Deripaska1. Oleg Deripaska, who controls the company UC Rusal, is 'one the world's 10 richest people', with assets of $28 billion.
His name has been linked to organised crime and to various top people. (Russia's Deripaska Faces Western Investigations / Oleg Deripaska - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
2. In 2006, at the World Economic Summit in Davos, Deripaska met John McCain.
3. In the 1990s, there was 'gang warfare' for control of aluminium smelters in Siberia.
Deripaska seems to have won.
4. Deripaska married into the family of Boris Yeltsin, the former Russian president.
Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club, was one of Deripaska's partners.
5. Authorities in the U.S. have accused Deripaska of having ties to organized crime. (Russia's Deripaska Faces Western Investigations)
According to The Wall Street Journal, 10 October 2008, US authorities are investigating a wire transfer of funds originating with UC Rusal and passing through Barclays PLC offices in New York and London.
Some of the funds ended up with Deripaska consultants in Washington who are being investigated for possible money laundering or other crimes.
6. According to The Sunday Times, 12 October 2008, UK government minister Peter Mandelson gave trade concessions worth up to £50m a year to Russian aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska while Mandelson was European Union trade commissioner. (Mandelson joins richest Russian on superyacht)
In a 2005 document signed by Mandelson, it was agreed the European commission would scrap measures against Deripaska’s company, Rusal Sayanal, to prevent it 'dumping' cheap aluminium foil in Europe.
The document meant the import duty for Rusal Sayanal was set at zero. All other Russian companies exporting the same product were charged at 14.9%.
One of Deripaska’s top financial advisers is Nat Rothschild, who is co-chairman of a New York hedge fund and a friend of Mandelson’s.
Nat Rothschild’s father, Lord Rothschild, owns a villa in Corfu where Mandelson has stayed as a guest. (Mandelson joins richest Russian on superyacht)
7. Since the troubles over Georgia, Russians have become less popular with certain powerful people in the USA.
8. The Israel News Agency (Israel Police: Oleg Deripaska Wiretapped Chernoy, Lieberman) reported on 20 November 2007 :
"On November 5, Israel police announced that they had arrested two private investigators in Israel, Rafi Pridan and Aviv Mor, on suspicion of illegally wiretapping several people in an effort to gather information about Israel Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman and businessman Michael Chernoy (Mikhail Chernoy, Michael Cherney).
"The police also arrested right-wing extremist Avigdor Eskin on suspicion of serving as a liaison between the private eyes and their employer. Israel Police believe the employer is Oleg Deripaska, the richest oligarch in Russia (his fortune is estimated at $22 billion), a business rival of Michael Chernoy who has been waging a public smear campaign against him."
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