Badri Patarkatsishvili
Badri Patarkatsishvili ბადრი პატარკაციშვილი | |
---|---|
Imedi, businessman, and Politician | |
Spouse | Inna Gudavadze |
Arkady Shalvovich "Badri" Patarkatsishvili[1] (Georgian: ბადრი პატარკაციშვილი 31 October 1955 – 12 February 2008) was a Georgian businessman who also became extensively involved in politics. He contested the 2008 Georgian presidential election and came third with 7.1% of the votes. From the early 1980s, until the time of his death, he was a flamboyant figure in business and was behind some of the most successful companies in today's Russia.[2] From humble origins, he became the wealthiest citizen in Georgia with an estimated wealth of $12bn.[3] He was also one of the country's largest philanthropists.[4]
Patarkatsishvili suddenly died
Early life
Born in
In 1984, Patarkatsishvili became Deputy Director General of Gruzavtovazprom, a company that purchased and delivered cars and spare parts from AvtoVAZ, which was at the time, the largest car manufacturer in the Soviet Union. It was during trips made to the AvtoVAZ plant that he first met Boris Berezovsky who was to become a close friend and business associate.[10] In 1989, Patarkatsishvili and Berezovsky founded LogoVaz with some of the senior executives of AvtoVAZ. LogoVaz developed software for AvtoVAZ, sold Soviet-made cars and serviced foreign cars. It was established as a joint venture with Logo Systems, an Italian company, which at the time was seen as pioneering in commercial relationships between East and West. LogoVaz established an office in Georgia and Patarkatsishvili became Deputy Director General of the company.[10]
Move to Moscow and involvement with ORT
In 1992 with support from his friend
By 1994, Berezovsky had secured control of ORT, the largest TV station in Russia at the time, and he installed Patarkatsishvili as First Deputy General Director.[14] Patarkatsishvili and Berezovsky with support from Mikhail Lesin then used the station's influence to assist Boris Yeltsin to victory in the 1996 presidential election.[15] From 1994 until mid-2000, Patarkatsishvili was a key figure at ORT.[14]
Sibneft Privatisation
In 1997, he was selected to oversee the privatization of the
After Patarkatsishvili died, in 2012 the Sibneft privatisation was to become the subject of a high court legal battle between Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and Berezovsky. According to The Times,[18] Abramovich submitted a 53-page court defence that accused Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili of demanding huge sums for helping him to rise from obscurity. Patarkatsishvili emerged as the key intermediary, passing messages between Abramovich and Berezovsky. Patarkatsishvili was offered $500 million by Roman Abramovich, the defence papers that were submitted admit, for protecting Roman in Russia's aluminium wars.[19]
TV6 and Kommersant
Following his success at ORT, in April 2001, Patarkatsishvili was appointed General Director of Russia's
In the late 1990s, Berezovsky and Patarkatsishvili also purchased Kommersant the one of Russia's most influential political newspapers. In 2006, Berezovsky sold his controlling stake to Patarkatsishvili, increasing Patarkatsishvili's holding to 100%. Patarkatsishvili then organised the sale of Kommersant in August 2006 to senior Gazprom executive Alisher Usmanov.[20][21]
Political trouble in Russia
By mid 1999, Boris Yeltsin began losing his grip on power and Boris Berezovsky began to play an important role in the hunt for his successor. He did this in order to counter the political aspirations of the Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who was seen as more of a statist.[22] As Berezovsky lost favour with the Kremlin, investigations began into his business affairs which Berezovsky claimed to be politically motivated. This eventually led to an arrest warrant for Berezovsky being issued in April 1999 by the Prosecutor General, Yury Skuratov.[23] Although Patarkatsishvili had sought to distance himself from Berezovsky's political dealings his proximity to Berezovsky was such that he began to fear that he may also be arrested, so in 2000, he left Moscow for his native Georgia.[14]
When
However, Berezovsky quickly fell out with the new president. On May 31, Berezovsky sharply attacked the constitutional reform proposed by Putin, which would give the Kremlin the right to dismiss elected governors. In an open letter to Putin published in
In December 2000,
Believing that he would not be given a fair trial, Patarkatsishvili refused to come in for questioning and, on July 4, 2001, he gave an interview to the Kommersant newspaper setting out his version of events in an attempt to clear his name.
