Background
Smolensky is the son of businessman Alexander Smolensky, the former head of large Russian bank Agroprombank/Business School-Agro-Bank which collapsed in 1998.
Smolensky is the son of businessman Alexander Smolensky, the former head of large Russian bank Agroprombank/Business School-Agro-Bank which collapsed in 1998.
After his father"s bank Business School-Agro collapsed in 1998, Alexander launched a new banking group, First OVK. In 2003, this was handed to Nikolai, who declared it would triple in size to 1,500 branches. On 27 July 2004 Smolensky, claiming Greek/British citizenship, bought British carmaker TVR. He also has connections with Italian motorbike manufacturer Benelli
In June 2013, it was confirmed that Nikolay Smolensky had sold his entire ownership of TVR to a syndicate of British Businessmen led by Les Edgar, a millionaire British entrepreneur.
Raised as “a sworn enemy of communism”, according to his father, Smolensky was educated in Austria and England.
Two months later, he sold the business for an estimated £80m to Rosbank, a member of Interros Group.