Gutseriev announced the impossibility of returning business to the old days

Entrepreneurs are obliged to create the material support of the state, this is their civil and moral duty to society, writes Mikhail Gutseriev in an article for RBC. “All the decisions that I made this year were aimed at solving the main task - maintaining the stable operation of enterprises and their teams. We coped with this task, ”the entrepreneur notes.

According to Gutseriev, 2022, when Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began and unprecedented Western sanctions were introduced , changed everything, becoming a period of “historical, epoch-making events”: “The scale of their influence on the socio-economic development of Russia, on the geopolitical situation in the world will be truly appreciated only by future generations.”

The businessman recalls that two years ago, all conversations in business circles were naturally related to the COVID-19 pandemic: complicated logistics, closed borders, a new approach to staff work. Business adapted to the changed economic realities, but all discussions about the future were reduced to the desire to return to pre-covid times, so that everything would be the same as before. “This year it became obvious: it will not be the same as before,” the businessman emphasized.

Gutseriev writes that this year "eloquently confirmed" the validity of the five rules of life that he formed. Among them are “to work to the maximum in any situation”, responsibility, openness and honesty, as well as “always believe in yourself and rely primarily on yourself”. “I can confidently say that among my companies there is not one where the number of jobs has decreased in 2022. The load on managers has increased significantly: from operational processes (search for import substitution technologies and new sales markets in industrial production, organization of parallel imports in retail, etc.) and ending with constant negotiations with banks, participation in various working groups and periodic review of business plans, he says. “And in this situation, it’s impossible for me to stay away. I repeat: I live in such a rhythm all the time,

The Safmar group, which was founded by Mikhail Gutseriev, until 2022 included RussNeft, Neftisa, other industrial companies, development companies, real estate and media assets. In June 2021, he was sanctioned by the European Union and Great Britain on charges of supporting the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. After that, it became known that the businessman transferred 37% of RussNeft to his younger brother Sait-Salam Gutseriev and left the board of directors. A year later, Sait-Salam sold this share (the buyer was not named). In April 2022, Poland and Canada imposed sanctions against Gutseriev Sr. The Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the country's authorities intend to deprive the businessman and his family members of the "golden passport". Officially, the Cypriot authorities did not confirm this information, the representatives of the businessman did not comment on this. After that, the group "M.

In the spring of 2022, Forbes magazine estimated the fortune of Mikhail Gutseriev and his brother Sait-Salam at $1.3 billion.