"I'll take Chelsea" - Boris Berezovsky

Clan · Jul 10, 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article297996.ece

Okay then, anybody got any info on what this is all about?

Clan · Jul 10, 2005

Bit more here.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article297994.ece

Naughtius Maximus · Jul 10, 2005

Er, Abramovich was acting on behalf of Putin, was he? Then why did he leg it abroad?

Sounds like someone else's fevered imagination. There's a lot of it about.

srd.... · Jul 10, 2005

Of the two legal actions, the biggest in financial terms is being launched by Boris Berezovsky, the UK-based oligarch who fled Russia in 2000 to escape fraud charges.
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gosh he sounds like a honest bloke,infact he could be a football agent

nicephoras · Jul 10, 2005

Some background. Boris and Roman were business partners back in the day. (Boris's life story is a fairly interesting one, as he was once a math professor and ended up owning Russian car factories, dealerships, oil companies, Aeroflot, etc.) However, Boris was also a player in the politics game. He was a close friend, as I recall, of Yeltsin's daughter, at one point was in the running for PM, and was actually the one who handpicked Putin for the job. Unfortunately for him, he figured that would give him control of Putin. He was wrong, and he was the second oligarch to go. Most of his assets have been appropriated by Putin, although Berezovsky has been successful in avoiding extradition from England, since a cout let him stay.
That being said, this boils down to the fact that Boris was once rich, and is now poor. So he's looking to sue in England, since he can't really sue anyone or anything in Russia. This is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. I would imagine Boris wants some money that his erstwhile partner and protege isn't simply willing to hand over. His ability to "take" Chelsea is quite laughable, as he'd have to prove that Roman cheated him out of gains he cheated the Russian government out of in the first place. I don't think the argument of "I stole it fair and square" is going to fly too well in an English court which isn't exactly privy to all the information of these transactions anyway. In short, Boris is trying to say that Roman's an even bigger crook than he was.

matthewfoo · Jul 10, 2005

nicephoras said:

Some background. Boris and Roman were business partners back in the day. (Boris's life story is a fairly interesting one, as he was once a math professor and ended up owning Russian car factories, dealerships, oil companies, Aeroflot, etc.) However, Boris was also a player in the politics game. He was a close friend, as I recall, of Yeltsin's daughter, at one point was in the running for PM, and was actually the one who handpicked Putin for the job. Unfortunately for him, he figured that would give him control of Putin. He was wrong, and he was the second oligarch to go. Most of his assets have been appropriated by Putin, although Berezovsky has been successful in avoiding extradition from England, since a cout let him stay.
That being said, this boils down to the fact that Boris was once rich, and is now poor. So he's looking to sue in England, since he can't really sue anyone or anything in Russia. This is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. I would imagine Boris wants some money that his erstwhile partner and protege isn't simply willing to hand over. His ability to "take" Chelsea is quite laughable, as he'd have to prove that Roman cheated him out of gains he cheated the Russian government out of in the first place. I don't think the argument of "I stole it fair and square" is going to fly too well in an English court which isn't exactly privy to all the information of these transactions anyway. In short, Boris is trying to say that Roman's an even bigger crook than he was.
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lol, well said!

Clan · Jul 10, 2005

nicephoras said:

Some background. Boris and Roman were business partners back in the day. (Boris's life story is a fairly interesting one, as he was once a math professor and ended up owning Russian car factories, dealerships, oil companies, Aeroflot, etc.) However, Boris was also a player in the politics game. He was a close friend, as I recall, of Yeltsin's daughter, at one point was in the running for PM, and was actually the one who handpicked Putin for the job. Unfortunately for him, he figured that would give him control of Putin. He was wrong, and he was the second oligarch to go. Most of his assets have been appropriated by Putin, although Berezovsky has been successful in avoiding extradition from England, since a cout let him stay.
That being said, this boils down to the fact that Boris was once rich, and is now poor. So he's looking to sue in England, since he can't really sue anyone or anything in Russia. This is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. I would imagine Boris wants some money that his erstwhile partner and protege isn't simply willing to hand over. His ability to "take" Chelsea is quite laughable, as he'd have to prove that Roman cheated him out of gains he cheated the Russian government out of in the first place. I don't think the argument of "I stole it fair and square" is going to fly too well in an English court which isn't exactly privy to all the information of these transactions anyway. In short, Boris is trying to say that Roman's an even bigger crook than he was.
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Interesting stuff.

Thanks for that.

Joel Goodson · Jul 10, 2005

I don't doubt that Roman is "friendly" with Putin. He seems to be one of the few oligarchs to avoid trouble in Russia. Just because he has Vlad as an ally does not mean that its safe to stay in Russia. I am certain that RA was able to leave Russia with most of his fortune intact with Putin's tacit approval.

nicephoras · Jul 11, 2005

Joel Goodson said:

I don't doubt that Roman is "friendly" with Putin. He seems to be one of the few oligarchs to avoid trouble in Russia. Just because he has Vlad as an ally does not mean that its safe to stay in Russia. I am certain that RA was able to leave Russia with most of his fortune intact with Putin's tacit approval.
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Erm.......most Russian oligarchs are just fine with Putin. He's taken three down - Gusinsky, Berezovsky and Khodorkovsky. There are plenty left. They do fine so long as they avoid politics. Putin's ambitious and power hungry, he's not venal.
As for leaving Russia with his fortune intact - there are suggestions most of his wealth is long gone from Russian lands. I'm not sure I believe that given his current stake in Sibneft, but either way, he won't starve in the future.