Durov Forbes confirmed the deal, and gave a detailed commentary in "VKontakte" on your page, noting that does not go away.

"Over the past few years I have been actively getting rid of the property, giving and selling all that I had - from furniture and objects to real estate and companies. Pending the achievement of the ideal I had to get rid of the largest part of its property - 12% of the fraction of VKontakte. I am glad that not so long ago, I achieved that goal by selling its share of VKontakte my friend Ivan Tavrin ", - the businessman wrote.

According to Durov, this change is unlikely to affect the administration "VKontakte". "The board listens to my opinion not because of the presence or absence of my share, but because I have created this network and understand its underlying mechanisms," - he explained.

"I'm not going anywhere and I'm going to continue to monitor the quality of" VKontakte ", - he wrote the founder of the social network. He also noted that his "responsibility is to safeguard and protect the network."

According to one of "Vedomosti" the interlocutors, the transaction took place back in the deckber 2013. The newspaper was unable to ascertain the exact amount of the transaction. According to the source, she could pass on the basis of evaluation of "VKontakte" in the $ 3-4 billion. A source close to shareholders of the social network, told the newspaper that the new shareholder has not yet been submitted to the Board of Directors, "probably this will happen in the near future."

Ivan Tavrin from April 2012 has served as general director of "Megafon" operator, controlled by Alisher Usmanov (№1 ranking in Forbes, the state - $ 17.6 billion). Usmanov through Mail.ru Group owns nearly 40% "VKontakte". Its shares controls Durov, holding the position of general director. The main shareholder of "VKontakte" is a fund United Capital Partners (UCP) Ilya ShCherbovicha, whose 48%. UCP investors bought the share of the first social networks Vyacheslav Mirilashvili (№114 ranking in Forbes, the state - $ 950 million) and Lev Leviev. The deal, according to Forbes estimates, exceeded $ 1 billion.

Money vs. ideals

For Pavel Durov did not last, and perhaps even played a major role not money, but the idea of ​​making his project, which will be convenient for users. This businessman idealist and a dreamer. Alisher Usmanov and Ilya ScheBovich more pragmatic people, they are interested in making money.

"VKontakte" for us -Financial investment. We believe in the company's potential and want to develop it, together with its current leadership, "- said Forbes Victoria Lazareva, partner UCP fund.

Sam Scherbovich just a week after it became aware of the arrival of his foundation in the number of "VKontakte" shareholders, said in an interview that the UCP intends to discuss with the leadership of the social network monetization of its questions. The fund was going to take the company to IPO in the next 5-6 years, counting on a significant increase in the cost of the social network. According to Lazarus, "target IRR (internal rate of return) of investment projects Group (UCP - Forbes) 35%, and we expect that this transaction will earn no less."

I must say that advertising, which occupies one of the main items of the income of social networks in "VKontakte" was an order of magnitude less than in the "Classmates" and Facebook. Another way to earn money are, for example, revenues from the games and all sorts of virtual gifts. But the latter is believed to be more prone pol"Odnoklassniki" input The.

Advertising in social networks Durov after coming ShCherbovicha an order was no more. Does this mean that the management of "VKontakte" ignored the new shareholder? Durov emergence of new partners received a hostile reception - the founder of the social network did not hide that he considers UCP conductor interests of the influential president of "Rosneft" Igor Sechin, through which the state could make an attempt to take control of one of the country's largest independent Internet companies.

Shortly before the deal appeared Durov involved in the case of collision with the inspector DPS: driving a white Mercedes businessman allegedly drove traffic cop on the hood instead of "stop on demand." Businessman interrogations and searches in his native St. Petersburg prefer temporary departure abroad, where the project Digital Fortress finalized Telegram. By the summer of the collision case it was launched on the brakes. Durov returned to Russia and was able to re-direct the "VKontakte" online.

However UCP set about trying to make a businessman and key "VKontakte" employees to abandon the parallel developmentsoftware solutions for the Telegram like going against the interests of social network activity. Durov answered openly accused ShCherbovicha fund pressure and the potential collapse of a unique team, UCP same businessman threatened to initiate his resignation from the post of director general.

Alisher Usmanov tried to remain neutral. In any case, his position for a long time does not make media expressed. In late December, he gave an interview in which he stated that if the UCP claims to find confirmation Durov, the founder of the social network will be responsible. This Usmanov said he did not believe that Durov could do harm to "VKontakte".

Team Usmanov

Last week became aware of a number of key reshuffle of top management "VKontakte". First Ilya Perekop as vice president replaced the former president of the publishing house "Kommersant" Dmitry Sergeev. Perekopsky was associate Durov and worked in "VKontakte" since 2008, with responsibility for the business component.

Sergeyev told Forbes, that "VKontakte" strengthens business line. For strengthening and will now meet the new Finclient connections director Alexander Tretyakov of Yota, and a native of USM Advisors Boris Dobrodeev, who will work with investors. Tretyakov, Dobrodeev, Sergeev - all of them to the "VKontakte" worked in structures of Alisher Usmanov. As Tavrin, because the owner of the "MegaFon" Usmanov is. Thus, the "team" Usmanov now controls 52% "VKontakte", and the remaining 48% - ShCherbovicha fund.