The post-Soviet space has given the world many colorful and bright personalities. Among them, it is impossible not to notice such an interesting and sometimes mysterious character as Vladimir Kekhman. It is surprising that in such a short time he managed to reincarnate from the “banana king” into a we althy entrepreneur and not the last person in modern Russian opera art. We will tell you more about it further.
Kechman's short biography
Kekhman was born in February 1968 in the city of Kuibyshev. Immediately after school, he entered the Samara State Pedagogical University, where he studied for a long time at the Faculty of Foreign Languages. Then Vladimir decided to continue his studies, but in a slightly different direction. To this end, he entered the production department of the State Academy of Theater Arts in St. Petersburg, from which he graduated in early 2009.
First steps in entrepreneurship
The future businessman Vladimir Kekhman began to think about his own commercial activities in his first year at the Pedagogical University. However, he managed to realize his dreams only two years later. In an interview with the press, he admitted:
WorkI started early in high school. At that time, I was offered a small part-time job as a security guard. I agreed. The work was easy. However, I always paid attention to my own brother. At that time, he was engaged in antiques and did not deny himself anything. It was he who spurred me to leave ordinary workers for businessmen.”
Thus, Kekhman Vladimir Abramovich easily wedged himself into the exchange mechanism and was able to sell products with a certain margin. He began to supply wholesale coffee, cigarettes and sugar.
Opening a brokerage office and first business partners
Successfully taking advantage of the moment and getting into the right business stream, Vladimir moved to the next level. From an ordinary wholesaler, he turned into the director of one of the country's first brokerage companies called Grad. A year later, he was offered a more promising vacancy as deputy general director of one of the branches of Rosoptprodtorg, located in Samara.
Having settled down in a new place, Kekhman Vladimir Abramovich got a great opportunity to find his first reliable business partners. One of these was a major businessman Sergei Adoniev, known in financial circles as a "sugar tycoon." Thanks to him, Kekhman also acquired a second partner in the person of Oleg Popov. In the same period, fruitful cooperation with partners allowed Vladimir to feel the taste of real big money.
New business idea
Engaged in the import of sugar, Kekhman becameearn more. However, his "sweet business" soon cracked. The blame was the order of the government to tighten measures on imported goods and support for local producers. As a result, Vladimir and his partner began to look for new sources of income. This time the choice fell on bananas. According to the entrepreneurs, it was the right investment, since these fruits did not grow in our country and, therefore, did not fall under the duty.
Tricky move with bananas
The decision to choose the type of goods has been made. But everything was complicated by the already existing competition in the market. It was necessary to make a "knight's move" and present your product in a more favorable light.
And then Sergey Adoniev and Vladimir Kekhman decided not to bring bananas from Rotterdam, as almost all of their competitors did, but to make purchases directly in Ecuador.
To do this, the partners had to include in their duo a new player - entrepreneur Oleg Boyko, who is one of the founders of the large company "Olbi" and the owner of the financial organization "National Credit". It was he who invested a couple of million dollars in the future banana empire, and later initiated the opening of a large trading company, Albee Jazz.
The gloomy future of Albee Jazz and the opening of the Joint Fruit Company
Despite the growth in revenue, the fate of Albee Jazz was short-lived. The "jazz" firm fell into the addictive maelstrom of the banking crisis that swept Russia in 1995. Unable to withstand such a powerfulhit, the company collapsed, and the founder of the organization, Oleg Boyko, fled from creditors abroad.
As a result, Vladimir and Sergey set off on a free voyage, looking for new ways of earning along the way. Thus, JFC (Joint Fruit Company) was founded by entrepreneurs. This time the company of Kekhman and Adoniev began to sell bananas under their own brand Bonanza!.
This was a premium fruit that had a higher price than classic banana bundles. Yes, and they were designed for a more affluent contingent.
Later, Vladimir Kekhman broke up with his reliable partner and became a complete monopolist in the banana business. And the company founded by them acquired a large branch network, acquired its fleet of bulk carriers and even personal plantations in the territories of Ecuador and Costa Rica.