Investment and philanthropy in Georgia
Upon his return, Patarkatsishvili began investing much of the wealth that he had accumulated in Russia into his native country. He had become personally wealthier than the entire state budget and so was able to invest in business ventures and charitable projects in a scale that had been previously unimaginable to the impoverished country.[14] He bought the Tbilisi city football team, Dinamo Tbilisi, the Kulevi oil terminal and financed a new shopping centre in the capital and a holiday resort on the Black Sea.[31]
He also became the head of the federation of Georgian businessmen and head of the Georgian National Olympic Committee, subsidized social programs and cultural activities, and on two occasions paid debts for the gas and electricity consumed by Tbilisi residents. He funded several charity projects including schools, amusement parks - even a monastery.[2] In return for these paternal gifts, the then president Eduard Shevardnadze agreed to allow him the state's protection from charges against him in Russia.[14]
In December 2001, he founded
Involvement in politics in Georgia
During his early career, Patarkatsishvili had shown little interest in politics.[9] However, when the Rose Revolution began in 2003 and Patarkatsishvili could see that Eduard Shevardnadze was losing his grip on power, he used his wealth to support the new opposition candidate Mikheil Saakashvili.[2]
During 2005, Patarkatsishvili hosted Boris Berezovsky and Neil Bush during their visit to Georgia.[32]
Relations between Patarkatsishvili and Saakashvili soon deteriorated, however, and they became bitter rivals. Patarkatsishvili claimed that this was due to the coverage given by Imedi to opposition parties; Saakasvili claimed that Patarkatsishvili was attempting to use his wealth to gain control of business life in Georgia.
In late 2007, he became embroiled in a political scandal after former defense minister
As Patarkatsishvili lost favour with Saakashvili's government in 2007, numerous allegations of corruption were made against him. He was
A particular flash point with Saakashvili's government was Imedi's reporting of the 2006 murder of
On October 29, 2007, Patarkatsishvili publicly announced his plans to finance ten opposition parties' campaign aimed at holding early parliamentary elections in April 2008.[39] On November 2, 2007, he addressed a large anti-government rally held in downtown Tbilisi and pledged to further support it.[40] He left Georgia for London shortly afterwards. After the demonstration turned violent, following police attacks, on November 7, 2007, Georgia's Chief Prosecutor's Office announced that he was suspected of conspiracy to overthrow the government.[41] On November 11, he said he would run as Independent in the January 5, 2008 presidential elections under the slogan "Georgia without Saakashvili is Georgia without Terror."[42] Leaders of the major opposition parties distanced themselves from Patarkatsishvili, who had to run as an independent presidential candidate.[43]
On December 24 and 25, 2007, the prosecutor-general's office of Georgia released a series of audio and video recordings of the two separate meetings of the high-ranking Georgian Interior Ministry official Erekle Kodua with Patarkatsishvili and the head of his pre-election campaign Valeri Gelbakhiani. According to the government, Patarkatsishvili was trying to bribe Kodua to take part in what the Georgian officials described as an attempted coup d'état on January 6, 2008, the next of the scheduled presidential elections. The plan included to stage a mass manifestation against the government and to "neutralize" the Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. Later independent journalist Vakhtang Komakidze produced what he said was the full transcript of the recorded conversation which showed that Patarkatsishvili was advising against violence and the extracts released had been doctored[44] The accusations forced Patarkatsishvili onto the defensive. He confirmed that he met with Kodua in London, but denied that the bribe was in connection to an alleged coup plot and claimed instead that his intention was to uncover what he said were official plans to rig the election. He also confirmed that he offered Kodua "a huge amount of money" in exchange for defecting from the authorities allegedly to avert a possible use of force by the government against the planned January rallies.[45][46][47]
On December 28, 2007, Patarkatsishvili announced that he would withdraw his bid for presidency, but would nominally remain a candidate until January 4, 2008.[48][49] On January 3, 2008, he reversed himself, however, and decided to run in presidential elections. In response, his top campaign official Giorgi Zhvania (brother of late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania) resigned, declaring that Patarkatsishvili did not have the unquestionable reputation one would expect of a country's president.[50] Patarkatsishvili earned 7% vote and came in third place.
Interest in sports
Patarkatsishvili was chairman of the Dinamo Tbilisi football club. He also served as president of the Georgian National Olympic Committee (GNOC), until being impeached on October 9, 2007, after falling out with the government.[51]
In September 2006, Patarkatsishvili announced that he was considering a bid for the London football club West Ham.[52] However, the deal never came to fruition.
Death
Patarkatsishvili, aged 52, collapsed at Downside Manor, his
The businessman spent his last day in the
Preliminary reports indicated a heart attack as the cause of death.
According to Tim Bell, "he [Patarkatsishvili] always looked 10 years older than he was."
