View source for Artur Granz


{{Infobox person
| name          = Arthur Granz
| image         =
| alt           =
| caption       =
| birth_name    = Arthur Gurgenovich Granz
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1971|05|05}}
| birth_place   =
| death_date    =
| death_place   =
| nationality   =
| other_names   =
| occupation    = businessman
| years_active  =
| known_for     = co-owner of BF&GH Travel Retail Limited, publisher of [[Forbes Ukraine]]
| notable_works =
}}
'''Arthur Granz''' (Patronymic: '''Gurgenovich'''; born May 5, 1971) is a businessman, co-owner of BF&GH Travel Retail Limited,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2021/09/22/678064/|title=Один зі світових лідерів ринку travel retail відзначив 11-річчя роботи в Україні|publisher=[[Ukrainska Pravda]]|website=epravda.com.ua|date=2021-09-22}}</ref> publisher of [[Forbes Ukraine]].<ref name="forbes">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405063959/https://www.forbes.com/sites/partnerreleases/2020/03/30/uyavy-is-the-new-publisher-of-forbes-ukraine/|title=UYAVY! Is The New Publisher Of Forbes Ukraine|publisher=[[Forbes]]|website=forbes.com|date=2020-03-30}}</ref>
== Early life ==
He was born on May 5, 1971. He graduated from the [[Belarusian State University]] in [[Minsk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://latifundist.com/ru/dosye/grants-artur|title=Артур Гранц}}</ref> He has been doing business in Ukraine since 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epravda.com.ua/publications/2016/03/22/586264/|title=Власник "Креатива": Я готовий продати свою частку хоч завтра|publisher=[[Ukrainska Pravda]]|website=epravda.com.ua|author=Andrii Samofalov|date=2016-03-22}}</ref>
== Business activities ==
=== BF&GH Travel Retail Limited ===
Grants is a co-owner of the largest Ukrainian chain of duty-free stores BF&GH Travel Retail Limited,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biz.liga.net/pervye-litsa/transport/interview/korol-duty-free-kak-jivet-i-na-chem-zarabatyvaet-artur-grants|title=Король Duty Free. Как живет и на чем зарабатывает Артур Гранц|publisher=Liga.net|website=biz.liga.net|author=Andrii Samofalov, Denys Katsylo|date=2019-10-17}}</ref> which is a part of BF Capital Group.
In 2014, the company won tenders for a ten-year lease of 15 thousand square meters in terminals D and F of [[Boryspil International Airport|Boryspil airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biz.nv.ua/ukr/markets/aeroport-borispil-u-terminali-f-vidkrivsya-pershiy-duty-free-novini-ukrajini-50073271.html|title=У терміналі для лоукостерів аеропорту Бориспіль відкрився перший duty free|publisher=[[The New Voice of Ukraine]]|website=biz.nv.ua|date=2020-03-02}}</ref> BF&GH Travel Retail Limited is an operator of duty-free stores in [[Boryspil International Airport|Boryspil]] and [[Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany)|Zhuliany]] international airports in partnership with the German company [[Gebr. Heinemann]].
