Boris Berezovsky

For the pianist see Boris Berezovsky (pianist)

Boris Abramovich Berezovsky (born 23 January 1946) is a Russian business man, billionaire, and former mathematician. He is best known for the powerful positions he held in the 1990s when Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia.

Berezovsky was deputy secretary of Russia's security council, and a friend of Boris Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana. He had a lot of power over what the newspapers were allowed to print and what the television stations could say. They were not allowed to say anything bad about Yeltsin.

Berezovsky made a lot of money importing Mercedes cars into Russia in the 1990s. He made a lot of money from Avtovaz cars and he owned Sibneft oil company.

When Putin came to power Berezovsky fled to London where he was given political asylum. He said that he was trying to put an end to Putin's power. The Russian authorities have accused him of trying to murder several leading critics of Putin's regime, including Alexander Litvinenko and journalist Anna Politkovskaya, in order to make Putin look bad. The Swiss have accused him of taking money illegally.

In 1994 someone tried to kill Berezovsky. Several other people may have tried to kill him. He says these people are Russian agents.