Telman Ismailov
Telman Mardanovich Ismailov is an Azerbaijani-born Russian businessman and entrepreneur of Mountain Jewish origin. Since Azerbaijan does not allow Azerbaijani [nationality law|dual citizenship], he holds Russian-Turkish citizenship. He is the chairman of the Russian AST Group of companies, which is active in many countries. Until 2009, Ismailov owned the Europe's then-largest marketplace, Cherkizovsky Market, located in Moscow, Russia.
Early life and family
Telman Ismailov was born in Baku, USSR in 1956, to a business family from Baku. He is the tenth of 12 children. Both his father's and mother's side were Mountain Jews.Business career
In 1989, he registered the brand "AST".After the lavish opening of a hotel resort, the Mardan Palace, in Antalya, Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin was reportedly enraged that Ismailov invested so much abroad and flaunted his riches while Russia was being hit by a credit crunch. In retaliation, the angry Putin ordered the closing of Cherkizovsky Market in August 2009, causing 100,000 traders at the famous bazaar to lose their jobs.