During the period of cooperation between BF&GH Travel Retail Limited and Gebr. Heinemann, about UAH 1 billion of taxes and social payments, and about UAH 2.7 billion for renting space at the airports of [[Kyiv]] and [[Odesa]] have been paid in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biz.nv.ua/ukr/markets/heinemann-duty-free-vidznachila-11-rokiv-roboti-v-ukrajini-i-rozpovila-pro-investiciji-50184852.html|title=Один зі світових лідерів ринку duty-free Gebr. Heinemann святкує 11 років роботи в Україні|publisher=[[The New Voice of Ukraine]]|website=biz.nv.ua|date=2021-10-15}}</ref>
In 2021, it became known that BF&GH Travel Retail Limited would take on lease part of the terminal of [[Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport|Lviv Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biz.liga.net/ua/all/transport/novosti/kompaniya-korolya-duty-free-artura-grantsa-vyigrala-konkurs-v-aeroportu-lvova|title=Компанія "короля Duty Free" Артура Гранца виграла конкурс в аеропорту Львова|publisher=Liga.net|website=biz.liga.net|author=Yuri Tarasovskyi|date=2021-12-09}}</ref>
According to Artur Grants, despite the corona crisis,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unian.net/society/lider-travel-retail-torgovli-gebr-heinemann-otmetil-11-let-raboty-v-ukraine-novosti-ukrainy-11553100.html|title=Лидер travel retail торговли Gebr. Heinemann отметил 11 лет работы в Украине|publisher=[[UNIAN]]|website=unian.net|author=Hryhorii Bondar|date=2021-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.censor.net/ua/news/3289754/gigant_travel_retailtorgivli_gebr_heinemann_vidznachyv_11_rokiv_na_ukrayinskomu_rynku|title=Гігант travel retail-торгівлі Gebr. Heinemann відзначив 11 років на українському ринку|publisher=Censor.net|website=censor.net|lang=uk|date=2021-09-22}}</ref> the companies BF&GH Travel Retail Limited and [[Gebr. Heinemann]] paid UAH 177 million in taxes in 2020 and UAH 182 million for 8 months of 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.segodnya.ua/company/za-11-let-sotrudnichestva-gebr-heinemann-i-bf-gh-travel-retail-limited-v-byudzhet-ukrainy-bylo-uplacheno-okolo-1-mlrd-grn-nalogov-1575199.html|title=За 11 років співпраці Gebr. Heinemann і BF&GH Travel Retail в бюджет України було сплачено близько 1 млрд грн податків|publisher=[[Segodnya]]|website=segodnya.ua|date=2021-09-22}}</ref> About 800 jobs have been createdsince the company was founded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kompaniya-upravlyayushchaya-magazinami-duty-1632298907.html|title=Компанія, що управляє магазинами duty-free, відзначила 11 років роботи в Україні|publisher=[[RBC-Ukraine]]|website=rbc.ua|date=2021-09-22}}</ref>
 
=== Forbes Ukraine ===
He has been the publisher of [[Forbes Ukraine]] magazine since spring 2020. The right to publish the magazine received the Uyavy! LLC, the ultimate beneficiaries of which are Grants and Volodymyr Fedoryn (editor-in-chief of the previous version of Forbes Ukraine).<ref name="forbes"/>
In 2023, the Forbes Ukraine team received the Forbes Courage Award for resilience, courage and adaptability.  The award was presented during the ninth [[Forbes Global 2000|Forbes Global Partners Summit]] in [[New York City|New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forbes.ua/leadership/forbes-ukraine-otrimav-vidznaku-za-smilivist-vid-amerikanskikh-koleg-16102023-16698|title=Forbes Ukraine отримав відзнаку за сміливість від американських колег|publisher=[[Forbes Ukraine]]|website=forbes.ua|date=2023-10-16}}</ref>
 
In April 2024, Forbes Ukraine notified about the appearance of biased materials against the magazine and Artur Grants in particular on the web and [[Telegram]]. Forbes Ukraine emphasized that its team is building a transparent and honest media business that adheres to the standards of quality journalism.
