Russian Oligarch and Former NBA Team Owner Makes Aliyah

By Times of Israel
Posted on 04/06/22 | News Source: Times of Israel

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has immigrated to Israel and received citizenship, according to a Monday report.

Prokhorov, 56, arrived in Israel several days ago on a private jet from Switzerland, according to Hebrew media reports.

The Ynet news site reported Monday that while he came on a tourist visa, he has since filed all the necessary paperwork to become a citizen under Israel’s Law of Return.

Prokhorov’s maternal grandmother, Anna Belkina, a prominent Russian microbiologist, was Jewish, making him eligible for Israeli citizenship.

Prokhorov, who is listed by Bloomberg as Russia’s 12th richest individual, with a net worth of $13.8 billion, has distanced himself from the Kremlin over the last decade, since running against Vladimir Putin for the Russian presidency, though he has also maintained ties to Moscow.