The founder of Rusal company (one of the largest producers of aluminum in the world), Basic Element and En-Group. Since the 1990^th, he has been working with the Chorny brothers, controlling not only aluminum but also metallurgical plants.

Later Mr. Deripaska happened to be in the circle of the Russian President Boris Yeltsyn. A daughter of Boris Yeltsen got married with the key consultant of the Russian President, Valentin Yumashev. They latter had a daughter named Polina. It was her Oleg Deripaska got married with. It was at that time when his business career got an immediate impetus. In such a way he increased his influence on the financial and political sector.

According to the Financial Times, Mr. Deripaska laundered money for the benefit of Vladimir Putin and, consequently, found himself under US sanctions in 2018. In 2021, Mr. Deripaska said that Vladimir Putin had carte blanche to run the country during the next 10 years.

He is number 37 on the Russian Forbes 2021 list.

He is also connected to the Russkie Mashiny (Russian Machines) conglomerate, which includes the Military and Industrial Company, and also Arzamas Machine-Building Plant which produces weaponry and equipment for the Russian Armed Forces, in particular for the latter to use them in the war against Ukraine. In March of 2022, Mr. Deripaska called the war of Russia against Ukraine “insanity, for which we will be ashamed before our descendants,” but did not condemn Russia anyway.