Igor Kesaev was born on October 30, 1966 in Moscow, Russia, Russia. Retail magnate Igor Kesaev controls 70% of Russia's cigarette market through the Megapolis subsidiary of his Mercury Company. In one of the biggest-ever deals in the Russian consumer market, Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco International bought 40% of Megapolis for $1.5 billion in December 2013. He and his partner Sergei Katsiev own the rest. A graduate of the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Kesaev is the founder of Mercury, which began as a food and alcohol importer, He is also chairman of fast-growing supermarket chain Dixy, having replaced Katsiev in 2015.
Igor Kesaev is a member of Fashion and Retail