MOSCOW – Andrey Varichev, CEO of Russian mining company Metalloinvest, died on Monday at the age of 52 following a serious illness, the company said in a statement.
Varichev had been CEO at Metalloinvest, one of the world's largest producers of iron ore, since 2009. He had developed a form of pneumonia that is often triggered by the new coronavirus, a source close to the businessman told Reuters. However, another source close to Metalloinvest said Varichev had tested negative for the virus.
"A brilliant director, a determined professional and, most importantly, a person close to me, has left us," the founder of Metalloinvest, Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, Andrey leaves us at a very young age and at the peak of his career," Usmanov said.
Varichev's death was first reported on Monday by the Russian edition of Forbes magazine. The chief executive had been receiving treatment for pneumonia in both lungs at a private clinic in Moscow, Forbes cited a source close to the family as saying.