Sergei Viktorovich Pugachev, also spelled Sergey Pugachyov, (French: Sergueï Pougatchev, Russian: ?????´? ?????????? ???????; born 4 February 1963) is an ex-Russian investor and former member of Vladimir Putin's inner circle.
He is a Doctor of Technical Sciences and a member of the International Engineering Academy as well as the author of three monographs and 40 research papers.
Pugachev moved to the United States in 1994.
Before that he lived primarily in France and London.
He has major real estate development projects in the United States, France, Luxembourg, Russia and the United Kingdom.
At the start of the 2000s, Pugachev had the reputation of the most influential agent of orthodox ideas in Putin's entourage.
He introduced Putin to his spiritual father, the governor of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), and other senior clerical figures.