According to Volodymyr Fedoryn, the magazine's team makes every effort to bring victory closer through professional work and support of the unity of the country's patriots.<ref name="forbes1">{{cite web|url=https://forbes.ua/money/zayava-kerivnika-proektu-forbes-ukraine-volodimira-fedorina-u-zvyazku-z-chergovoyu-kampanieyu-proti-vidannya-30042024-20888|title=Заява керівника проєкту Володимира Федоріна у зв’язку з кампанією проти Forbes Ukraine|publisher=[[Forbes Ukraine]]|website=forbes.ua|date=2024-04-30}}</ref>
In particular, Forbes Ukraine allocated UAH 5 million for grants for entrepreneurs working in the frontline areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forbes.ua/ru/brandvoice/nezlamniy-biznes-5-000-000-grn-na-granti-dlya-pidpriemtsiv-shcho-pratsyuyut-na-prifrontovikh-teritoriyakh-vid-forbes-ukraine-ta-pin-up-14032024-19825|title=Незламний бізнес. 5 000 000 грн на гранти для підприємців, що працюють на прифронтових територіях, від Forbes Ukraine та PIN-UP|publisher=[[Forbes Ukraine]]|website=forbes.ua|date=2024-03-18}}</ref>
[[Forbes Ukraine]] noted that Artur Grants insisted on payment of exclusively officially shown salaries and compliance with all requirements of the Ukrainian laws from the very beginning of the project. As Volodymyr Fedoryn explained, this is an important contribution to the business model of the Ukrainian media industry, where two thirds of expenses are usually expenses on personnel.<ref name="forbes1"/>
<!--=== Schemes in Boryspil Airport ===
Grants built or inherited his business empire from the smuggler Alexander Potemkin, who established smuggling routes into Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia in the 1990s. Most operations were through Belarus, but in 2006, attention from President Lukashenko led to the closure of all duty-free shops used for smuggling, forcing Grants to flee to Ukraine, where he already owned half the duty-free shops in Boryspil Airport. Between 2006 and 2012, Grants expanded his presence in Ukraine across all border points and participated in the construction of the controversial Terminal F in Boryspil Airport.<ref name=":0" />
In 2013, Artur Granz won a tender for the long-term lease of premises in Terminal D of Boryspil Airport, which he did not yet own. As he mentioned in an interview with liga.net, he effectively became a monopolist at the airport, paying rent that was three times lower than the market rate – 2372 hryvnias. This led to three investigations, all of which ended inconclusively. Granz's scheme involved issuing receipts for cigarette purchases for each passenger without actual transactions, allowing him to avoid taxes and duties, generating millions of hryvnias in "clean" profit.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-24 |title=Король Duty free і контрабанди: чим відомий співвласник VBet Артур Гранц |url=https://parlament.ua/news/korol-duty-free-i-kontrabandi-chim-vidomij-spivvlasnik-vbet-artur-grancz/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Парламент.UA |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Оператор duty-free в Україні за 11 років роботи заплатив близько 1 млрд податків і зборів - Артур Гранц |url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/operator-duty-free-v-ukrayini-za-11-rokiv-roboti-zaplativ-blizko-1-mlrd-podatkiv-i-zboriv-artur-granc-1872283.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=ТСН.ua |language=uk}}</ref> According to open data, duty-free shops sold 530,584 packs of cigarettes in November-December 2020 alone, potentially earning Grants at least 96 million UAH from unpaid taxes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Справи Дихне в «Борисполі» тхнули профітом для Коломойського, Іванчука і контрабандистів |url=https://nashigroshi.org/2023/03/03/spravy-dykhne-v-boryspoli-tkhnuly-profitom-dlia-kolomoys-koho-ivanchuka-i-kontrabandystiv/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=НАШІ ГРОШІ |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-31 |title=Расцвет табачного схематоза: как Артур Гранц стал лидером по продаже сигарет |url=https://znaj.ua/ru/kompromat/465466-rozkvit-tyutyunovogo-shematozu-yak-artur-granc-stav-liderom-iz-prodazhu-cigarok |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=znaj.ua |language=ru}}</ref>