British press coverage
London Lite was the first newspaper to inform the British public of the Georgian oligarch's death on the evening of 13 February 2008. In the news of 14 February 2008, Patarkatsishvili's death was covered in The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, etc. Most newspapers discussed Patarkatsishvili's business history, including his close ties with Boris Berezovsky, Roman Abramovich, Alexander Litvinenko, Mikheil Saakashvili and Vladimir Putin.[62][63]
International press coverage
According to Reuters, a source close to the late businessman said on the day of his death that Patarkatsishvili feared the Georgian authorities were plotting to kill him.[64]
Associated Press reported that on December 26, 2007, Patarkatsishvili said that he had obtained a tape recording of an official in his homeland's Interior Ministry asking a Chechen warlord to murder the tycoon in London. "I believe they want to kill me," he said. He said the tape had been given to police.[65]
Estate battle
Following Patarkatsishvili's death, several of his closest business associates made attempts to claim his business assets from his family members, who were entitled to his residual estate under Georgian law, as he had died without leaving a valid will.[69]
Shortly after Patarkatsishvili died, Joseph Kay, the stepson of his aunt and someone who had assisted him with his business affairs, along with the American lawyer, Emmanuel Zeltser, attempted to take control of
Another claim over the estate was launched in 2012 by Boris Berezovsky. Berezovsky claimed that half of Patarkatsishvili's assets belong to him under a handshake agreement that the two men made in 1995 to split all their commercial interests equally.[74] However, following the judgement of Gloster J in Berezovsky v Abramovich case in 2012 that gave a damning report of Berezovsky's character, Berezovsky quickly settled his case against the Patarkatsishvili family. The details of the settlement however remained confidential.[75]
In 2013, Inna Gudavadze, her two daughters, Iya Patarkatsishvili and Liana Zhmotova, and Patarkatsishvili's mother Natela Patarkatsishvili brought a $1.8bn action against another of his business associates, Vasily Anisimov. The family claimed that they had a part-entitlement to the 20% share formerly held by Anisimov in mining company Metalloinvest. The case was settled in March 2014 before it came to court.[76]
Personal life
His wife was Inna Vasilievna Gudavadze (Russian: Инна Васильевна Гудавадзе; b. 1955, Tbilisi) and they had two daughters Liana (Russian: Лиана; b. 1980) and Inna (Russian: Инна; b. 1983).[11]
Notes
- ^ Otari Kvantriashvili (Russian: Отари Квантриашвили) was a Georgian mafia boss who was killed on 5 April 1994 by a member of the Orekhovo-Medvedkovo gang, Aleksei Sherstobitov [ru] (Russian: Алексей Шерстобитов) or Lesha Soldat or Lesha the Soldier (Russian: Лёша Солдат), who pled guilty to his murder on 14 August 2008 and received 23 years in prison.[11][12]
References
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- ^ a b c d Daily Telegraph, Badri Patarkatsishvili, 14.02.2008
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- ^ Vanity Fair, The Widow and the Oligarchs 01.10.09
- ^ Vanity Fair, The Widow and the Oligarchs, 01.10.09
- ^ "პროკურატურის განცხადება ბადრი პატარკაციშვილის მკვლელობის მომზადების საქმეზე" [Statement of Prosecutor's Office on Badri Patarkatsishvili's murder case]. Government of Georgia.
- ^ Rochvarger, Michael (5 June 2007). "Badri Patarkatsishvili, future owner of Maariv?". Haaretz. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ "Badri Patarkatsishvili: Billionaire businessman who failed to buy his way into the presidency of Georgia". The Independent. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e The Times, Badri Patarkatsishvili Obituary 14.02.2008
- ^ a b [1] Berezovsky v Abramovich, Fourth Witness Statement of Boris Berezovsky, 31.05.2011
- ^ a b c "ДОКУМЕНТЫ И ФАКТЫ Бадри Патаркацишвили. Справка ФСБ Конфиденциально" [DOCUMENTS AND FACTS Badri Patarkatsishvili. FSB reference Confidentially]. corruption.ru (in Russian). 17 October 1996. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Обвиняемый по делу Отари Квантришвили признал свою вину" [Defendant in Otari Kvantrishvili's case pleads guilty]. Kommersant (in Russian). 14 August 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Boris Yeltsin Wikipedia
- ^ a b c d e f The Jamestown Foundation, BADRI PATARKATSISHVILI: FROM RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN TO GEORGIAN PRESIDENTIAL CLAIMANT (part one)
- ^ Allison, Graham T., and Matthew Lantz. "Assessing Russia's Democratic Presidential Election." Harvard University (1996)
- ^ Privatization in Transition Economies: The Ongoing Story, Edited by Ira W. Lieberman, Daniel J. Kop, 2008
- ^ Badri Patarkatsishvili: From Russian businessman to Georgian presidential claimant (Part One), Vladimir Socor, Jamestown Foundation, Washington DC, 12-21-2007.Accessed 04-06-2008. [dead link]
- ^ Roman Abramovich admits paying out billions on political favours
- ^ Berezovsky v Abramovich, Gloster J Action 2007, Folio 942
- ^ Kommersant newspaper sold out, Alliance Media, Moscow, quoting RosBusinessConsulting, 09-03-2006.Accessed: 04-05-2008. [dead link]
- ^ BADRI PATARKATSISHVILI: FROM RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN TO GEORGIAN PRESIDENTIAL CLAIMANT (part two) The James Town Foundation, 21 December 2007.
