Do we like them?

Do we like Bidzina Ivanishvili?

Our score: 2 out of 10. A clear pattern of harm tied to the party he founded and leads, with only some real charity on the other side of the ledger.

Ivanishvili is a Georgian billionaire who made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s, then went home and founded the Georgian Dream party. He served briefly as prime minister around 2012 to 2013 and has since been described as the man behind the curtain, holding an honorary role while others run the government.

The big fork in his story is the pivot from a pro-Western pitch to something much closer to Moscow. In December 2024 the US Treasury sanctioned him, with Washington saying he and his party had eroded democratic institutions and acted for the benefit of Russia. Georgian Dream leaders called the sanctions blackmail.

On the harm test, the standout is the September 2024 'family values' law. Georgian lawmakers passed it 84 to 0 in a vote the opposition boycotted. It bans gender transition, bars adoption by gay and trans people, and was widely compared to Russian legislation. It was driven through by the party he founded, and the US responded with sanctions on dozens of officials.

The party is also pushing a Constitutional Court case that would ban the main opposition parties. Observers expect a court seen as friendly to the government to side with it, and critics call it an attempt to lock in one-party rule. Georgian Dream says the parties threaten the constitutional order. That is the strongest sign of where he and his party are heading.

There is real money and real giving here. His Cartu Foundation has funded cultural heritage restoration, education, sport and parks, and Georgian Dream ministers regularly point to it. Most of the figures come from the foundation or from allies, though, so treat the totals with care.

He is also a litigant who wins. The UK Privy Council upheld a roughly US$607 million award against a Credit Suisse subsidiary, and he has fresh suits against banks. His lawyer has also accused Western reporters of a smear campaign over a Bitcoin case. Whether he can collect is another matter, given the sanctions.