashvili accepted the results as legitimate, while at the same time noting that he remained deeply opposed to the coalition.


Prime Minister of Georgia (2012–2013)

On 25 October 2012, Ivanishvili officially took office as Prime Minister of Georgia, marking the first
peaceful transition of power A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democracy, democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly elected leadership. This may be after elections o ...
to occur in modern Georgia's history. During this period, the government increased social spending, while continuing on the path of fiscal consolidation. In February 2013, the government introduced the Universal Healthcare Program (UHP). The package covered urgent outpatient assistance, urgent hospital assistance, scheduled outpatient and policlinic services. In July, it was expanded to cover primary health care services, urgent outpatient assistance, extended urgent hospitalization, planned surgeries, treatment of oncological diseases, and child delivery. The reform made state-sponsored health insurance available on a massive scale. Besides, the government also increased pensions, social assistance allowances and education spending. In June 2013, the parliament adopted a new Labour Code in line with
International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...
(ILO) standards. According to the Georgian Institute of Politics, under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgia retained most of the reforms passed during Saakashvili's presidency. Georgia maintained the free market economic model created during Saakashvili's tenure, while also establishing a functional social safety net. The government implemented
prison reform Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, reduce recidivism or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are ...
. During the previous administration, which pursued a zero-tolerance policy, the prisoner numbers had increased four-fold from over 6,000 in 2003 to 24,000 in 2012. The prisons were overcrowded and prisoners were subject to systematic torture. In September, 2012, mass protests erupted in Georgia following the broadcast of video footage showing abuse and torture of prisoners in Gldani prison in Tbilisi. The new government conceded fundamental problems in the prisons system and promised to carry out a reform. The parliament adopted an amnesty law, which halved the prison population. The mortality rate in prisons considerably went down and prison healthcare was overhauled. The government liberalized criminal policies. The practice of cumulative sentencing ended in April 2013. The government faced a challenge of tackling legacy of abuse committed by the former government officials. More than 20 000 complaints were filed by citizens and inmates with the Prosecutor's Office in connection to injustices of past administration, including 4 000 cases of alleged torture or ill-treatment. Thirty-five officials who had served under the previous government were charged with criminal offences with accusations ranging from embezzlement to abuse of power and torture. Former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili, governor of Kakheti Zurab Tchiaberashvili and Head of Penitentiary Department Bacho Akhalaia were among the ones who were arrested. Bringing former government officials to justice for the human rights violations was one of the main pre-election promises of
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
, especially after the Gldani prison scandal confirmed long-standing allegations of ill-treatment in the Georgian prison system. The day before the 2013 anti-homophobia rally in Tbilisi, Ivanishvili has stated that "sexual minorities are the same citizens as we are... nd thatthe society will gradually get used to it." In 2013, the
Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
unsuccessfully lobbied the Georgian government to ban abortions, which it described as a "terrible sin" and "heinous murder", while blaming it for the "grave demographic situation" in the country. Bidzina Ivanishvili brushed off the proposal, stating that solving demographic problems "first and foremost needs economic development". Despite predictions and allegations of then ruling United National Movement, Ivanishvili's election did not see return of Shevardnadze-era levels of corruption and crime. Ivanishvili's Georgia scored well on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index and Index and Freedom House's Freedom in the World index.


Foreign relations

Under the Ivanishvili government, Georgia deepened its ties with the European Union. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili chose Brussels for his first foreign visit in November 2012. The EU launched a visa dialogue with Georgia in 2012 and formally handed over a Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) to it in February 2013. The first progress report on the implementation of the VLAP was published on 15 November 2013 which concluded that Georgia had made very good progress. In July 2013, the EU and Georgia concluded the negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). In January 2013, Georgia and Turkey signed a cross-border agreement on electricity trade across new interconnections between them. The relations with Russia improved. In December 2012, Russian and Georgian representatives met in Prague and had the first two-way discussions after the 2008 war. Prime Minister Ivanishvili appointed special envoy for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze. In June 2013, Russia lifted the embargo on Georgian wine. This allowed Georgia to resume wine exports to Russia for the first time since 2006. Economic relations between Georgia and Russia improved. However, Tamar Beruchachvili, the Deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Georgia, reaffirmed that European integration remained Georgia's "strategic priority" and that Georgia had no plans to join the
Eurasian Economic Union The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU)EAEU is the acronym used on thorganisation's website However, many media outlets use the acronym EEU. is an economic union of five post-Soviet states located in Eurasia. The EAEU has an integrated single ...
. Diplomatic relations with Russia remained formally broken. Ivanishvili termed his foreign policy with Russia "pragmatic". Despite his commitment to uphold a "principled" position towards Russia despite a stated goal of "de-escalating" tensions, Ivanishvili received criticism from the former governing United National Movement for being "too lenient" towards Russia and even allegedly being "pro-Russian". The UNM portrayed Ivanishvili as a "Kremlin agent" who sought to turn Georgia subservient toward Russia. Ivanishvili said that he would continue to uphold Georgia's national interests in relation to Russia, but would abandon "a confrontational manner of interaction".


