Meet the 'Russian James Bond' billionaire behind one of the most luxurious hotel brands in the world

• Vladislav Doronin is the founder of OKO Group and owner of the Aman luxury hotel group.
• Aman, with 36 hotels and 38 projects, is valued at $4.5 billion, according to Doronin.
• Doronin also has an extensive personal property portfolio and art collection.

Real estate billionaire Vladislav Doronin has built a hospitality empire beloved by celebrities and the ultrawealthy.

Doronin, 61, is the founder and chairman of OKO Group, a Miami-based real estate development firm, as well as the owner and CEO of Aman — a luxury hospitality brand with high-priced hotels worldwide.

Born in Russia, he moved to Switzerland in his 20s and got his start in business as a commodities trader. He built his real estate empire in Moscow before venturing abroad with the OKO Group in 2015.

He's known for being reluctant to speak to the press at length and has been dubbed "the Russian James Bond" by architect Zaha Hadid, The Wall Street Journal reported. Another peer described him as a "ghost." Still, he captured headlines with a five-year relationship with supermodel Naomi Campbell that ended in 2013.

In April, he told the Journal that Aman Group, which includes 36 hotels and 38 projects in the works, is worth around $4.5 billion.

His property empire includes impressive personal residences. In July, The Real Deal reported that Doronin was the buyer of the $135 million penthouse atop the historic Crown Building where Aman New York is located.

Here's what we know about the billionaire behind resorts like Amangiri, a popular Utah getaway for celebrities and the uber-wealthy.

Doronin was born in Soviet-era Russia in 1962

Doronin described St. Petersburg, known as Leningrad during his childhood, as a "very cultural city," according to the Journal. He said it was there that he grew to appreciate art by visiting museums with his parents.

He left the USSR for Switzerland in his 20s.

Doronin left Russia as a young man and has held a Swedish passport since 1992, according to Curbed. While in Switzerland, he got an MBA and began working as a commodities trader under Marc Rich, an American businessman who had left the US after being charged with tax evasion and racketeering.

"Marc Rich ended up being a mentor to all these young kids who came out of the Communist Party Establishment and who made billions," journalist Paul Klebnikov told the New York Post in 2001.

In 1993, he launched a Moscow-based real estate company.

Doronin resumed business in Moscow in 1991 after the Soviet Union collapsed and, along with some partners, launched Capital Group in 1993.

Unlike the older Russian businessmen who didn't take well to capitalism, Doronin excelled, according to the Journal. One of Capital Group's first projects was converting a factory into an office space for IBM, Curbed reported.

During his time developing in the city, the budding real estate magnate reportedly became friends with Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow, and scored lucrative projects in the financial district.

He started dating supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2008.

Doronin moved further into the limelight when he began a relationship with supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2008.

The couple often attended events, and he was also in the crowd when Campbell appeared on "Oprah" in 2010. They split in 2013, and seven years later, Doronin sued his ex.

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ in 2020, he alleged that Campbell owed him money he lent her throughout their five-year relationship and that the model still possessed his personal property valued at over $3 million.

It was later revealed that Campbell had sued Doronin first over similar claims, but it's unclear if the matter has been resolved.

Between 2013 and 2014, Doronin reportedly cut ties with Capital Group.

When Doronin purchased land in Aspen for $76.2 million and planned to build a resort, a writer for the Aspen Times referred to him as an "oligarch."

He must not have appreciated the label because Doronin sued the newspaper for defamation.

In the lawsuit, his lawyers emphasized his Swedish citizenship and said Doronin cut ties with Capital Group between 2013 and 2014.

"Since then, Mr. Doronin has not conducted any business in Russia and is no longer associated with Capital Group," his lawyers said, according to Curbed.

The suit was settled out of court. According to his LinkedIn profile, Doronin has been the chairman and CEO of Miami-based real-estate development firm OKO Group since 2015.

Doronin was introduced to Aman over 30 years ago.

A work trip to Asia landed him at an Aman hotel for the first time. Almost 35 years ago, Doronin was a guest at Amanpuri in Phuket. The brand was already a hit among A-listers of the time like Princess Diana and David Bowie, per the Journal.

Doronin became a fan as well after his stay at Amanpuri. However, he said its founder, Adrian Secha, "was a creative person but he was not a good businessman."

Doronin acquired Aman Group in 2014 for $358 million.

He bought the luxury hotel chain in 2014 with partners. Since then, the brand has continued to be a hit among the wealthy and wellness-obsessed.

Aman Resorts hosts the likes of Justin Bieber, Kylie Jenner, George Clooney, and Mark Zuckerberg at its locations worldwide.

In March, he launched its sister brand, Janu, a slightly more accessible brand with its first location in Tokyo and $1,000-a-night rates.

In 2015, he partnered with a New York builder to buy space in Manhattan's Crown Building.

Along with builder Michael Shvo, Doronin paid $475 million for a portion of the Crown Building in New York City, The Real Deal reported. Shvo left the project in 2017, though kept an equity stake, it said.

Aman New York opened for guests in August 2022.

The hotel, located in the Crown Building in Manhattan, boasts a 25,000-square-foot spa and gift shop that includes $137 herbal supplements and a $255 baseball cap, the Journal reported.

The rates at the Aman Hotel can reach over $4,500 for one night. The building also hosts the Aman Club, a private members' club with a $200,000 initiation fee and $15,000 of annual dues.

Doronin is dating former model Kristina Romanova.

Doronin has reportedly been dating Kristina Romanova, 30, since 2014. Romanova is the CEO of Aman Essentials and oversees the sale of its skincare, clothes, and jewelry. They have two children.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Doronin has publicly condemned the country where he was born.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has prompted Doronin to address his ties to Russia.

"I'm against war," he told the Journal. "It doesn't matter where."

According to a statement published in 2022, he hasn't been to Russia in over five years and hasn't "conducted business in Russia in many years."

He is a spiritual man who makes wellness a hobby.

Doronin practices wellness activities and has spoken about being a student of the Taiwanese martial art of qigong.

Although he isn't always open to speaking to the press about his personal life, videos of his qigong practices can be found on YouTube .

Wellness is a common theme at Aman resorts, and Doronin has said he meditates daily.

He also is a renowned art collector.

Doronin bought the penthouse at the Aman New York for $135 million.

In a surprising turn of events, Doronin bought his own penthouse. Since 2019, he maintained that the company had an Asian buyer ready to spend $180 million on the five-floor unit.

But people familiar with the matter told the Journal that Doronin ended up closing a deal on the penthouse for $135 million, adding to his already extensive real estate catalog, which includes a condo in Manhattan, one of the few residential homes designed by Zaha Hadid in Moscow, and a Miami mansion.

"I have an apartment, but I am missing a fireplace, and I'm missing a terrace," he said in 2019 when he was considering buying a place in his New York project.

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