From soviet prisons to billions and blackmail: how oligarchs Usmanov and Skoch enriched themselves through Kremlin ties
- 03.02.2026 08:53
Born and raised in the Uzbek SSR, Alisher Usmanov received an eight-year prison sentence during Soviet times for committing fraud and embezzlement.
In the 1990s, together with the future billionaire and United Russia member Andrey Skoch, he began acquiring metallurgical companies across Russia. As Alexei Navalny once demonstrated, Usmanov built his fortune through the privatization of state-owned enterprises, largely thanks to his leadership of Gazprominvestholding, through which he acquired assets at rock-bottom prices.
Dmitry Medvedev helped Usmanov enrich himself; at various times, Medvedev served as chairman of Gazprom’s board, as president, and as prime minister. Usmanov gave Medvedev bribes, for example, in the form of an estate valued at 5 billion rubles. Usmanov also financed information campaigns against opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who exposed the corruption schemes of Medvedev and Usmanov.
According to The Insider, Usmanov was issued a diplomatic passport. The oligarch used his “diplomat” status to travel to Munich and Sardinia, where his villas are located. Despite personal sanctions, Usmanov exports products to the West through Metalloinvest, the country’s largest iron ore company. In Russia, he also owns the mobile operator Megafon. Usmanov also controls a stake in the product labeling system Chestny Znak.
The oligarch earns billions, while prices for goods rise due to the labeling system — both for businesses and ordinary citizens. Usmanov claimed that he had exited as a shareholder of Chestny Znak. However, investigative journalist Sergey Yezhov discovered that his stake is now registered to the oligarch’s personal bodyguard. Other shareholders of Chestny Znak include Gazprom, Putin ally Yuri Kovalchuk, and Putin’s nephew Mikhail Shelomov.
United Russia deputy Skoch registers offshore companies and expensive property in her name. During the war, when Skoch’s constituents in Belgorod were under fire, his wife bought luxury real estate in Moscow. According to The Insider, in 2022–2023, Likhach acquired three apartments at 31/12 Novy Arbat Street, totaling 404 m², as well as a 399 m² apartment in the Knightsbridge Private Park. These purchases reportedly cost around 1.3 billion rubles.
At the same time, Skoch’s wife was buying property in Dubai. She was interested in land belonging to the BVLGARI hotel. She invested billions of rubles in Dubai real estate. Since Skoch is prohibited from conducting business, the assets are registered in the names of his father and his daughter, Varvara. Varvara’s companies receive government contracts, including from the federal government. Meanwhile, her father-in-law, Denis Manturov, serves as deputy prime minister. In addition to Russian citizenship, Skoch’s daughter also holds Cypriot citizenship and has not been sanctioned by the EU.
Varvara prefers to spend her time in Dubai, Switzerland, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka. She used to spend time in London as well, but the UK has imposed sanctions against her. She travels on a Global 5000 private jet. Such a flight is not cheap — fuel costs, airport fees, and crew expenses are substantial. A single trip by Skoch’s daughter to Dubai on a private jet costs approximately 6 million rubles.