For a long time, a Russian businessman of Uigur origin was presented by the world press as a criminal authority. In the biography of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov (Taiwanchik) there were a lot of dubious operations, including a card game. However, the Russian law enforcement agencies have no complaints against him. Although there were reports that he is on the wanted lists of Interpol and the FBI.
early years
Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhunov was born on January 1, 1949 in Tashkent, the capital of Soviet Uzbekistan. Parents worked as doctors. In school, he made friends with the future criminal authority and metallurgical tycoon Mikhail Cherny, who was sitting at the same desk with his younger brother. So, back in childhood, Alimzhan began to acquire the necessary connections, which he then very skillfully used. It was Black who in those years came up with the nickname “Taiwanchik” for his unusual eye shape, which is atypical for Uzbeks, but is often found among Uyghurs and people of his nationality.

The biography of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov connected him in the following school years with another person who also played a significant role in his fate. Parents sent the boy to the football section of the cult club “Pakhtakor” for residents of the republic. Next to the players, tennis players trained. Alimzhan made friends with the future head of the National Sports Fund and the head coach of the Russian national tennis team - Shamil Tarpishchev.
Eternal player
He was called up for military service, like many talented athletes, to the CSKA system, to the famous football club. Thus began the Moscow period in the biography of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov. In the second team, the young guy firmly took a place on the bench. Which, however, did not upset him at all, he spent more and more time at the card table.
Soon he began to play not only in Moscow, where he preferred the National and Sovetskaya hotels, but also toured the resort towns of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, Jurmala and Sochi. During these years he brought close acquaintance with many criminal authorities and megastars of the Soviet stage - Kobzon, Pugacheva and Rotaru. Another profitable business for him was the organization of concerts by his fellow singers.
Life abroad
After the beginning of perestroika in 1982, a new period began in the biography of Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhunov - he moved to Germany. He engaged in the supply of food, cigarettes and alcohol to Russia. Thanks to the imperfection of the legislation and the benefits received, he managed to make a rather large fortune.
In 1992, he was expelled from Germany, Alimzhan Tursunovich moved to Israel and soon received local citizenship. Since 1993 he lived in Paris, where for some time he returned to the card game. He also provided various business services to Russians in the country. In 1999, he was expelled from France and he moved to Italy.
Return to Moscow
The year 2002 in the biography of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov turned out to be difficult, he was arrested at the request of the American authorities. He was accused of fraud and bribery of sports judges in order to ensure the victory of the French couple Marina Anisina - Gwendal Peiser at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. After ten months spent in a prison in Venice, he was released and he went to Moscow.
The Russian law enforcement agencies had no questions for Tokhtakhunov, so he calmly began to do business. He opened several restaurants and nightclubs, and he also became a co-owner of one of the casinos. He renewed his friendship with domestic pop stars, became the owner of the production center "Fatherland". Together with partners, he took up the antique business by opening the Triumph Art Gallery.
personal information
He spent about 15 years in various European countries due to his difficult biography. Where Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov lives, various publications have always been interested. Since 2003, after returning to Russia, the businessman settled in the elite village of Peredelkino near Moscow.
He has two already grown children: Lola, whom he often calls his beloved daughter, lives in the USA, she is a ballerina by profession; the illegitimate son, Dmitry, lives in Moscow and has already made Alimzhan Tursunovich a grandfather. In 2012, Tokhtakhunov (then 63 years old) and a 24-year-old student of the financial academy Yulia Malik had two girls - twins Elizaveta and Ekaterina.
For a long time he has been friends with famous figures of Russian art and sports, including Alla Pugacheva, Vladimir Spivakov and Pavel Bure. For a long time (about 40 years) he was friends with Vyacheslav Ivankov (better known as "Jap").
Hobbies and hobbies
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov detailed and frankly set forth his biography in the book "My Silk Road", in which he honestly told about himself. Without hiding his passion for card games, he described in detail the features of the "professional" game and the relationships of players in different countries. Since the late 90s Tokhtakhunov has been playing cards only as an entertainment. In 2012, he appeared in the film "MUR", filmed by director Elier Ishmuhamedov, where he played a thief in law, according to critics, quite convincingly. He became the prototype of Taiwanchik (Alik) in the television movie "Courage" in 2014.
Alimzhan Tursunovich is currently engaged in business. He devotes a lot of time to charity, supports sports, art and culture. Issues magazines "Sport and Fashion" and "Domestic Football". He led the charity organization "Domestic Football Fund " . Tokhtakhunov developed a project to resume the operation of casinos at hotels with proposals for their taxation and sale of licenses for legal activities.