Meet founder of MMM and his life story

Many people are interested in Sergey Mavrodi biography, because this Russian businessman and financier managed to enter into the world history a long time ago. The activity of MMM, the organization he established, caused material damage to millions of depositors in the early 1990s. His work still causes mixed assessments in various circles of society. Many people consider his actions as fraud, other think he is a financial genius and adventurer. Read the article to find out the life story of one of the most controversial people of the last several decades.

Childhood, young years, and the first arrest

We will reveal several facts from the life of Sergey Mavrodi:

• He was born on 11.08.1955 in the capital of Russia, Moscow.

• What's the nationality of Sergey Mavrodi? This is a difficult question. His dad was from Donbass, had Ukrainian and Greek roots (the surname in Greek means "black" or "dark"). Mother was Russian.

• He was a very sickly child, Sergey had problems with the heart. Doctors predicted that he would not be able to reach eighteen years old. However, he did and even managed to make his name extremely popular all over the world.

• He finished the 10th grade in Moscow.

• After graduation, he studied mathematics at the Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics, MIEM.

• Then he worked in a research institute.

• As a student he constructed and sold video and audio recordings.

• In 1981, he left the research institute and decided to continue doing business.

• To avoid being prosecuted, he worked on low-paid but time-saving jobs.

• Two years later, Sergey Mavrodi was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Squad for selling illegal video. He was arrested for ten days, then he was released under an amnesty with a strict warning.

Foundation of MMM and second arrest

When was the first MMM company founded by Sergey Mavrodi? It happened in 1989. Since then, he has created several dozen enterprises, which by the mid-1990s became a large financial pyramid.

In August 1994, he was arrested for concealing taxes on the profits of his company, Invest-Consulting. In October the same year, he was released from custody because of change in the preventive measure.

On October 30, 1994, Mavrodi was elected a deputy gaining 29% of the vote in the State of Russia. Nevertheless, he neglected his duties as a deputy and continued to engage in commercial activities. Investigative actions against Mavrodi resumed, and one more charge was added to the previous - fraud.

Personal life

Sergey Mavrodi had a wife, her name is Elena Pavlyuchenko. They were together for 12 years, from 1993 to 2005. She was a model and winner of two beauty contests in 1992 and 1994. Elena Pavlyuchenko was born in Ukraine, Zaporozhye. Her mother was an engineer and father was Doctor of Science at a research institute. People say that the family life of Sergey Mavrodi was far from traditional. The spouses lived in different apartments and met only to spend time together. After their divorce in 2006, Elena gave birth to their daughter.

READ ALSO: Ideology of MMM in details

Prosecution

On the 17th December 1997, he was announced a swindler in the all-Russian, and a bit later - in the world search. For about five years he lived in rented apartments and confinements. One version of reportssays he lived for a long time in Scandinavia or Greece. The media also suggested that businessman did not leave the capital at all.

Later, according to Criminal Investigation, it became known that the detainee had been in Moscow for the last year before his arrest. However, the fugitive entrepreneur did not stop his financial activities: in 1997 he opened a new financial pyramid on the Internet - Stock Generation, whose victims were at least 275 thousand people (exact figures are unknown), mainly from the USA, as well as from Canada, Australia, Great Britain, The Scandinavian, and Baltic states.

On the 28th of April 2007, Mavrodi was sentenced to 4 years and 6 six months imprisonment with serving in a general regime colony. However, almost all the term was spent at the pretrial detention center. As an additional measure of punishment, the court established a fine of 10,000 rubles.

On May 22, 2007, the term of punishment expired. More than 50 representatives of the media gathered to see the release. However, the ex-head of the pyramid did not give any comments to journalists as he exited the prison. When he reached his vehicle, activists of the "Young Russia" movement threw sour cream at the car.

Books and movies by Mavrodi

Many will be surprised but Sergey Mavrodi has also explored his skills as an author, script writer and a composer.

READ ALSO: What's the name of Mavrodi's first book that was released?

MMM in Nigeria

Mavrodi and his movement found its way to Nigeria. The site Mavrodi Mondial Movement (MMM) became more popular than Facebook here and in other large countries of Africa. According to the latest data, about 3 million Nigerians participate in this pyramid.

The company started its activity in Nigeria in November 2015, launching a website targeting the Nigerian audience. Despite the fact that authorities were urging citizens not to invest their money into such Ponzi schemes, the popularity of the organization continued to grow.

Now you know the story of one of the most controversial personalities in the world. There are many opinions about him and most of them are not positive. However, everyone has a right to his or her opinion.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com writes open letter to MMM founder Mavrodi