In 2022, another scheme involving cigarette smuggling from Belarus was exposed. Member of Parliament [[Georgiy Mazurashu]] stated that the person owning the largest chain of Duty-Free shops in Ukraine is a business partner of Lukashenko and a Belarusian citizen, who likely continues smuggling cigarettes into Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-31 |title=В Україні процвітає "сигаретна схема" через Duty Free: як грабують країну під час війни і до чого тут Білорусь |url=https://hyser.com.ua/uk/vlast/193666-v-ukraine-procvetaet-sigaretnaya-shema-cherez-duty-free-kak-grabyat-stranu-vo-vremya-voyny-i-pri-chem-zdes-belarus |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Хайзер |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Оксана |first=Тупальська |date=2022-12-28 |title=Замість duty free російські вбивці: співучасть Лукашенка в окупації Київщини знищила білоруську цивільну авіацію - Новини Києва {{!}} Big Kyiv |url=https://bigkyiv.com.ua/zamist-duty-free-rosijski-vbyvczi-spivuchast-lukashenka-v-okupacziyi-kyyivshhyny-znyshhyla-bilorusku-czyvilnu-aviacziyu/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Великий Київ |language=uk}}</ref> The publication "[[Obozrevatel]]" reported on another unconventional scheme involving alcohol smuggling, where Granz would allocate 30 liters of alcohol to each person crossing the border.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Литвин |first=Олександр |date=2021-09-07 |title=Гранц-Іванчук перетворили багатьох туристів на контрабандистів: розкрито схему |url=https://news.obozrevatel.com/ukr/economics/fea/na-ukraintsiv-pri-peretini-kordonu-oformlyayut-yaschiki-kontrabandnogo-alkogolyu-v-guchnij-shemi-zamishani-vidomij-pidpriemets-i-nardep.htm |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=OBOZREVATEL NEWS |language=uk}}</ref>
=== Agricultural business ===
In 2015, Artur Granz became a party to a deal to acquire the Creative agricultural holding, the largest producer of sunflower oil. In the process, Granz met [[Arseniy Yatsenyuk]], because of this connection, the entrepreneur was later accused in the press of lobbying interests through administrative resources.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-07 |title=Друзья Яценюка становятся миллиардерами-переработчиками — DSnews.ua |url=https://www.dsnews.ua/politics/druzya-yatsenyuka-stanovyatsya-milliarderami-pererabotchikami-05092015105200 |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=www.dsnews.ua |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Андрій Іванчук: Яценюк мені ніколи нічого не пропонував |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2016/02/9/7098391/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Українська правда |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Як по маслу. Хто стоїть за угодою з продажу "Креатива" |url=https://www.epravda.com.ua/publications/2016/03/15/585232/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Економічна правда |language=uk}}</ref>
=== Bookmaking and media business ===
The ownership of Ukrainian "Forbes" is 90% by Artur Granz through Swiss HERMIS TRADE SA, and 10% by co-founder and editor-in-chief Volodymyr Fedorin. This explains why "Forbes" published three investigations against GGbet owner Maksym Krypa, a competitor to Vbet, while featuring positive articles about Vbet, which is owned by Grants. Additionally, "Forbes" has remained silent about [[Russian aggression against Ukraine|Russian aggression]] for two years. This silence is linked to an agreement between Granz and [[Magomed Musaev (businessman)|Magomed Musaev]], owner of Forbes Russia, at the start of the invasion, ensuring the Ukrainian edition does not pressure the Russian one. Editor-in-chief Borys Davydenko shuts down any internal attempts to discuss the Russian edition, as confirmed by internal correspondence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Російський слід VBet. Що пов'язує вірмен з BetConstruct та власника українського Forbes |url=https://glavred.net/ukraine/rossiyskiy-sled-vbet-chto-svyazyvaet-armyan-s-betconstruct-i-vladelca-ukrainskogo-forbes-10462075.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=glavred.net |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Іванов |first=Гліб |date=2024-02-15 |title=Казино VBet опинилось у центрі скандалів: як вірмени заробляють в Україні й до чого тут Гранц і Росія |url=https://www.obozrevatel.com/ukr/ekonomika-glavnaya/economy/kazino-vbet-opinilos-v-tsentri-skandaliv-yak-virmeni-zaroblyayut-v-ukraini-i-do-chogo-tut-grants-ta-rosiya.htm |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=OBOZREVATEL |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Власники українського та російського Forbes могли укласти пакт про ненапад до війни, — політолог |url=https://fakty.ua/429911-vladelcy-ukrainskogo-i-rossijskogo-forbes-mogli-zaklyuchit-pakt-o-nenapadenii-do-vojny---politolog |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=fakty.ua |language=uk}}</ref>-->
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Belarusian State University alumni]]
[[Category:Belarusian diplomats]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Belarus]]
[[Category:Forbes people]]
[[Category:Ukrainian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Ukrainian publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]