First resignation (2013–2018)

Following a victory by Georgian Dream candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili in the 2013 Georgian presidential election, Ivanishvili announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister. 20 November 2013, Ivanishvili resigned as Prime Minister after just over a year in office. He was succeeded by Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili, whom he had announced as his successor on 2 November 2013. Ivanishvili stated that his intention was to return to civil sector and form a non-government organisation. Four days after his resignation as Prime Minister, he resigned as Chairman of Georgian Dream. His successor Irakli Garibashvili has thanked Ivanishvili for creating "unique precedent" by leaving all political positions "at the zenith of popularity and influence". However, Ivanishvili still continued to be regarded by his political opponents as the ''de facto'' leader of Georgia. They accused Ivanishvili of leaving his official post to govern the country behind the scenes, while avoiding the responsibilities and duties of holding office. Out of four prime ministers who headed the government of Georgia after Ivanishvili, three of them had previously been managers in his companies. Many officials who served on high-ranking positions since 2013 were connected to Ivanishvili: the Minister of Internal Affairs (who previously served as head of State Security Agency) Vakhtang Gomelauri and the Head of Special State Protection Service Anzor Chubinidze were his former personal bodyguards. The Prosecutor General Shalva Tadumadze was his family lawyer. The Ministers of Health Ekaterine Tikaradze and Davit Sergeenko previously managed the hospital which Ivanishvili has been funding in his home municipality. A study published by Transparency International Georgia in 2015 revealed based on public officials' asset declarations that at least 38 officials used to work for companies associated with Bidzina Ivanishvili. While not a violation of the law, it is cited as an evidence of Ivanishvili's alleged informal influence on the government. it is speculated that Ivanishvili's company employees were appointed on high-ranking positions because of their loyalty to Ivanishvili. Ivanishvili himself denied any accusations of informal rule, saying that he takes no part in decision-making except giving advice, which might or might not be taken into account. After his resignation as prime minister, Ivanishvili has further pursued his interest in collection of rare trees. In 2016, he began building the Dendrological Park in Shekvetili (Georgia's Black Sea coast), which was opened to the public in 2020. The 60-hectare
arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
contains 200 species of imported trees and 58 exotic bird species, including flamingos and pelicans. Many of the trees at the park have been collected from places around the Georgian coast paying the landowners to allow them to be dug-up and moved by raft along the coastal waters to the park. Some of the trees are often over 100 years old. This process can take months and has involved in some areas removing many other trees and building roads to create access route. Because of this, Ivanishvili's actions have been met with protests from environmentalists and his political opponents, who have contended that his actions have destroyed topsoil and caused environmental devastation. The allegations of destruction include causing significant disturbance, soil damage, rock damage, denuding the landscape, and tree loss. The process of removing trees from elsewhere to the Park has been documented by the 2021 Georgian film Taming the Garden by Salomé Jashi. In March 2016, Ivanishvili attracted international controversy for uprooting and relocating a 100-year-old tulip tree to the Shekvetili Dendrological Park. The tree, which weighed 650 tonnes, was transported from Georgia's Adjara region to the park, in an event that brought international attention to his activities. The event went viral on Georgian social media, with one user calling it "surreal." Environmental activist Nata Peradze lambasted the move, saying, "There are only a few dozen tulip trees in Georgia and this majestic 135-year-old specimen has zero chances of surviving replanting," while opposition television presenter Tamara Chergoleishvili mocked his interests in exotic flora and fauna by joking, "If he gets fanatically obsessed about gigantic mountains, then it will become a real headache for his people."


