Decoding DemocracyBaltimore Bridge CollapseMillion BazillionI've Always Wondered ...

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Stories Tagged as

Russian oligarchs

As Western companies pull out of Russia, Putin allies cash in on discounted assets

by Stephen Beard
Jun 28, 2023
Major American and European brands have pulled out of Russia in protest over the war in Ukraine and have lost millions in the process.
Russian rapper Timati is now co-owner of 130 Stars coffee shops across Russia — the rebranded substitute to Starbucks following the chain's exodus.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
A Year of War

Has Europe’s highest court made it harder to sanction the assets of Russian oligarchs?

by Stephen Beard
Mar 10, 2023
Anti-money-laundering campaigners say that a recent decision by the European Court of Justice is a blow against financial transparency.
The European Court of Justice, seen above in Luxembourg, recently ruled against a series of registers of true ownership, which are designed to prevent wealthy individuals from hiding their assets.
John Thys/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Floating liabilities: Western authorities grapple with the cost of seizing oligarchs’ superyachts

by Stephen Beard
May 19, 2022
Detaining luxury vessels worth hundreds of millions of dollars was the easy bit. Maintenance runs about 10% of the yachts' value.
Above, a superyacht with suspected links to a Russian oligarch is docked in the Dominican Republic. For governments, seizing the pricey vessels comes with outrageous maintenance costs.
Ethan Swope/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Brits push back against SLAPP lawsuits that "gag" critics of oligarchs

by Stephen Beard
Apr 29, 2022
The U.K. government has promised to act against the suits that allow wealthy litigants to abuse libel law and deter reporting on their finances.
The U.K. government has promised to take action against SLAPPs, lawsuits that often target journalists, authors and campaign groups.
baona/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

The sociology of sanctioning Russian oligarchs

by David Brancaccio and Rose Conlon
Mar 11, 2022
Sanctions represent an existential threat for Russia's elite, says sociologist Brooke Harrington.
The Eclipse, one of the yachts of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovitch, pictured in 2013, is reportedly worth $570 million.
Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Who are the Russian oligarchs being sanctioned, and how did they get so rich?

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Mar 10, 2022
Their fates and fortunes are tied closely to Vladimir Putin's.
After Vladimir Putin became president, he helped fund the wealth of Russian oligarchs with state money. In return, oligarchs provided him money and loyalty.
Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

UK accused of dragging its feet over sanctions on Russian oligarchs and of failing to clean up the “London laundromat”

by Stephen Beard
Mar 4, 2022
Despite billions' worth of assets in London owned by Russian oligarchs, only a handful have been formally sanctioned by the U.K.
Roman Abramovich, owner of the Chelsea soccer club and one of London's most well-known Russian oligarchs, has not yet been sanctioned by the United Kingdom.
Paul Gilham/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

For public good, not for profit.

Donate