FACTBOX-Five facts about Gennady Timchenko

MOSCOW, May 27 (Reuters) - One of Russia's most secretive businessmen, Gennady Timchenko, said on Wednesday his company, Volga Resources, had built up an 18 percent stake in gas firm Novatek (NVTK.MM: Quote, Profile, Research). [ID:nLR970262]

Here are five facts about Timchenko:

* A 56-year-old Geneva resident, Timchenko was the co-founder of Switzerland-based oil trader Gunvor in partnership with businessman Torbjorn Tornqvist. Gunvor handles over a third of Russian exports of crude oil and refined products, making it the world's third-largest crude oil trading company by volume.

* Gunvor was expected to post sales of $70 billion in 2008, up from $43 billion in 2007, when it sold around 83 million tonnes, and just $5 billion in 2004. The bulk of volumes came from state-controlled Russian companies Rosneft (ROSN.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) and Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM: Quote, Profile, Research).

* Last year, a Rosneft minority shareholder was unsuccessful in a lawsuit that sought to force Rosneft to disclose information on its relationship with Gunvor. [ID:nLK333938]

* In 2008, Timchenko -- who has never given a public interview -- wrote an open letter to say media speculation that he enjoyed special ties with Russia's former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin, were "overblown".

Timchenko said he owned a few trading companies in and near St Petersburg in the 1990s, when Putin worked in the office of the city's mayor. He also co-sponsored a judo club where Putin became honorary president.

"Time and again, the media wrongly jump to the conclusion that the judo club connection means that Mr Putin and I are 'close', then leaps into conspiracy-theory mode," he said.