Chairmanship of Georgian Dream, second resignation (2018–2023)

In 2018, Ivanishvili made a return to politics, being re-elected as the chairman of Georgian Dream on 26 April 2018. His return was perceived as a move to maintain the unity of the coalition. During Ivanishvili's absence from politics, the government of Georgian Dream signed an Association Agreement with the European Union and the European Union lifted the visa requirements for Georgian citizens, but the ruling party continued to face allegations of being "pro-Russian" from the United National Movement and its allies in opposition. According to the Georgian Institute of Politics, as of 2017, Georgian Dream "has successfully withstood accusations by the opposition of being a pro-Russian political force". Prior to the 2018 Georgian presidential election, the Georgian Dream made a decision not to nominate its own candidate but to support independent
Salome Zourabichvili Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
. This opened a window of opportunity for the United National Movement as Salome Zourabichvili failed to secure enough votes to win the election in the first round. On 5 November 2018, Ivanishvili addressed the public ahead of the presidential election runoff. He said that the people's dissatisfaction was understandable, although it would be a mistake to elect the opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze, who announced that he would pardon Bachana Akhalaia,
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...
, and others "charged with torture and abuse". He promised that the situation in the country would change for the better in a year. The Cartu Foundation, owned by Ivanishvili, promised to completely cover debts for 600,000 citizens, which was criticized as a "blatant instance of vote buying". On 20 June 2019, protests erupted in Tbilisi over the visit of Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov through the
Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (, ), or I.A.O., is a transnational, inter-parliamentary institution that in 1994 was originally established as the European Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (EIAO). Based in Athens, Greece, t ...
. Amidst his visit, Gavrilov gave a speech on Russo-Georgian unity whilst seated in the Georgian parliament's speaker's chair. The protests grew violent and the police used the rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters. The demonstrations have been seen as reflecting public and elite frustration with the "normalization" policies the government has taken toward Russia. MP Zakaria Kutsnashvili, who organized the event, announced his resignation. Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze also resigned from his position. The ruling party members, including Bidizna Ivanishvili, have claimed that Sergei Gavrilov arbitrarily sat in the Georgian parliament's speaker's chair, in violation of the protocol. After the dispersal, the protests continued on next days in front of the Georgian Parliament. On 24 June 2019, Bidzina Ivanishvili addressed the public, announcing a change to the electoral system from a mixed to fully proportional representation for the 2020 elections and lowering of the vote barrier for parties, in line with demands of protesters. However, in November 2019, majoritarian members of parliament (MPs elected from particular constituencies) from Georgian Dream blocked the electoral reform, couching their opposition to the amendments in terms of preserving the direct link between local areas and their directly elected representatives. It was speculated that they had been told to oppose the amendments by Ivanishvili himself since the reform would allegedly risk the Georgian Dream losing power. Ivanishvili said that he was disappointed with the parliament's decision to vote down the bill. Several lawmakers left the ruling party in protest. The protests renewed in front of the parliament building. After the ruling party and opposition held several rounds of talks, the consensus was reached over a
mixed electoral system A mixed electoral system is one that uses different Electoral system, electoral systems to elect different seats in a legislature. Most often, this involves a First Past the Post combined with a Proportional representation, proportional component ...
with a more proportional distribution of mandates. On 11 January 2021, amidst the 2020–2021 Georgian political crisis, Ivanishvili announced that he was decisively leaving politics and resigned as Chairman of Georgian Dream, stating that "he had accomplished his goal". Nika Melia, chairman of the United National Movement, was accused of organizing mass violence during the 2019 protests. When Melia declined to pay a US$12,000 bail, a Georgian court ruled that Melia should be detained before his trial. In response, Melia said the court's ruling was "unlawful", and on 18 February 2021, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned over the disagreement with his party colleagues on enforcing an arrest order for him, saying that the arrest would be "untimely" and would only further exacerbate political crisis. The Parliament voted to replace Gakharia with Irakli Garibashvili, who was considered to be a close ally of Bidzina Ivanishvili, which led to speculations whether Ivanishvili continued to influence politics behind the scenes. On 7 June 2021, in his first letter after leaving politics, Ivanishvili criticized Gakharia for his sudden resignation and departure from Georgian Dream for "an unheard-of reason – not to exercise the rule of law”, and labelled Gakharia's decision as treason to the ruling party and the country. Ivanishvili allegedly maintained close business connections with
