Victor Pinchuk
Victor Pinchuk came into my life through a discovery of shared values. Together with his wife Elena Franchuk, Victor, 49, partnered with my foundation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in his home country of Ukraine, staging a nationally televised concert in Kiev's Independence Square to raise awareness of HIV and attack the stigma that surrounds the disease.
While in Kiev, I discovered Victor's passionate dedication to the arts. He built Ukraine's first large-scale contemporary-art center, where we exhibited a selection of photographs from my collection. His support of the arts is boundless — whether he is setting up his country's first private chamber orchestra or establishing the Future Generation Art Prize, which encourages young artists around the world.
Victor's allegiance to Ukraine also knows no bounds. He is the leading advocate for bringing his country into the European Union. He is heroic in his fight against anti-Semitism as well, and he collaborated with Steven Spielberg on a film that calls attention to the plight of the Ukrainian Jewish community during the Holocaust. Through his work in all these fields, Victor shows his love of our planet and makes the world a better place to live.
John is a producer of the critically acclaimed Broadway play Next Fall