Interview with Timur Artemyev, former co-owner of the Euroset company
In 1997, businessmen Yevgeny Chichvarkin and Timur Artemyev has created the company “Euroset”, which subsequently became Russia’s largest cellular retailer. In the fall of 2008 in the company were searched, and then losing the business Chichvarkin and Artemyev have signed an agreement for the sale of “Euroset” to structures of businessman Alexander Mamut. Chichvarkin under threat of criminal proceedings emigrated to Britain, Artemyev followed him. In England he bought a house in one of the most prestigious locations in the country, hired a staff and is now engaged in the investment in the ageing process and in the production of blisks — a potential competitor to bikes and even public transportation. He scolds his British staff for being lazy; it pulls in Russia, but it is not going to come back. About his life in exile Timur Artemyev has told to the special correspondent of “Medusa” Ilya Zhegulev.
Timur Artemiev lives in Haslemere, one of the most prestigious locations in the UK; to the South of the capital. In the day trains from London go here every forty minutes. Artemiev meets me at the station, invites in her purple Porsche Cayenne. Before you get behind the wheel, shifts at the station a few words with the elderly friends of local residents — with a smile tells that he has a recently born daughter.
Nanny, cook, archivist, three governors
— Why did you decide to live here, then like all immigrants stay in London?
— Actually, this is one of the most expensive places in Britain. The British love to ride public transport in Haslemere and bought more first class tickets than anywhere else in England. There is nothing to build, you can only buy already built. For me it optimally, 50 minutes from London — not too close and not too far. And so, for life is all there: a gym, lots of good restaurants nearby, even one Michelin star is. Here people from all over the country come to walk, this is a domestic British resort.
“Your former partner “Euroset” Evgeny Chichvarkin also has a house here?
— Yes, was, but he’s getting a divorce, so, most likely, will not remain here.
— The British normally refer to the fact that non-native buying real estate inside of a British resort?
— They are happy with this. Me people told me how fifty years ago, then bought a house for fifteen hundred pounds. Now he worth half a million.
— And your house?
Is a unique family estate. It was built for English poet Alfred Tennyson. In 1929 the estate, which included more and other homes, was sold for 30 thousand pounds the Indian Maharaja. Now the same property is worth from 20 to 30 million pounds. I have a house in 2009 bought for 12 million, and what is happening now with his value — and even hard to say. Once I received an offer to sell it for 30 million.
The house of Timur Artemyev in Haslemere
Photo: Ilya Zhegulev / “Medusa”
London property premium is still more expensive.
London property buying by foreigners, and there are few of them. Imagine African corrupt — it is clear that this Belgravia or Mayfair (prestigious areas in Central London — approx. “Medusa”), but he never dares to invest in Haslemere, it is unclear what it is.
— You still also not quite British. How did you get here?
— I so did not want to leave Russia, that in the beginning I had the biggest shock from England, I have spent half a year. Then I was a renter just rented one apartment after another. I didn’t know where I want to live, I didn’t like London at all. Eugene [Chichvarkin] then found a house, called me. Look, he says, maybe you’ll like it. I did not like that house, which showed, and then I saw this mansion and said to his Wife: “Here, look, how to live a proper English boys.” And then the realtor said: “In General, this house is also for sale.” And then went to fight for his fierce style between me and other buyers. I did everything to avoid the auction. So the price is not officially promote, but to win the fight, I offered the landlord to buy him yet and the usual stool for 250 thousand dollars. The seller has agreed. In the end, I bought a more expensive house, but out of the other side and couldn’t beat the price.
— Such a large estate, behind him to be necessary.
— Indeed, the cost of maintaining a home in the 1200 square metres and 5 hectares of land significantly more than if I just bought an apartment in London. Have a huge house turned out to be very expensive. Had to hire a staff of fifteen employees. Two gardeners, a driver, an accountant, three nannies, cook, archivist, three house managers, a special man tube paint…
— Why so many? Here’s the archivist, for example, why should you?
— And what documents to keep in order? I have a lot of investments in different projects. All the time the required documents. I can’t endlessly run around and look for all these folders and contracts. And when such a state, it is necessary to determine the salary, give money on the cost of the house — it had to hire and accountant.
A cure for old age
— Why did you leave? Because you, unlike Chichvarkin, there was no need to flee from Russia.