Russian oligarchs Russian oligarchs () are business oligarchs of the former Soviet republics who rapidly accumulated wealth in the 1990s via the Russian privatisation that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The failing Soviet state left the ownershi ...
, although Ivanishvili himself denounced such accusations. On 25 April 2022, two recordings were uploaded on YouTube by a channel under the name of Cyber Kmara, purportedly of a call between Ivanishvili and
Vladimir Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich Yevtushenkov (; born 25 September 1948) is a Russian billionaire business oligarch. He is the majority owner (49.2%) and former сhairman of Sistema. As a member of the Russian-Saudi Economic Council and as chairman since 200 ...
about possible business dealings amidst the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Also implicated in the calls was Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, with Ivanishvili saying in the recording, "He is young and will take care of everything. I told him what to do and they are probably already meeting each other." Several members of
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
claimed that the recordings were faked, while others said that they don't see a problem with economic dealings between two private citizens. Ivanishvili was accused of helping Yevtushenkov evade
international sanctions International sanctions are political and economic decisions that are part of diplomatic efforts by countries, multilateral or regional organizations against states or organizations either to protect national security interests, or to protect i ...
by the opposition, with UNM General Secretary Petre Tsiskarishvili speculating on the possibility of sanctions on Ivanishvili. Opposition party Lelo for Georgia expressed concern about Garibashvili's involvement, demanding that he disclose relation about meeting with Russian envoys. Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Ukrainian political party
Servant of the People Servant of the People (; ''SN'') is a Liberalism, liberal, Centrism, centrist, Pro-Europeanism, pro-European List of political parties in Ukraine, political party in Ukraine. Since both the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election and the 2019 Ukra ...
, urged EU and US leadership to consider imposing personal sanctions on Ivanishvili. On 9 June 2022, the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
issued a six-page resolution accusing the government of Georgia and Ivanishvili of eroding press freedom in the country. The resolution also described Ivanishvili as having "personal and business links to the Kremlin", and recommended that the European Union sanction Ivanishvili for "his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia." The resolution had a significant impact in Georgia, coming amidst a request for European Union candidate status. Lithuanian MEPs Andrius Kubilius and
Rasa Juknevičienė Rasa Juknevičienė (née Urbonaitė, born 26 January 1958) is a Lithuanian politician and paediatrician, who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 European Parliament election, 2019. She served as Minister of Defense ...
accused Ivanishvili of the "oligarchisation" of Georgia, and political polarisation as a result. The European Parliament has also described Ivanishvili as an oligarch, accusing him as having a "destructive" role in Georgia's politics and economy.
European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
has listed "de-oligarchization" among 12 recommendations in order for the country to be granted status as a candidate for accession to the European Union. MEP
Rasa Juknevičienė Rasa Juknevičienė (née Urbonaitė, born 26 January 1958) is a Lithuanian politician and paediatrician, who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 European Parliament election, 2019. She served as Minister of Defense ...
in her speech in the European Parliament has stated that ""De-oligarchization" means "de-Bidzinization" or "de-Ivanishvilization" of Georgia". On 14 December 2022, the European Parliament has again called the European Council to sanction Ivanishvili, accusing him of deteriorating the democratic political process in Georgia and helping Russia to avoid the international sanctions. Since 2022, Ivanishvili has been undergoing a legal battle with the
Credit Suisse Credit Suisse Group AG (, ) was a global Investment banking, investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. According to UBS, eventually Credit Suisse was to be fully integrated into UBS. While the integration ...
, a Swiss bank, involving a fraudulent scheme with the banker Patrice Lescaudron taking money from Ivanishvili's accounts to cover growing losses among others clients' portfolios. In the latest development, the Singapore court ordered the bank to pay $742.7 million in damages, confirming that the bank's trust had failed to safeguard its client's assets.


