Boris Mints was born in Moldova in the family of a military Engineer, Major Joseph Samuilovich Mints (born 1932, Nevel). His mother, Lusia Izrailevna Milter (1936–2007, Kodyma, Ukrainian SSR), worked as a librarian; as a child from 1941 to 1944 she was deported to the Chechelnik ghetto in Transnistria, while 14 members of her male family died on the front during the Second World War, including both of her grandfathers – Samuil Iosifovich Mints (1892–1942) and Srul Gershkovich Milter (1901–1944).

In 1980, he graduated from the Physics Department of Ivanovo State University. Boris Mints is PhD in Technical Sciences and an associate professor of Higher Mathematics.

He is married to Marina Vladimirovna Mints. They have four children: sons Dmitry (born on December 15, 1981), Alexandr (born on October 14, 1988), Igor (born on October 14, 1988); daughter Alyona (born on October 11, 2006).

Between 1983 and 1990, he worked at the Ivanovo Textile Institute.

Between 1987 and 1990, he worked in a Youth Center for Scientific Creativity where he earned his first capital.

Between 1990 and 1994, he held the position of Vice Mayor of Ivanovo and chaired the City Property Management Committee (CPMC).

Between 1996 and 2000, he was the head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Issues of Local Governance and Secretary of the Council for Local Government in the Russian Federation, chaired by the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin.

Between 2001 and 2003, he was the General Director of REN TV Media Holding.

In 2004, he founded the O1 Group investment company which owns and manages assets in real estate and financial sectors.

In 2010, he founded the investment company O1 Properties for managing real estate assets. At the end of 2017, O1 Properties was the 6th largest owner of commercial real estate in Russia.

In 2013, the O1 Group began acquiring pension Business assets and until the middle of 2017 concluded deals to purchase NPF Telecom-Soyuz, NPF Stalfond, NPF Blagosostoyanie OPS, NPF Uralsib, NPF Obrazovaniye, NPF Our Future, NPF Socialnoe Razvitie.

In September 2014, Mints facilitated the installation in Moscow of a sculptural and spatial composition by the outstanding Russian Sculptor and academician Georgy Frangulyan adjacent to the White Square Business center, which was a major event for both the arts community and commercial real estate market. By doing this, Boris Mints supported the global trend of taking art beyond the walls of museums, integrating it organically with everyday life to enrich the urban space and give it meaning.

In May 2015, Boris Mints, the founder of the Museum of Russian Impressionism, won the Prize named after Yekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, nominated in the “Patron of the Arts” category.

In May 2016, the world’s first Museum of Russian Impressionism was opened at the Bolshevik cultural and Business center in Moscow. As well as displaying Mints' personal collection, the Museum also hosts regular exhibitions of impressionist works from other countries.

In 2017, the Museum of Russian Impressionism presented one of the best works by Valery Koshlyakov "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (2016, cardboard, tempera, 315x185 cm) to the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The donation was a part of the large-scale initiative "Collection!" which united leading Collectors of contemporary art.