— Indeed, Zhenya were the reasons, against it criminal case (in January 2009 had left Russia Chichvarkin was accused of kidnapping an employee of “Euroset”; the case was closed in 2011 — approx. “Jellyfish”). But I have my reasons were the same. I was also a shareholder of “Euroset”, an equal partner Genis, with a share of exactly 50 percent. I understand that the case against him is registered, the same can be opened against me. I was in Prague and planning to go to Edinburgh via Moscow. I called Jack and advised him to Edinburgh to fly in other ways. More I in Moscow did not return.
Co-owner of Euroset Evgeny Chichvarkin out from the interrogation in the Investigation Committee, September 2008
Photo: Vitaly Belousov / TASS
— And you started to live in London. And why, as friends and partners, you are at this time not began to do business together?
In “Euroset” Evgeny and my knowledge, skills and interests were shared. And here he became interested in making wine (Chichvarkin opened in the London wine business , Hedonism Drinks Ltd, formally Artemyev her co-owner approx. “Jellyfish”). And for me, wine is all well and good, but I don’t see a catastrophic difference between the taste of wine for $ 30 and 300. I will gladly drink wine from Sardinia, which costs $ 30 per bottle, and that’s enough for me.
— Master, you say, seriously?
— Yes, for me it was a difficult period. At first I didn’t know where I do go is to go to England or America. I thought that in new York, reluctant to live, but in California I then was empty. And here was Jack. Plus if I filed the same claim in the homeland, then I would use his experience to pay less to the lawyers, and the best to one court, all obeyed. Began to prepare for his defense, at some point, very surprised to find that I was served by twelve different law firms. Here you all have a very narrow specialization.
— And why were the lawyers?
— Including to help Chichvarkin. For example, when Eugene was in the database of wanted by Interpol, he did not want to open a Bank account. He had the status of a politically exposed person (politically meaningful face — approx. “Medusa”), but it just seems from Russia that in the UK all with the same status really love. As it turned out, not very.
— What did you do first time here?
— It is clear that when you have money, to live quite easily. I learned English — up to this I knew very little. Tried to understand the local culture, completely different, absolutely not similar to ours. Changed a huge number of employees, because they could not find common language with them. Here, after all, even when you want someone to chastise, we should do it as if you praise him.
— How, then, Chepurkin with their sharp control methods then survival?
— It is very difficult, even now. Jack designed for Russia and not for England. In Russia he was able to inspire and ignite people. There are very few people who inspired. Much more than those who wants to get money and do nothing. You tell them — they sit with a Notepad, write it down, nod, smile. Like beginning to do something, give an intermediate result — and then nothing happens. But if you decided all of these people are fired — they will still be offended and will sue you in court.
And once fired, go find another normal specialist. For example, I was looking for financiers. None of the candidates could not make for me the basic balance sheet. In this talk, waving his arms and doing the presentation know how many.
— What kind of scope you found?
— I immediately decided that I would spend the money on science. Supported research laboratory, the treatment of aging — this was done [in the UK] Russian scientist Alexander Zhavoronkov. Actively flew to new York, helped the lab of biochemistry Professor Evgeny Nudler — he regularly makes scientific discoveries. I see this as a promising point for the growth of new business. Mobile phones were in the early 1990s, and now is the extension of youth. And another very interesting area is the electric vehicle.
— The medicine has already appeared?
— In the US, so far, no one cure we did not submit documents to FDA (Management on sanitary inspection behind quality of foodstuff and medicines of the United States; the Agency issues a permit for use of new drugs — a comment. “Medusa”), but there are promising developments.
— How much have you invested in this research?
— About six million dollars.
— And no concrete results?
— As it is no? We made a bunch of scientific discoveries, supported the Russian scientists.
Competitor buses
Now you develop and produce blisks (self-balancing electric scooter, controlled by the movements of the body — approx. Medusa). You have a big company?
— Wheel is engaged 20 people. I divide my time equally between the wheel and the portfolio. And it turns out that work is much tougher than in the days of “Euroset”. Then I spoke with a extremely smart, amazing and strong people who did everything themselves and not something that should have been something for them to fix. Plus, even though the business itself was difficult, but clear: you buy and sell mobile phones and have the support of such great companies as Motorola, LG and Samsung. Now more and more difficult. The market that I have targeted, it is not mastered. People hardly accept new, and it is not so much need as a new mobile phone. People say: I like the idea, but I’ll wait until a neighbor blisks will appear. But there are some enthusiasts who love to ride from home to work and home. Pay zero is, in fact, free transport.
Timur Artemyev demonstrates blisks / Meduza
— Which has a serious rival — the Bicycle.
— Yes, but on the bike sweating. People come on bicycles to the office — and they are forced to go to the shower. Plus the bike should be parked, tied somewhere, and blisks you’re taking.