Honorary chairman of Georgian Dream (2023–present)

On 30 December 2023, Ivanishvili announced that he was returning to Georgian politics. He was elected as a honorary chairman by Georgian Dream. Many possible reasons have been cited for his return, including internal conflict within the Georgian Dream, decreasing support for the Georgian Dream among the populace (with Georgian Dream polling at 36.6% in December 2023 as opposed to 46.7% support it had in the last elections), or pressure from the West or Russia, including threats of international sanctions on Ivanishvili. In a speech posted online by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, Ivanishvili cited the "complicated" geopolitical situation and criticized the opposition for its perceived failure in holding the government accountable as reasons for his comeback. By late December 2024, he had become the ''de facto''
autocratic Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and Head of government, government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of dictatorship, while it is contrasted with demo ...
leader of Georgia. In the wake of the 2024 Georgian post-election protests and the accompanying political violence, Ivanishvili was sanctioned by the United States and added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List for undermining Georgian democracy and advancing the interests of the Russian Federation. He was also sanctioned by several European Union member states. In January 2025, James MacClearly, a UK Member of Parliament, introduced an
Early Day Motion In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by a member of Parliament, which the Government (in charge of parliamentary business) has not yet scheduled for debate. Hi ...
which called on the
UK government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
to sanction Ivanishvili. In response,
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
defended Ivanishvili and claimed that the threat of sanctions was "without any foundation" and that Ivanishvili had brought "democratic breakthrough to the country".


Political views

Bidzina Ivanishvili has expressed support for Georgia's membership in the European Union and NATO. After meeting with then President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in October 2012, Ivanishvili has stated that they have "concurring pinionsabout foreign policy issues". Ivanishvili has said that Georgia's accession to the EU and NATO would be his foreign policy priorities. He has additionally noted that "strategic partnership with the United States has a huge importance". Ivanishvili has also expressed support for normalization of relations with Russia. According to him, It will not only lower risks of a new military conflict between the two countries, but also bring the stability in the region which will also help Georgia's accession to the EU and NATO. It will make easier for Tbilisi to pursue greater cooperation with NATO and the EU, which will facilitate contacts and help convince the West that Georgia is a reliable partner; conversely, instability might cause the EU and NATO to back away from these ties. According to Ivanishvili, it is important for Georgia's accession to the European Union and NATO to convince Russia that this process will not create any existential threats to Moscow. Ivanishvili has stated that normalization of relations with Russia should start with improving economic and cultural relations, stressing the importance of the Russian market for Georgian agriculture and economy. Russia was the primary destination for Georgian agricultural products before the 2006 embargo, which has heavily affected the Georgian economy. Ivanishvili said that he will combine the restoration of constructive relations with Russia with aspiring towards NATO at the same time. Ivanishvili has stated that his task is to resolve Abkhaz-Georgian and Georgian–Ossetian conflicts and restore the territorial integrity of Georgia. He has noted that Georgia "should become a democratic state, based on rule of law, attractive state for Abkhazians and Ossetians". He has said that reintegration of Abkhazia and South Ossetia should happen on the basis of peaceful dialogue and concurrence in interests. Ivanishvili criticized Saakashvili's handling of the August 2008
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
with Russia and the self-proclaimed republics of
South Ossetia South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus with International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, partial diplomatic recognition. It has an offici ...
and
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
— claiming that although Russia had provoked the conflict, the actual fighting had been started by Georgia. Ivanishvili’s political views, as expressed in his 2024 interview with pro-government channel Imedi, reflects a blend of
anti-Western sentiment Anti-Western sentiment, also known as anti-Atlanticism or Westernophobia, refers to broad opposition, bias, or hostility towards the people, culture, or policies of the Western world. This sentiment is found worldwide. It often stems from ant ...
,
social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on Tradition#In political and religious discourse, traditional social structures over Cultural pluralism, social pluralism. Social conservatives ...
, and
populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
rhetoric designed to consolidate his power and discredit political opponents. The interview, aired just days before Georgia’s crucial parliamentary elections, highlighted his disdain for liberal democratic norms and Western influence while promoting a narrative of Georgia as a nation under siege by external forces and their domestic allies. Ivanishvili reiterated his belief in a conspiracy led by “certain bureaucrats” in the West who, he claimed, were working with Georgia’s opposition to destabilize the country. He introduced the term “ global war party” to describe these alleged actors, a rebranding of the “
deep state Deep state is a term used for (real or imagined) potential, unauthorized and often secret networks of power operating independently of a State (polity), state's political leadership in pursuit of their own agendas and goals. Although the term ori ...
” conspiracy theory often used to undermine trust in democratic institutions. Accusing the opposition of fabricating a “virtual reality” to mislead the Georgian public, Ivanishvili portrayed himself and his Georgian Dream party as defenders of sovereignty against foreign manipulation. While railing against Western interference, he left the door open to a potential rapprochement with the United States, reflecting strategic ambiguity in his rhetoric. In the interview, Ivanishvili addressed concerns about
democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding or autocratization is a process of regime change toward autocracy in which the exercise of political power becomes more arbitrary and repressive. The process typically restricts the space for public contest and politi ...
, dismissing allegations of growing authoritarianism despite mounting evidence, including Georgia’s significant drop in
press freedom Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...
rankings. He cited a “fairly positive” interim report by the
OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the pr ...
to defend his government’s record while ignoring its critical findings on low public trust, voter intimidation, and misuse of administrative resources. His claim that Georgia had a “genuine democracy” due to the presence of multiple TV stations contradicted reports highlighting the challenges faced by the media, including smear campaigns, physical threats, and restrictive legislation. One of the most controversial aspects of the interview was Ivanishvili’s focus on
LGBTQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
issues, where he perpetuated transphobic and homophobic myths to appeal to conservative voters. Referring to queer advocacy as “ LGBT propaganda,” he claimed to have evidence of its harmful effects, citing baseless examples such as pride events in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
involving “ orgies” and children. He further alleged that Western countries were forcing parents to provide gender-reassignment surgeries for their children, punishing teachers for acknowledging biological sex, and introducing policies like placing sanitary pads in men’s bathrooms. Ivanishvili mocked these efforts with references to “men’s
milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
” being equated to women’s milk, using such claims to ridicule gender inclusivity and justify restrictive laws targeting LGBTQ+ communities introduced by Georgian Dream earlier in the year. Ivanishvili also reiterated threats against his political rivals, particularly the pro-Western opposition, accusing them of aligning with international forces to provoke conflict with Russia. He singled out Giorgi Gakharia, a former ally and chair of the For Georgia party, alleging that Gakharia sought to drag the country into war. These accusations, coupled with Ivanishvili’s portrayal of the opposition as adherents of a “pseudo-liberal ideology,” served to delegitimize his critics and consolidate his base. Throughout the interview, Ivanishvili attempted to justify Georgian Dream’s prolonged grip on power by framing it as a necessity during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Describing the war as a transformative event, he claimed it had created “exceptional circumstances” that required his government’s leadership, dismissing criticisms of his rule as either exaggerated or fabricated by the opposition.


