As founder and managing partner of DST Global (formerly Digital Sky Technologies), Milner has made a name for himself as a savvy investor of Internet companies. Along with Facebook, his investments include Twitter, Groupon, Zygna, Airbnb and Spotify. The Russian billionaire was headed toward a career in particle physics before turning to finance and investing. After earning his MBA from Wharton, Milner worked at the World Bank as a Russian banking specialist. From there, Milner worked for several brokerage companies before co-founding a series of Russian-based Internet companies and investment funds.
In 2009, DST paid $200 million for a nearly two percent stake in Facebook, a deal that valued the company at $10 billion at the time. In 2010, Fortune magazine listed Milner 46th in its list of the 50 most prominent business people.
Born: Nov. 11, 1961, Moscow
Lives: Moscow
Education: Moscow State University; Wharton School of Business, MBA
Yuri Milner
Relationship to Facebook
Not content with his 2009 investment, Milner got in on Goldman Sachs' 2011 investment in Facebook with an additional $50 million of his own. That, along with earlier large block purchases of Facebook stock from existing shareholders and employees, makes DST's 5.5 percent stake worth about $4.6 billion.
Career Profile
Current Occupation: Managing Partner, DST Global
Former Companies: World Bank, Menatep Bank, New Trinity Investments