— So you are competing with Segways and bikes?
— With buses too. Either you go to the blisks, or waiting for the bus. Here, for example, population density is low. The buses aren’t going.
— And the average speed?
— There are blisks, accelerate to 50 kilometers per hour. Our planned average speed of 25 kilometers per hour.
“But you didn’t invent the wheelbarrow, they already sold to you.
— Yes, a lot of them — in China, producing hundreds of thousands of the blisks, and a very good buy. The cheap Chinese wheelbarrow can be purchased retail for $ 250. But our wheels are expensive: they are much better, we have a more complicated design. Protection from burning wheel, from the very left, and lots of additional functions and components are very expensive. Therefore, the retail price of the blisks — 1500 dollars, and our main task is to mass-produce.
— How much time you have left to develop?
Two years ago we rented a room and began to hire designers. Mass production is only prepared. In order to mass produce, you need to be confident in their partners. We have not yet found those wheels that will melt the hearts of our consumers. Planned to start delivery in January 2016, but postponed — I want to finish a number of technical solutions together with Russian and Ukrainian programmers.
— Want to say that, having left Russia, you still put money into it?
— In developers. The software requirements we have higher than the competitors, and to discuss them in Russian is much more pleasant. I now have fluent English, but not technical. Therefore, it is better to deal with our programmers, Indian developers, we are unlikely to find a common language.
— How much have you spent on the development of monowheels?
— Five million dollars.
— And how many have you sold already?
— A few dozen. First, because it is very expensive. Secondly, as yet there is no store where our monowheel can be viewed and test. So while enthusiasts are buying. Recently opened an online store where you can pre-order. In the next month or two, we finally have our sale. Start and app for the iPhone: it will be possible to adjust the level of stiffness of the wheel, watch the battery life; think about creating some sort of social network for owners of the blisks.
In those cities where the wheels will be popular, we want to provide all the cafes chargers for them. And we’ve been working really hard on improving our model. A few days ago with a new team of designers will discuss the design of the new blisks, which will weigh only 5-6 pounds.
Timur Artemyev on the monowheels
Photo: Ilya Zhegulev / “Medusa”
Visit to Russia — it’s like a trip to the African country
— You like to live in the UK? You are used to?
— Now I feel much more comfortable in California. In San Francisco I like more. I would like to continue to live between California and London. But still 10-20 years I see myself mostly in Russia. I would love to bring home all the experiences that I have gained here.
In this case, you seem a sensible idea about Khodorkovsky’s interim government, which will develop a plan for a time when Vladimir Putin will no longer be President?
— I think that shadow Cabinet of Ministers, which will be formed including people from Russia, is a normal idea. It is clear that in Russia now is impossible to form. In addition, we will never perepeleetsa — will never be able to stay abroad permanently. For me, Russia is a place of attraction. Another question, it is clear that there needs to be a system of checks and balances. Must be a work-related conflict between this interim government and civil society.
— Which British values would you like to distribute in Russia?
— Here people live and feel that they have power. Here you can be absolutely sure in an honest and fair court. If tomorrow, conventionally, Prince Harry, driving for Ferrari, will fly to you in the ass, there is hope that the trial will be fair.
— Are you dealing here with compatriots or with the Brits? Have you got any friends here except chichvarkina?
— Now with compatriots is much less communicate. In London such a special get — together- very rich people discussing new models of its “Bentley”. With them I’m not interested. When there is free time business, I’m headed to California. We associate it with Evgeny Nudler, California entrepreneurs, but it’s not new friends. The English concept of friend includes everything and is a former classmate and neighbor, and colleague. This is if we have a friend, then that’s who you’re at least out of bullets pulled out.
— Secular events do you attend?
— Very rare: come in and there are endless sellers of real estate that you perceived only as a money bag. Go with my wife for cultural events, concerts of classical music. Recently, it was an event in Oxford — the Kazakh Diaspora was an interesting discussion of the biochemistry of the aging process. I hitechnic man, I’m interested in biotechnology, space, transport, artificial intelligence is all of Russia and America, not England.
— You got a British passport?
— Only a residence permit. The kids and I almost immediately received the right to stay here indefinitely. For visas go to the Russian Embassy. I have a five-year visa to USA and Schengen countries, so it is often not necessary to go.
— In Russia never went since?
— I as an investor here prefer not to risk it. Visit to Russia — it’s like a trip to an African country, that is possible, but there are no guarantees. And I have still a wife, children.
