Robert Nobel

Robert Nobel was a Swedish businessman and industrialist who, together with his brother Ludvig, founded the oil enterprise that became known as Branobel, one of the most important early producers in the Russian oil industry. He began operations in Baku, in present day Azerbaijan, in 1873 and acquired an interest in an oil refinery there in 1876, before formally establishing the company with his brother Alfred in 1878. Ill health forced Robert to step back from the business in 1880, after which his brother Ludvig took over its management and built it into a dominant force in Russian oil production.