Key facts
- Sokolov leads the $201 million Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund.
- He holds major stakes in Viva Armenia, the top mobile phone company.
- He purchased Armenia's second largest copper and molybdenum mine.
- He formerly ran a Russia-focused investment firm.
Konstantin Sokolov, a donor to Donald Trump's White House project, leads a $201 million US investment fund in the Caucasus, documents reviewed by Reuters show. Sokolov, 51, was put in charge of the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund in January and holds major stakes in Armenia's top mobile phone company, Viva Armenia, and its second-largest copper and molybdenum mine. Ethics experts suggest Sokolov's business interests may create conflicts of interest, as his role gives him control of government money that could potentially benefit his companies. The State Department stated the fund would comply with all applicable grant provisions, including conflict of interest requirements. Sokolov formerly ran a Russia-focused investment firm and has donated significantly to Republican political groups. He acquired control of Viva Armenia in January 2024 and received US Treasury authorization on June 1 to buy the Teghout mine from a sanctioned Russian bank. A 2015 brochure for a defunct Russia-focused real estate fund listed Sokolov as a manager, though his representatives deny its authenticity and state he has no relationships with Russian government officials.