Alisher Usmanov: German police raid yacht of Russian oligarch

More than 60 police officers raided a luxury yacht in northern Germany tied to a Russian businessman accused of breaching sanctions and money laundering, Frankfurt prosecutors said Tuesday.  

Authorities identified the suspect only as a 69-year-old Russian businessman but did say he was the target of the same investigation last week.

At that time, police raided a lakeside villa registered to Alisher Usmanov — a close ally of Vladimir Putin’s. They also searched 24 other properties connected to him in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein.

Prosecutors say they are investigating the funneling of several million euros acquired in illegal activities, including tax evasion. In a statement, they said this involved an “extensive and complex network of companies and corporations.”

They said the yacht raid was also carried out to comply with a request for help from the US Justice Department, which has launched a probe of its own.

In a statement on Monday, representatives of Usmanov called the charges “baseless and defamatory.”

Who is Alisher Usmanov?

The UK’s Sunday Times newspaper ranked Usmanov at No. 6 in a list of the world’s richest people in 2021. He was one of dozens of Russian billionaires to be hit by Western sanctions after Russia invaded Ukraine. 

He is possibly best known for his metals and mining interests, for owning the Kommersant publishing house in Russia, and for owning Russia’s second-largest mobile phone operator, Megafon. He also was formerly a major stakeholder in Premier League football giants Arsenal. 

Usmanov is said to be worth an estimated net $16.2 billion (€16.9 billion). He has a 49% economic interest and 100% voting rights in the global conglomerate and holding company USM. 

While the United States has blocked his personal assets, it has kept companies controlled by him off its list of sanctions in a bid not to drive up commodity prices. He is thought to presently be living in his native Uzbekistan.

• Russia’s oligarchs and their sports investments

  Roman Abramovich (Chelsea)

  56-year-old Roman Abramovich was the first Russian billionaire to make a foray into the sports world. His 2003 purchase of Chelsea transformed the Premier League side and created the blueprint for the acquisition of sporting assets by wealthy individuals. Chelsea have since won five league titles and two Champions Leagues, but Abramovich’s UK assets have now been frozen by the government.

• Russia’s oligarchs and their sports investments

  Alisher Usmanov (Everton)

  The Uzbekistan-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov was involved with Arsenal before acquiring a majority shareholding in Premier League rivals Everton. He has been hit by sanctions for his support and closeness to President Vladimir Putin that have meant he no longer controls the club. Usmanov’s company also sponsored Everton’s new stadium and held naming rights.

• Russia’s oligarchs and their sports investments

  Maxim Demin (Bournemouth)

  Apolitical Maxim Demin has avoided the sanctions that have hit his compatriots. He bankrolled Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League in 2015 but they could not maintain their place in the top division and were relegated in 2020. Demin is now a British citizen.

• Russia’s oligarchs and their sports investments

  Dmitry Rybolovlev (AS Monaco Cercle Bruges)

  The 56-year-old Dmitry Rybolovlev bought AS Monaco when the club was playing in the French Ligue 2. His investments helped the club return to the top division and helped establish the Monegasques as one of Europe’s top addresses. Through AS Monaco, he also bought the Belgian Pro League side Cercle Bruges and returned the once-beleaguered side to prominence.

• Russia’s oligarchs and their sports investments

  Valeriy Oyf (Vitesse Arnhem)

  Ukraine-born Valeriy Oyf has been the owner of Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem since 2018. He took over the controlling shares from his friend, the Russian billionaire Alexander Chigrinsky, who had bought the club from Georgian business man Merab Zjordania. While he has not come under any sanctions, the club’s unusual silence towards condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has come under criticism.

  Author: Lolade Adewuyi

The Official Journal of the European Union described Usmanov in March as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.”

But Usmanov disputes this. Along with former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, he is one of the oligarchs appealing his inclusion on the EU sanctions lists, at the bloc’s General Court.

The yacht that was searched — the “Dilbar” — is the world’s largest yacht by tonnage and is officially owned by Usmanov’s sister.

The 155-meter (500-foot) vessel was named after Usmanov’s mother. It is valued at some $600 million, and was previously docked in a Hamburg shipyard since October 2021 for repairs. The vessel is now moored in the northern port city of Bremen.

rc/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP)

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