Have you been keeping up with the Russian oligarchs lately? No, not the ones who have been making headlines for their political manoeuvring – I’m talking about the ones who have been dying in suspicious and often downright horrible suspicious circumstances.
In just the past few months, several high-profile Russian billionaires have lost their lives, and many observers can’t help but wonder if there is a connection. So what’s going on? Is Putin cleaning the house? Or is something more sinister afoot?
I know, I know – it’s hard to get too worked up about the death of a billionaire. But it seems like they’re being knocked off one after another, making you wonder what’s happening behind closed doors in Moscow apartment. Stay tuned – I plan to keep tracking this story and report any new developments. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, died in a prison hospital on Friday. He was 61 years old. Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003 and sentenced to nine years on charges of tax evasion and embezzlement.
He was pardoned by Putin in 2013 but rearrested in 2014 and sentenced to an additional six years in prison. Khodorkovsky was widely seen as a political prisoner. His death is likely to fuel allegations that the Russian government is responsible for the death of oligarchs who have been critical of Putin.
Khodorkovsky’s death comes just weeks after the death of another Russian oligarch, Berezovsky. Berezovsky, who was 67 years old, was found dead in his London home on March 23rd. The cause of death has not been determined, but foul play is not suspected.
Berezovsky was a close associate of Putin during the 1990s but later fell out of favour with the former vice president and the Russian president. He spent several years in exile in the U.K., where he was a vocal critic of the Russian government.
The deaths of these two oligarchs are likely to raise questions about the safety of other wealthy Russians who have been critical of Putin. Many Russians have fled the country in recent years amid concerns about political persecution, and more may choose to do so in the wake of Khodorkovsky’s death.
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Boris Berezovsky
Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky was found dead at his home in the U.K. on Saturday, March 23rd. The 67-year-old had been living in exile since 2001, when he fell out with Russian President Vladimir Putin and fled the country. Berezovsky was a controversial figure known for his immense wealth and close relationship with Kremlin insiders during the Yeltsin era.
In recent years, he had become increasingly critical of Putin, publicly calling for his overthrow. His death is being treated as a suicide note, though some have suggested that he may have been murdered.
Berezovsky’s death is the latest in a string of mysterious deaths of Russian oligarchs who have crossed Putin. In 2006, another exiled oligarch, Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London. Earlier this year, another critic of Putin, Boris Nemtsov, was gunned down in a Russian city, Moscow. As tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate, it seems likely that we will see more such cases in the future.
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Alexander Perepilichnyy
One of the most high-profile cases is Alexander Perepilichnyy, a businessman who helped expose Russian corruption. In November 2012, Perepilichnyy was found dead in his home in Surrey, England.
Initially, some believed that he died of natural causes, but more investigation later reported in the Russian newspaper Gazeta shows that he had been poisoned. The circumstances surrounding Perepilichnyy’s death are still unclear, but his case highlights the dangers faced by those who cross the Russian government.
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Sergei Magnitsky
One such death was that of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer specializing in uncovering government fraud. In 2009, he uncovered a large-scale tax fraud scheme involving Russian officials. For his efforts, he was arrested and imprisoned.
While in prison, he was tortured and killed. His death sparked international outrage and led to the passage of the Magnitsky Act, which sanctioned those responsible for his death. Another oligarch who died recently was Boris Berezovsky, a former billionaire who fell out of favour with Vladimir Putin.
He was found dead in his London home. While the official cause of death was ruled an apparent suicide or committing suicide, many believe that the Russian government assassinated him through outspoken Putin critic. These deaths remind oligarchs of the danger they face when they cross the Kremlin.
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Boris Nemtsov
Boris Nemtsov, a leading Russian opposition figure, was shot dead near the Kremlin in February 2015. Nemtsov was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, and his death sparked international condemnation.
In the months before his murder, Nemtsov had been working on a report documenting Russian military involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. His death is widely seen as an attempt to silence dissent and intimidate government opponents.
Nemtsov’s murder-suicide is just one of several recent high-profile deaths of Russian oligarchs. Mikhail Lesin, a close ally of Putin, was found dead in a Washington hotel room in 2015. Lesin was reportedly planning to cooperate with U.S. authorities investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
And last year, Nikolai Glushkov, a close associate of Putin critic Boris Berezovsky, was found strangled to death in his London home.
These deaths have all raised suspicion among opposition figures and Western observers. Many believe that the Russian government is behind these murders and that they are part of a broader campaign to silence dissent and consolidate power.
Vladimir Gusinsky
Vladimir Gusinsky, a Russian media mogul, died recently at 67 in mysterious circumstances. Gusinsky was forced to flee Russia after falling out with Putin and had been living in exile in Spain. His death comes as a blow to the Russian opposition and surrey police, who saw him as a powerful voice against Putin’s authoritarian regime.
While it is unclear what caused his death, his years in exile likely took a toll on his health. Gusinsky was one of the most prominent oligarchs in Russia, a wonderful family man. His death reminds us of the precarious position of those who have fallen out of favour with the Kremlin.
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Conclusion
In sum, it would appear that there has been a pattern of suspicious deaths among all the Russian oligarchs in recent years. While some have died of natural causes, others have met their ends under more questionable circumstances. While it’s impossible to say whether these deaths are linked, their sheer number and similarity are undoubtedly causing concern.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months and years – will we learn more about what’s going on behind the scenes in Russia, or will this fade into obscurity? Only time will tell.