Every entrepreneur has stories of successes and failures that are worth hearing about. Russian entrepreneur Ilgar Hajiyev is probably among those who top the list, as his story is an elaborate and shocking journey that exposes the greed, peoples’ love for money, and the conspiracy that led to his downfall in his home country. But his story did not end when he lost everything he worked hard for. Instead, it opened new opportunities for him that brought greater gains in the end. His remarkable story is a testament to his resilience and the beginning of a new and exciting journey that entrepreneurs ought to learn from.
Ilgar Hajiyev is a Russian and Azerbaijani real estate businessman who began his business journey in Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. He was successful in building massive spaces of real estate properties in these three countries that defined his business acumen and astounding skills. Unfortunately, he lost everything as a result of a conflict against several businessmen affiliated with the Kremlin and one of the law enforcement agencies in Russia. His business partner God Nissanov did not turn out to be the person Ilgar Hajiyev thought him to be. Faced with a terrible ordeal, he was forced to leave the country with his family to evade persecution.
No regulation in his home country was able to protect him and his interests as a legitimate businessman, who became a victim of what is known as a corporate raid. In the eyes of authorities, corporate raids are nothing but a simple competition among business entities for properties. Ilgar Hajiyev’s case, however, was not as simple after he lost every single property he worked hard to establish over the years. He had no legal remedy and no support system to back him up.
Interestingly, despite his loss, he found his silver lining in the darkest season of his life. He is grateful for the opportunity to keep his family safe, begin all over again, and encounter God. The most humbling experience of his life became the most important turning point as he converted from being a Muslim to Orthodox.
“So, among other things, of course, humility. Not a submissive agreement with fate, but an acceptance that the world is not ideal, that a person has to suffer severe trials, but this is not a reason to hate and curse the world around the people in it and me,” Ilgar Hajiyev explained. “My ill-wishers both in Russia and in Azerbaijan, real tyrants of selfish and evil people, did not manage to break me as they wanted, even depriving me of my wealth and pride. Having lost everything, I was freed. I found peace, God in my soul and peace. In a word, I have become better than I was. But they are not.”
Knowing that there are more businessmen like him who can easily fall into the trap of corporate raids back in Russia, Ilgar Hajiyev established a non-profit organization called Center for Business Transparency and Countering Corporate Raids to help fellow entrepreneurs who also suffered from the same plight he did. The foundation’s primary thrust is to provide helpful information and legal support to those who are victims themselves. The foundation is supported by specialists who are ready to guide entrepreneurs on what actions to take when faced with raider seizures.
Today, through the Center for Business Transparency and Countering Corporate Raids, Ilgar Hajiyev is successfully empowering his fellow victims to fight back without fear of standing up for what they believe to be a grave form of injustice. It is his aspiration to see future businessmen spared from the unseemly effects of corporate raids.
To know more about Ilgar, visit his website.