Сhannel One
Pozner: The program "Pozner" is on air. The guest of the program is the founder and president of Russia's largest private oil company “Lukoil”, Vagit Alekperov. Good afternoon, Vahid Yusupovich.
Alekperov: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
Pozner: I am very happy that you are here. But I immediately have a question. I once hosted a program called "The Times" and at the time it was a good program, I invited you many times, but you never accepted. And I decided, well, a no is a no. And recently your press person called, and asked what I thought of you coming here to this show. I was delighted, but I realize that it is not my initiative, but probably yours. I want to ask you, why did you suddenly want to come here?
Alekperov: I really like your program very much, because they go on live broadcast, there is a dialogue with the person interviewed. And today is the time when I would like to answer a series of questions that are of interest for our Russian society. Your program is the best platform for this opportunity.
Pozner: Tell me, how did you arrive? With an escort? With the police? With escort cars? People say different things about you. How did you arrive here today?
Alekperov: Well, surely not on the subway.
Pozner: I am not even asking this question.
Alekperov: Yes. Of course, I came in a car, which I am entitled to. Of course, I have security that accompany me. But I have neither police, nor an escort, nor flashing lights.
Pozner: Let us briefly go over your background for our viewers who are not familiar with you so well. And if I say something wrong, please correct me. You were born in 1950 in Baku or near Baku?
Alekperov: Baku. Baku is made out of districts. I was born in the Leninsky district, where there are old fields and oil wells .
Pozner: So, in Baku. Your father is Azeri, and your mother Russian.
Alekperov: Yes.
Pozner: You were the fifth child in the family, the youngest. Is that right?
Alekperov: Yes.
Pozner: You went to school like everybody else. From 1968 (I read about it) you started working in the oil fields. Moreover, you started from scratch, so to speak, with the most simple things. What's it called? A driller. And you have, in fact, been at all the stages from the most ordinary worker to the position of the youngest Deputy Minister of the Oil and Gas Industry in the USSR. Is that correct?
Alekperov : It is.
Pozner: You first became the deputy in 1992.
Alekperov: No, I first became the deputy at the end of 1990.
Pozner: Even so. And you left in 1992.
Alekperov: Yes.
Pozner: You left and headed a concern with a complex name "LangepasUraiKogalymneft." Correct?
Alekperov: Yes.
Pozner: On 5 April 1992, by a decree of President Yeltsin on the privatization of the oil industry, the concern which belonged to the state was transformed into a joint-stock company "Oil Company "LUKOIL," and you elected the president. Is everything correct?
Alekperov: Yes.
Pozner: Good. Immediately, the workers, not only there, but in general everywhere, receive so-called vouchers, and many of them believe that these vouchers are useless and they sell them. My first question to you is this: Did you yourself or through some other people buy these vouchers? Because soon you became the owner of it seems 10 % of "Lukoil." So, did you buy these vouchers or not?
Alekperov: In “Lukoil” the privatization process went a little differently than in other oil companies. We did not have share auctions, according to the law of the Russian Federation five percent of the shares were sold to the managers and teams of the oil company. After that, the state sold the first 6%, then another 8% , and the last block of shares of our company was sold by the state in 2004. ConocoPhillips bought the last 9% belonging to the state. Therefore, we had none of the so-called voucher privatization, we did not have any other privatization, we had the following privatization – the government was selling our package when they needed the money.
Pozner: I see. You know, there is a concept of "a provocative question." But I always say provocative is a question that we do not like, so we call it provocative. Do you agree with the statement of Balzac that at the basis (I stress, the basis ) of any wealth (wealth, I stress ) lies a crime?
Alekperov: No, not really. Why? There is another saying that everyone takes his chances. Everyone in the 90s, many had their chances to use this or that situation. "Lukoil" is probably different from many other companies, because there the professionals who have worked in these fields, they have become the shareholders, and today they run a huge complex called "Oil Company "LUKOIL."
Pozner: So, with regard to you, Balzac was wrong?
Alekperov: He probably simply had a different opinion at the time.
Pozner: Maybe. One way or another, according to Forbes (a quite authoritative magazine in this regard), you are at 56th place among the richest people in the world. They have determined that your fortune is estimated at $13.5 billion. I do not ask if this is true. After all, it is not the point. But this is the paradox. Russia occupies the third highest place in the world in the number of billionaires after the U.S. and China. But Russia is in 66th place in terms of quality of life. That is a whopping gap. What do you think about this?
Alekperov: I think today people who reached success in our country should show initiative for our population to live better, for establishing small and medium-sized businesses. For example, what am I doing now? I have established the so called Fund of Social Investments which supports initiatives by common people. Contests in many regions of Russia are being held, good projects are being chosen, and my fund provides support to them. Rather serious sums are allocated so that people can start their own businesses. The current period of time will be characterized in the near future in our country by not only the saving of capital, but also the implementation of projects. I am sure these processes will develop quickly.
To be continued