Wealth

In March 2010, Ivanishvili ranked 173 in 2010 Forbes List of Billionaires, with a reported net worth of US$4.8 billion. The following year he ranked 185 in the 2011 Forbes List with a reported net worth of US$5.5 billion.March 2011 profile of Bidzina Ivanishvili
''Forbes Magazine''. Retrieved 11 November 2011
In March 2012, Ivanishvili was ranked at number 153 in ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires with an estimated worth of $6.4 billion, making him Georgia's richest person. His total net worth is one third of Georgia's gross domestic product. Ivanishvili appeared in the
Panama Papers The Panama Papers () are 11.5 million leaked documents (or 2.6 terabytes of data) published beginning April 3, 2016. The papers detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities. These document ...
,
Pandora Papers The Pandora Papers are 11.9 million leaked documents with 2.9 terabytes of data that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published beginning on 3 October 2021. The leak exposed the secret offshore accounts of 35 ...
, and Suisse secrets. He has millions of dollars worth of undisclosed real estate in Russia. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'''s has described the secret to his success as, " uyingfirms not needed by anybody for tens of millions of dollars and sold them for billions of dollars." In 1990, Ivanishvili and Malkin established Rossiysky Kredit, now Ivanishvili's biggest holding. Over the years, he has sold other businesses accumulated by him during the privatization era in Russia, investing the proceeds in the Russian stock market. Ivanishvili has also invested money into hotels, including Hotel Lux, and in a Russian chain of drugstores known as "Doctor Stoletov". He has also purchased four properties in downtown Moscow for the construction of a luxury hotel. In 2023, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' estimated his fortune at $4.9 billion and ranked Ivanishvili as the world's 544th richest person. Ivanishvili purchased artwork by
Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
and the contemporary artist
Peter Doig Peter Doig ( ; born 17 April 1959) is a painter of Scottish nationality who has lived and worked between Trinidad, Canada, the USA, Germany and Britain. He settled in Trinidad with his family between 2002 and 2021, when he moved back to London. ...
at international auctions. He bought
Niko Pirosmani Nikoláy Aslánovich Pirosmanashvíli ( ka, ნიკოლოზ ფიროსმანაშვილი, Nik’oloz Phirosmanashvili) or Niko Pirosmani ( ka, ნიკო ფიროსმანი, Nik’o Pirosmani), Mononymous person, s ...
's ''Arsenal Hill at Night'', paying a record US$1.5 million for a painting by a Georgian artist. He then donated the painting to the State Museum of Arts of Georgia. Bidzina Ivanishvili, together with his wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze, founded the Cartu International Charity Foundation in 1995. The Ivanishvili family is the only donor of the foundation, and its projects were implemented with the finances of the foundation. The Cartu Foundation has invested into various projects, such as the arts, sports, agriculture, and infrastructure. The Cartu Foundation donated to support the restoration of the Batumi Botanical Garden. Ivanishvili's name is attached to many public projects: repairs to the
Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr; often shorten ...
, a seaside amusement park, a ski resort, national parks, medical clinics, etc.


