The names of Sergei and Vyacheslav Mavrodi have been heard at least once not only in the CIS, but also far beyond its borders. And all thanks to the scam they pulled, creating a pyramid scheme under the infamous name "MMM".
Despite the fact that this structure deceived millions of Russian people and forced them to say goodbye to their accumulated rubles, most of the inhabitants consider one of the founders of the pyramid - Sergei - a victim of circumstances and a businessman who fell under the reprisal of the government, but not a fraudster.
Glory to elder brother Vyacheslav
It's paradoxical, but most of the victims of "MMM" believe that the elder Mavrodi himself suffered from the state, which began to fear his strength, popularity and the trust that citizens had in him. Once Sergey threatened the state elite that he would easily convene a popular referendum and thus solve the issues he needed. After that, law enforcement agencies began to accuse him of illegal business activities and incriminate him with an article on tax evasion.
Many beforestill sincerely believe that if the state had not interfered in the affairs of MMM, its investors would now be millionaires. People with a certain professional experience consider Sergey a genius who managed to bring to life the first pyramid scheme in Russia and forced millions of people to invest their money in it. The scale with which MMM launched its activities is still amazing.
But for the sake of justice, it should be noted that all "merits" should not be attributed only to Sergey. All his close relatives were involved in the affairs of MMM, since he believed that it was impossible to entrust the management of billions to a stranger, no matter how reliable he may seem. Almost all relatives were involved in the management of MMM by Sergey, including his own younger brother - Vyacheslav Mavrodi.
Brief information about parents
Biography of Vyacheslav Mavrodi and his legendary brother, no doubt, is of interest to many. Future businessmen-schemers were born in Moscow, they are native Muscovites. Judging by the brief data that can be found today in the public domain, their parents were no different from the rest of the millions of citizens of the Soviet Union at that time.
It is known that their father - Pantelei Andreevich - was an ordinary fitter. Mother - Valentina Fedorovna - an economist. In an interview that Mavrodi's younger brother Vyacheslav once gave to the prestigious Esquire (his photo can be seen in our article), it is said that for a long time the family lived in a house located near the Novodevichy Convent. Over time, they moved to an elite house. Themthe new apartment was located on Komsomolsky Prospekt, where the Malikov family and Oleg Yankovsky lived next door to them.
Now their parents are no longer alive. They both died of cancer. Valentina Feodorovna died in 1986 - she was diagnosed with liver cancer. A few years earlier, his father also left - in 1980 he died of lung cancer.
Attraction to the family business and work at MMM
The original idea to create the infamous financial structure "MMM" came to the head of his older brother Sergei. He could entrust the management of multi-million dollar capital only to the closest people. So Vyacheslav Mavrodi, in the structure created by his brother, becomes vice president and chief accountant. He actively helps to increase the capital of his blood relative. In addition to working at MMM, Vyacheslav brings to life several quite successful commercial projects at the same time.
Vyacheslav's activity after the pyramid closed
After the tax inspectorate became seriously interested in the financial pyramid and the activities of the brothers were suspended, millions of depositors were at a loss and did not quite understand that this was the end, and they would not see their money. Vyacheslav Mavrodi, there is a photo in our article, he did not panic.
On the contrary, on the ruins of "MMM" he creates a new pyramid, the essence of which was voluntary donations. In 1996, there were quite a few investors who took their money there as well. A year later, this system was already actively functioning invirtual space. Now it was possible to invest in a new pyramid through the Internet, which added Vyacheslav Mavrodi investors around the world.
First formal charges filed
Vyacheslav conducted all the ideological work to promote the new financial system practically from the underground. At this time, he was actively interrogated about the activities of the already covered MMM, and the Russian UBEP became seriously interested in the activities of the new system of voluntary donations. In 1998, UBEP officers searched Vyacheslav's office and seized gold bars from him, the legality of which the law enforcement agencies had acquired was highly questionable. Questions also arose regarding the source of funds that allowed Vyacheslav to purchase 21 ingots weighing 5 g each.
Mavrodi Jr. chose not to answer these questions, and as a result, in 1999, a criminal case was initiated against him. Vyacheslav went underground…
He periodically changed rented Moscow apartments, leaving them very rarely and only accompanied by guards. Specially hired people provided him with food and everything he needed. Vyacheslav actively communicated with the outside world via the Internet, and his loneliness was brightened up by a girlfriend, because of whom, in fact, Vyacheslav Mavrodi was found by law enforcement agencies.
Marina is the wife of the younger Mavrodi
The fact that the imprudence of a certain girl, who brightened up his loneliness, helped to discover the fugitive, may at first seem strange. After all, he was officially married to Marina Muravyova. Vyacheslav Mavrodi was officially married to her. It is worth noting that Marina was an accountant at MMM, and there are rumors that she took an active part in the activities of the pyramid. But before meeting Vyacheslav, the woman was in a close relationship with a famous singer - O. Gazmanov.
Despite the fact that in this seemingly strange marriage, a common child was born (son Philip, born in 1997), the relationship of the spouses was hardly sincere. Mavrodi Vyacheslav and his wife Marina (whose photos cannot be found together in the public domain) broke up literally immediately after Vyacheslav's arrest.
Arrest and serving time
In 2001, the younger Mavrodi was taken into custody. In 2003, the court made its decision. Vyacheslav was found guilty of conducting illegal banking activities and turnover with precious metals. The sentence was as follows: confiscation of property and imprisonment for 5 years and 3 months.
Vyacheslav was serving his sentence in correctional colony No. 5, located not far from Samara. He served his entire term in prison. The administration of the IK did not have any complaints about his behavior. Like all the other prisoners in this institution, he worked in the production of pasta. His behavior was exemplary, but Mavrodi did not use the opportunity to be released on parole for unknown reasons.
An unofficial look at serving time
Once the lawyer of Mavrodi Sr. spoke out that in fact Vyacheslav was serving a full term,because the Penitentiary Service constantly refused to submit documents for consideration of release on parole under various invented pretexts. They say that someone from above really did not want Mavrodi to be released ahead of schedule. In any case, what really happened, the masses will most likely never know.
Divorce from his wife and leaving her with her son to a famous singer
After the conclusion of Vyacheslav, his wife almost immediately began to appear in the company of Oleg Gazmanov. Their romance began even before Marina met Mavrodi, but at that time the singer was married to another woman and did not dare to leave her. After Muravyova received an offer to marry from a well-known businessman, she did not think long and accepted him. There is gossip that even after the wedding she did not stop her meetings with the singer. When the official husband was sent to prison, she began to appear, accompanied by Gazmanov, at social events already in the open.
This time Oleg didn't miss a chance, divorced his previous wife and proposed to Marina. At the moment, they are officially scheduled, and Gazmanov has been raising Philip, Marina's son from a previous marriage, as his own for many years.
Release from prison
Vyacheslav was released in 2006. At the prison, he was met by a jeep, which took Mavrodi away to a new life in freedom. Under the walls of the colony, he was met by many journalists, with whom he refused to communicate.
Vyacheslav only said that he had no idea where he would go and what he would do next. Now nothing is known about the activities of Mavrodi Jr. He has not been seen in any high-profile scandals and scams to date.
