Western countries have sanctioned Russia as a countermeasure to Putin’s attack on Ukraine, and the overseas assets of many Russian oligarchs have also been frozen by different countries one following another. Recently, the attention was paid to the confiscation of a luxury cruise ship worth US$560 million under the name of coal tycoon Andrei Melnichenko (the single highest value). Smanov’s $670,000 Mercedes was impounded (the most special item). These two “ill-gotten gains” happened to be seized on the Italian resort island of Sardinia. Sardinia is known as the Russian oligarchic club, and it really lives up to its reputation.
So far, eight houses have been confiscated by the Italian government within 10 miles of the Emerald Coast in northeastern Sardinia, including the $105 million property on the island of Russian steel magnate Alexei Mordashov (also A $68 million yacht was also seized); the $114 million property on the island of Russian Formula 1 driver Niki Mazepin and his father; and the $18 million villa of Alisher Usmanov. These oligarchs, who had been the richest man in Russia in turn, all fell in love with Sardinia in the past. Now, because of them, the name of Sardinia has appeared in the newspapers several times.
Russian steel tycoon Alexei Mordashov’s $68 million yacht detained by the Italian government. (Associated Press)
As for confiscating the properties, cars and yachts of these Russian oligarchs, and freezing their accounts, in addition to punishing them for long-term secret dealings with Putin, and practicing the truth of many lines of injustice, the other effect is to realize these assets later, okay Assist in postwar reconstruction of Ukraine. By the end of May, Italy had withheld $820 million in assets from seven Russian tycoons on the EU sanctions list, but it is clear that this is only a drop in the bucket for Russian oligarchs. Before the EU sanctions, Alexei Mordashov had transferred his $1.1 billion mining company shares to his wife, and his seven children also received part of their father’s property at the same time. Now it depends on whether the Russian oligarchs are out of production faster, or whether the governments of various countries confiscate their assets faster.
However, the seizure of assets of Russian oligarchs actually caused some “side effects”. In particular, the seizure of those luxury yachts in Sardinia is equivalent to directly causing the unemployment of hundreds of nominal Italians on the island. Before today, they were mostly employed on the yachts of the oligarchs, and the salary was not low. A report in the Washington Post also mentioned that the residents of Sardinia still regard these oligarchs as benefactors today, because the oligarchs have From time to time, employees are given five or six-figure tips. Since the assets of the oligarchs have been frozen, many people have been forced to leave their jobs and lose their jobs, and even severance pay is not available. The workers who helped Alisher Usmanov renovate the villa on the island were also not paid. No wonder the former governor of Sardinia, Mauro Pelly, said in the paper that the island is so dependent on Russian wealth that “if you turn off the taps, you will be hurt.”
In addition, the assets of the Russian oligarchs in Sardinia were confiscated and frozen, and there was an “outside case”. On June 18, the local media “L’Unione Sarda” in Sardinia disclosed a news that a manor house, known as the “Five Mediterranean Manor”, was suddenly and unusually bought by a Chinese woman. The way she bought it is particularly striking, as a transaction cheque in the possession of L’Unione Sarda shows that she bought the estate “in one lump sum” for 80 million euros.
Italian media “L’Unione Sarda” recently reported that a mysterious Chinese woman bought a manor in Sardinia with a “one-off payment” of 80 million euros. (The picture is taken from the “L’Unione Sarda” website)
The 4-hectare estate has three private beaches, 49 rooms, a cinema, a private swimming pool and its own helipad. According to past practice, foreign wealthy people who buy property in Sardinia usually pay in installments through the Cayman Islands or use offshore companies to avoid taxes, but this mysterious Chinese woman paid 8,000 yuan on April 8. It is quite rare for a cheque to be deposited directly into a Swiss bank account of an American (probably the original owner of the manor).
“L’Unione Sarda” finally found the English translation of the mysterious Chinese woman as Nina Wang. According to the same name on Bloomberg News, Nina Wang is a 33-year-old Chinese e-commerce giant. Another JD Health (HK) Limited established in Hong Kong in December 2018, the person in charge of the company is also called Nani Wang, but when JD Health (HK) Limited was listed in Hong Kong, her name was no longer on the shareholder list.
“L’Unione Sarda” describes this estate transaction as: Geopolitical reorganization following sanctions (Russian/oligarchic), also including this resort… With the change of large-scale real estate business, the domination of rich Russian businessmen in Sardinia The status is shaken, and China is so eager to get close to this charming resort for the first time… Is it the Chinese who are regarding to replace Russia here? And is it she (Nina Wang), or is she actually just leading the door to Sardinia on behalf of “others”?
This one-time payment for the luxury manor in Sardinia is like the complicated financial games that the international rich people often make blind people. Even if the news is exposed, there are still more unknown and most silent under the table. of luxury.
※The author is the chief writer of “Report”