Personal life

Ivanishvili owns several estates, including a mansion above Tbilisi which is worth an estimated US$50 million and specially designed for him by Russian architect Mikhail Khazanov and finished by famous Japanese architect
Shin Takamatsu Shin Takamatsu (born August 5, 1948 in Nima, Shimane) is a renowned Japanese architect. After obtaining his PhD from the Graduate School of Engineering at Kyoto University in 1980, he held various academic positions: lecturer at Osaka Universit ...
. Ivanishvili is also known by the Russian first name ''Boris'', which he previously used while working in Russia. He was widely reported under that name in the West. However, he went back to his Georgian first name ''Bidzina'' in 2011. Ivanishvili married Ekaterine "Eka" Khvedelidze in October 1991. They have four children together: sons Uta, Bera (who is a well-known singer and rapper in Georgia) and Tsotne, and a daughter, Gvantsa; Bera and Tsotne both have
albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
. Ivanishvili is known as a collector of exotic animals, among them sharks, lemurs, and a kangaroo. Amidst the 2012 parliamentary election, his animal collection attracted attention, with a headline from ''The New Republic'' being titled, "Georgia’s Next Leader May Be a Billionaire Zookeeper with Albino Rapper Children."


Citizenship

Ivanishvili was granted Georgian citizenship by President Mikheil Saakashvili. In March 2010, Ivanishvili additionally attained French citizenship. In October 2011, he was deprived of his Georgian citizenship "according to Article 32 of the Georgian Law on Citizenship" (which lists grounds for loss of citizenship including "accept ngcitizenship of another state"), shortly after he had announced his intention to form a political party to challenge Saakashvili. In January 2012, Ivanishvili sought to regain his Georgian citizenship via naturalization, but was denied. In October 2012, President Saakashvili restored Ivanishvili's Georgian citizenship under a legal provision empowering the president to grant citizenship in the interest of the state. As Georgia does not allow for naturalized citizens to retain citizenship of another country, Ivanishvili indicated that he would withdraw from French citizenship upon regaining Georgian citizenship, and had filed paperwork to do so. However, Ivanishvili subsequently stopped the process of cancelling his French citizenship and as of 2024 media continued to report that Ivanishvili remained a citizen of France.


Honours

Ivanishvili was Honorary Consul of the
Republic of San Marino A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...
in Georgia from 2000 to 2012.


National honours

Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
: **


Foreign honours

: * : Knight of France's
Legion of honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
(31 December 2020).


See also

* List of Legion of Honour recipients by name (I) * Legion of Honour Museum


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanishvili, Bidzina 1956 births Living people Billionaires from Georgia (country) Businesspeople from Georgia (country) Expatriates from Georgia (country) in France Former Russia citizens Georgian Dream politicians Government ministers of Georgia (country) Knights of the Legion of Honour People from Imereti People named in the Offshore Leaks report People named in the Panama Papers People who renounced Russian citizenship Prime ministers of Georgia