(Bloomberg) — Vladimir Potanin, Russia’s wealthiest man, was removed from the global advisory board at the Council on Foreign Relations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“It would no longer be appropriate,” for Potanin, 61, to remain a member of the century-old nonprofit’s board, spokeswoman Iva Zoric said in an email. “This is effective immediately and is in light of Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine.”
Requests for comments sent to Potanin’s foundation weren’t immediately returned. He has not been sanctioned.
It’s the latest setback for the philanthropic ambitions of Potanin, the president of Norilsk Nickel and former first deputy prime minister of Russia. He resigned last week from the board of trustees at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, which he supported for decades. The museum didn’t cite the reason for his resignation, but stated its opposition to the Ukraine war.
The CFR’s board is made up of more than two dozen executives and leaders from around the world, including Oliver Baete, chief executive officer of Allianz SE, Andre Esteves, the billionaire founder of Banco BTG Pactual SA, and Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean telecommunications billionaire who was added to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s board in January.
Potanin has a net worth of $22.3 billion, the largest fortune among Russians tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
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