Trump's ties to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev are drawing new attention amid speculation that the tycoons may have an undisclosed secret alliance.
Yachts owned by Rybolovlev and Trump financier Robert Mercer were anchored near each other Friday in the British Virgin Islands, according to records obtained by the Palm Beach Post. The report was highlighted on Tuesday's episode of "The Rachel Maddow Show," along with details of Trump's 2005 tax filing.
Reports have surfaced in recent days that Rybolovlev's jet was parked near Trump's in North Carolina a few days before the election. A few days earlier, the two were both in Las Vegas for separate events.
A representative for Rybolovlev told McClatchy last week that it was "pure coincidence" that the two planes were parked next to each other. Rybolovlev, 50, has also never met the President personally, either, the representative told McClatchy, and "has no connection whatsoever to Mr. Trump or his team of advisers."
Even if they've never met, the pair do have some history together.
Rybolovlev in June 2008 bought a Palm Beach, Fla., mansion from Trump for roughly $95 million.
Kendra Todd, who won Trump's "The Apprentice" in 2004, oversaw the sale, the Daily News reported at the time.
Rybolovlev's estranged wife would later allege he bought the home to stash money she wouldn't be able to receive in the couple's divorce.
The house was later knocked down, and McClatchy reported the land is being divided and sold as three parcels.
Law enforcement officials have yet to say how deep they're probing alleged connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
But Rybolovlev has had a so-so relationship with the Kremlin, and doesn’t even spend much time in his home country these days, according to reports.
Here's a look at how Rybolovlev got his oligarch status and how he spends his days.
The Money
Rybolovlev — the 12th richest man in Russia — started an investment firm in 1992 and began buying up stakes in industrial companies, according to his biography on Forbes.
Three years later he took control of Uralkali, the largest manufacturer of potassium fertilizer in Russia.
He was accused in 1996 of trying to kill his business partner, and served almost a year in prison. The charges were later dropped.
In 2010, Rybolovlev sold his stake in the company for $6.5 billion as his divorce raged on.
He was also the largest shareholder to the Bank of Cyprus — owning about 10% at one point — until he lost his holdings and about $600 million when Cyprus’ banking system almost went belly up, according to The New York Times.
The Goods
And even though Rybolovlev is not in the fertilizer business anymore, Forbes lists his net worth at $7.3 billion.
A 2014 Bloomberg story said 20% of his worth comes from real estate, his yacht, art and jewelry collections.
His art collection reportedly features works by van Gogh, Picasso and da Vinci, and his entire collection has been valued at $2 billion.
Rybolovlev in 2011 bought a majority stake in AS Monaco — a prominent soccer team — for at least 100 million euros.
Along with the Palm Beach house, Rybolovlev's family trust broke New York City real estate records in 2011, buying a penthouse at the swanky 15 Central Park West for $88 million for his socialite daughter (he listed it on the market in January 2016).
He also owns a $300 million penthouse in Monaco, where he lives, according to Forbes.
The Divorce
Perhaps more than his high-priced toys or his fortune, Rybolovlev is known stateside for his messy seven-year divorce.
The fertilizer baron married Elena Rybolovleva in 1987, but she filed for divorce in the late 2000s on the grounds he was a repeat cheater.
An asset battle ensued, in which the couple struggled over real estate and art collections. Among the properties at stake were the Central Park West penthouse and a Hawaiian mansion previously owned by actor Will Smith.
Rybolovleva alleged her no-good husband bought the Hawaii house and the Palm Beach property from Trump to stash money she couldn't get in divorce proceedings.
Throughout that time, the estranged couple reached a handful of botched settlements. One was in 2013, when she would receive $1 billion. His trust managers said they couldn't come up with the money, however, and sent talks back to square one.
Then, a year later, they reached a jaw-dropping $4.8 billion settlement — one of the largest in history.
In June 2015, a Swiss court slashed that number down to $604 million, and the couple that October settled for an undisclosed amount.
read more
No comments:
Post a Comment