One of the more interesting revelations of the "Pandora Papers" (see Monday Reading below) is the story of the now-wealthy purported mistress of Russian autocrat thug Vladimir Putin, who lives in the luxurious surroundings of Monaco:
"There is little about the humble background of Svetlana Krivonogikh to indicate that she had the means to acquire property overlooking this playground for the world’s elite. The Russian woman reportedly grew up in a crowded communal apartment in St. Petersburg, and held jobs that included cleaning a neighborhood shop.
But previously undisclosed financial records combined with local tax documents show that Krivonogikh, 46, became the owner of the apartment in Monaco through an offshore company created just weeks after she gave birth to a girl. The child was born at a time when, according to a Russian media report last year, she was in a secret, years-long relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin." (our emphasis)
She bought the Monaco unit in 2003 for $4.1 million, which has to have appreciated at least double that by now. There's also this little Putin "dividend":
"Krivonogikh has not spoken about her alleged relationship with Putin or her remarkable accumulation of wealth.
But her daughter, who turned 18 this year and goes by the name Luiza Rozova, has fueled speculation about her paternity in interviews, capitalizing on the attention to build a growing online following. In pictures, Rozova bears a striking resemblance to the Russian president, and she has acknowledged that likeness even while refusing to confirm or deny that Putin is her father." (our emphasis)
Previous investigations (e.g. the Panama Papers) have exposed Putin as an obscenely wealthy kleptocrat who has siphoned billions from the Russian treasury and from payoffs from subservient Russian oligarchs. This further fleshes out the image of him as someone on the take and feathering his nest, and a love nest at that.
(photo: Wink wink )
