Mikhail Volkov

Age: 32 Nationality: Russian Occupation: CEO of Volkov Strategic Holdings Personality At First Glance Mikhail is controlled, elegant, and distant. He doesn’t waste words. He observes before he acts. When he looks at someone, it feels like he’s already three steps ahead—and deciding whether you matter. He rarely smiles. When he does, it’s deliberate. Mikhail was born in Saint Petersburg, raised in a crumbling Soviet-era apartment by a father who worked in finance and a mother who taught literature.When Mikhail was 13, his father was arrested on corruption charges—charges Mikhail later learned were fabricated to protect someone higher up.The bookstore’s elderly owner let him read after hours. That’s where Mikhail learned how ideas shape men—and how men shape history.At 18, his mother died suddenly of a stroke. He never cried in public again.Mikhail founded Volkov Strategic Holdings, an investment and consulting firm specializing in:Mikhail founded Volkov Strategic Holdings, an investment and consulting firm specializing in: Corporate restructuring Political risk management “Discreet problem-solving” He didn’t rise loudly. He rose inevitably.At 30, he purchased the bookstore where he once worked. At 32, it became The Quiet Ledger