Mordashov vs von Bechtolsheim

Severstal and Arista Networks.

The differences

Forbes puts Alexey Mordashov about $0.9B ahead of Andreas von Bechtolsheim.Forbes figures from 9 Oct 2026 and 9 Oct 2026.
Alexey Mordashov: built it up. Andreas von Bechtolsheim: co-founded it.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim is about 10 years older than Alexey Mordashov.
Alexey Mordashov is from Russia; Andreas von Bechtolsheim is from Germany.

Put someone else on either side

Mordashov

von Bechtolsheim

Net worth, Forbes: $36.9BForbes, 9 Oct 2026; $36BForbes, 9 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $27.6BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $42.5BBloomberg, 14 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 61Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 64Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: Not stated; Not stated

How it started: Built it upJoined the Cherepovets steel mill as an economist in 1988, became finance director in 1992 and CEO in 1996; Bloomberg says he built his majority stake through two investment funds that bought workers' shares after the 1993 privatisation; Co-founded itCo-founded Arista in 2004 (as Arastra) after co-founding Sun Microsystems; Forbes says much of his fortune stems from the $100,000 cheque he wrote to Google in 1998
Main source: Severstal stockBloomberg: the majority of his fortune comes from his 77% stake in Severstal; it also values Nordgold, Power Machines and Lenta; An early Google investment and his Arista Networks stakeForbes' source of wealth is Google; the 2026 Arista proxy shows 14.6% held by his family trust
Companies: SeverstalSeverstal: Chairman of the board; Arista NetworksArista Networks: Co-founder and chief architect
Biggest stake: Severstal77% owned; Arista Networks14.6% owned

Born: 26 Sep 1965Cherepovets, Russia (then the Soviet Union); 30 Sep 1955Bavaria, Germany
Country: RussiaLives in Moscow, Russia; GermanyLives in Palo Alto, California, United States
Education: Graduate degreeLeningrad Engineering and Economic Institute (1988); MBA, Northumbria University (2006); Graduate degreeMS computer engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (1976); doctoral student in computer engineering at Stanford, 1977-1982
Parents: Both parents were steelworkers at the Cherepovets mill; Grew up on a farm in Bavaria; his father was an elementary-school teacher and his mother a homemakerThe farm was leased to a farmer

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Way Home Charitable FoundationSet up by Severstal in 2005; Severstal says he personally oversees its programme; Not stated
Lifetime giving: Not stated; Not stated

Role now: Chair of the boardChairman of Severstal and of Severgroup; Founder, no executive roleCo-founder and chief architect of Arista Networks
Successor: Alexander Shevelev is CEO of SeverstalNo family member is named in a Severstal executive role in the cited sources; Jayshree Ullal, Arista's founding CEO, is now also its chairpersonArista said in 2015 he has no family relationship with any of its executive officers or directors
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: 2022: Council of the EU; 2022: US Treasury (OFAC); 2023: EU General CourtListed under EU restrictive measures concerning Russia in 2022; the EU listing describes him as a Russian businessperson with close links to the Russian government. Designated by OFAC on 2 June 2022 under Executive Order 14024 (Russia). The General Court dismissed his challenge to the EU restrictive measures (Case T-248/22) on 20 September 2023 and ordered him to pay the costs.; 2024: US District Court for N.D. California (SEC case)A consent final judgment in an SEC insider-trading case bars him from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years and ordered a $923,740 civil penalty; Forbes reports he agreed without admitting guilt.