Even later, the wife of a businessman was admitted to the management of the company, gradually turning the "Banana Empire" into a profitable family business.
By the way, we will talk about her and the children below.
Kekhman Vladimir Abramovich: wife and family values
The businessman was married to Tatyana Litvinova. They have three children from this marriage. However, the businessman failed to save this marriage. The couple divorced, escaping with a not too loud divorce process. At the moment, the businessman was seen in the company of Ida Lolo.
"The soul of the poet could not stand it" or creative notes in the character of a businessman
And everything seemed to be like clockwork:family, profitable business and money with a shovel. But Vladimir was missing something. As he later told in an interview with one of the popular Russian publications: "The soul demanded some kind of change and a holiday." As it turned out, the seemingly rich and independent Karabas-Bananas (that was the name of Vladimir by some envious people) turned out to be a subtle creative nature.
For the first time, Vladimir Kekhman (the biography of this businessman is presented in our article) demonstrated his desire for art in 1995. At that time, the popular Spanish tenor Jose Carreras arrived in St. Petersburg. On the day of the gala reception organized in honor of the arrival of this remarkable opera singer in the lobby of the Evropeyskaya Hotel, Kekhman went up on stage and, to everyone's surprise, sang.
But that was only the beginning. A few months later, Vladimir opened his own jazz club, JFC. It was there that the businessman began to gather his friends and partners, and then, in a cozy, almost homely atmosphere, to play the clarinet for them.
The theater in the life of a businessman
And although the opening of the club and the performance of a solo on stage caused a wide resonance in the press and the financial environment, it did not have the special scope that the heart of a businessman craved. In early 2007, Kekhman surprised everyone again. This year, he received the position of director and headed the Mikhailovsky Theater.
From that moment on, the entrepreneur seemed to be transformed. He finally found something new that he lacked in life. And most importantly, the businessman decided to try himself in a completely unusual role for him. Yes, heplayed the role of Prince Lemon in the play "Cipollino". Then he sang in "Eugene Onegin". And then he took a conductor's baton and for a while began to lead the orchestra of the opera house.
Changing stereotypes at the Mikhailovsky Theater
From the moment Kekhman came to the theater, global personnel changes began there. He wanted to start completely from scratch and recruit the team that would suit him. According to him, he himself could learn to conduct, master acting and other professions of theatrical figures.
Based on the experience gained, Vladimir began to invent his own system of theater work and implement it in life. In particular, visiting celebrities began to be increasingly invited to the Mikhailovsky Theater.
For example, the famous choreographer Mikhail Messerov, a ballerina from the Bolshoi Theater Natalya Osipova came to him with his program. Appeared on the stage of the opera house and song performers, for example, Valery Syutkin and Irina S altykova. The interior of the theater has also changed. So, some of the chairs were removed in the hall, and “coffee” tables were placed instead.
Growing popularity of theater among residents
The non-standard approach to the management system of the theater team has borne fruit. In "Mikhailovsky" the Russian beau monde began to gather more and more often. And in 2010, it was here that the meeting of the President of the Russian Federation with the creative intelligentsia was organized. Even later, a grandiose gala concert and a charity event dedicated to saving the tiger population were held with a bang in the theater. By the way, a famous Hollywood actor was also invited to the last evening with sponsorsLeonardo DiCaprio.
"Black streak" in the life of a businessman
And it seems that everything in the life of a businessman has improved: both his own theater and new real estate projects have appeared, and he received an award from the Ministry of Culture in the "Fame" nomination. But this is only at first glance. While Kekhman sang, danced and enjoyed the cultural social life, his business began to bring continuous losses.
And then lawsuits from creditors, suppliers and carriers rained down, and then bankruptcy and again proceedings with representatives of Themis. So far, Vladimir's losing streak is not over. It is quite possible that the wind of change will soon blow in his direction, and it will be time for him to have good luck and luck. “In addition, in the near future,” says Vladimir Kekhman, “family. Let go of old grudges and move on.”
