Poju Zabludowicz Finnish business magnate of Jewish descent Date of Birth: 06.04.1953 Country: Great Britain

1. Finnish Business Magnate of Jewish Descent
2. Early Life and Education
3. Family and Business Background
4. Philanthropy and Advocacy
5. Investment Activities
6. Other Ventures
7. Art Collection and Museum Plans
8. Controversy and Awards
9. Scandal

Finnish Business Magnate of Jewish Descent

Poju Zabludowicz is a Finnish business magnate of Jewish descent. He is the owner of the Liechtenstein-registered investment group, Tamares Group, and resides in London.

Early Life and Education

Zabludowicz was born on April 6, 1953, in Helsinki, Finland. He grew up in Tampere, attending Svenska Samskolan i Tammerfors, a Swedish-language school. He went on to earn an honors degree in economics and political science from Tel Aviv University.

Family and Business Background

Zabludowicz's father, Shlomo, established the family business around Soltam Systems, an Israeli defense company specializing in weapons and ammunition. Poju's wife, Anita, is British-born.

Philanthropy and Advocacy

Zabludowicz is the founder and chairman of BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre. This organization lobbies the UK government in support of Israel. He is also a member of the advisory boards of CST (Community Security Trust) and UJIA (United Jewish Israel Appeal).

Investment Activities

Zabludowicz serves as chairman of the advisory board of Synova Capital, a £100 million private equity fund that focuses on investments in mid-market UK companies. He chairs the board of Tamares Telecom, a privately-owned telecom provider specializing in global communications services via a new international fiber-optic network.

Other Ventures

Zabludowicz sits on several boards, including the European advisory board of Citigroup Inc., the board of Asia-Pacific investment company GEMS, and Auctor Capital Partners, a financial investment firm focusing on creating investment opportunities in Europe, Africa, and South America. He also owns part of the Finnish ice hockey club Tappara in Tampere.

Art Collection and Museum Plans

Poju and Anita Zabludowicz have presented their private art collection at 176, a gallery housed in a former 19th-century Methodist chapel in north London. Their plans to build an art museum in downtown Las Vegas were temporarily put on hold.

Controversy and Awards

A sculpture in their collection, featuring the miniature figure of a Jesus with an erection, surrounded by fifty other sculptures with erect penises, was deemed "grotesquely offensive" by some Christians. One of them threatened to make a private prosecution against the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, where the sculpture was exhibited.

Poju Zabludowicz and his wife have appeared on ArtReview's Power 100 list of influential figures in the art world in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2011, they were ranked 94th. They collect works by Young British Artists, including Tracey Emin.

Scandal

In October 2001, Zabludowicz claimed to have been duped into funding the lavish lifestyle and international travel of former UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox and his close friend and advisor, businessman Adam Werritty. Zabludowicz reportedly became furious after learning that he was expected to benefit from payments made.