Gagik Tsarukyan
Armenian businessman, politician, and former athlete / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gagik Kolyayi Tsarukyan (Armenian: Գագիկ Կոլյայի Ծառուկյան; born 25 November 1956), also known as Dodi Gago (Armenian: Դոդի Գագո), is an Armenian businessman, politician, and former athlete. Tsarukyan is the founder and leader of the Prosperous Armenia political party.[1] He also owns various large-scale businesses and is believed to be one of the richest men in Armenia.
Gagik Tsarukyan | |
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Personal details | |
Born | (1956-11-25) 25 November 1956 (age 67) Arinj, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
Political party | Prosperous Armenia |
Spouse | Javahir Tsarukyan |
Children | 6 |
Alma mater | Yerevan Institute of Physical Culture |
Website | Official website |
Announcing his departure from politics for a hiatus in February 2015, he announced his return to politics in January 2017,[2] forming the parliamentary Tsarukyan Alliance, an electoral alliance made up of Prosperous Armenia, the Alliance Party and the Mission Party. During the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, Prosperous Armenia obtained 8.26% of the popular vote, coming in second and becoming the largest opposition party in parliament.
An avid sportsman, he practiced boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling, becoming world champion in arm-wrestling in 1996 and winning the European championship in 1998. Tsarukyan is also the president of Armenia's National Olympic Committee, being reelected on December 4, 2008.[3][4][5]
In July 2020, he was formally charged with bribery and corruption, right after the National Assembly voted for his immunity from prosecution as a member of parliament to be revoked.[6]