- ^ Putin's Path to Power, Peter Rutland, (December 2000)
- ^ Wikipedia, Boris Berezovsky
- ^ Based on text of his taped conversation with Erekle Kodua Full text in Russian published in Kommersant
- ^ Difficulties of translation from Georgian, Kommersant, February 12, 2008
- ^ Boris Berezovsky Wikipedia
- Moscow Times
- ^ "Russian President Putin tries to break Berezovsky's grip" World Socialist Web Site 28 September 2000
- ^ a b Kommersant "Я бы отдал все, если бы отпустили Глушкова" Badri Patarkatsishvili Interview, Kommersant "I'd give anything to see Glushkov released" 4.7.2001
- ^ Obituary: Badri Patarkatsishvili, Tom Parfitt, The Guardian, London, 02-15-2008.Accessed: 04-05-2008.
- ^ a b Obituary, Badri Patarkasishvili Daily Telegraph, 14.02.2008
- ^ Belton, Catherine (6 October 2005). Berezovsky Teams Up With Bush's Brother. The Moscow Times. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ BADRI PATARKATSISHVILI: FROM RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN TO GEORGIAN PRESIDENTIAL CLAIMANT (part two) The James Town Foundation, 21 December 2007.
- ^ Okruashvili May Be Freed on Bail after Pleading Guilty. Civil Georgia, 2007-10-08.
- ^ Court sets Georgia's former defense minister free on bail. Associated Press (International Herald Tribune). October 8, 2007.
- ^ News Corporation: A farewell to Georgia?, Giorgi Lomsadze, Eurasia Insight, Eurasianet.org, New York, NY, 03-26-08.Accessed: 04-06-2008.
- ^ Firebrand Okruashvili’s Televised Return Boosts Opposition, Radio Free Europe, 11-06-2007 Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine.Accessed: 04-06-2008.
- ^ Coalson, Robert (28 June 2013). "Sandro Girgvliani: The Ghost That Haunts Saakashvili's Legacy". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Pledges to Finance Protest Rallies. Civil Georgia. 2007-10-28.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Addresses Protest Rally. Civil Georgia. 2007-11-02.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Suspected of "Coup Plotting". Civil Georgia. November 9, 2007.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Says he will Run for Presidency. Civil Georgia. 2007-11-10.
- ^ In Quotes: Opposition Leaders on Patarkatsishvili’s Presidential Bid. Civil Georgia. 2007-11-10.
- ^ One of the reasons Vakhtang Komakidze fled Georgia Archived 2010-05-14 at the Wayback Machine Georgian International Media Centre 2010-05-05
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Ally a Suspect in Coup Plot. Civil Georgia / 2007-12-24 13:22:55.
- ^ More ‘Coup Plot’ Tapes Released. Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 2007-12-25 20:33:27.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili Forced onto Defensive Archived 2008-08-30 at the Wayback Machine. Georgian Times [Civil Georgia]. 2007.12.26 12:52.
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- ^ Patarkatsishvili Nominally Remains in Race. Civil Georgia. 2007-12-28.
- ^ Georgian Media Tycoon Returns to Presidential Race. Voice of America. January 03, 2008.
- ^ Georgian Olympic Committee Impeaches Patarkatsishvili.Civil Georgia. 2007-10-09.
- ^ West Ham in takeover discussions BBC New, 1.09.2006
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- ^ Gus Garcia-Roberts (November 17, 2011). "Russian billionaires battle for Fisher Island". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ^ Badri Patarkatsishvili: exiled oligarch who lived in the shadow of death
- ^ Robert Booth (February 14, 2008). "I am a target: police probe death of billionaire who warned of assassination". The Guardian.
- ^ "Badri Patarkatsishvili, a Death Too Strange & Sudden - Kommersant Moscow". Archived from the original on 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ "Prominent Georgian businessman and opposition leader Patarkatsisvhili dies (Part 2)". Interfax. 2008-02-13. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
- ^ "Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili had severe heart disease, inquest hears - Mirror.co.uk". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
- ^ "Police in poison probe after Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili is found dead - Mirror.co.uk". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
- ^ The dead billionaire and the 'KGB poison killer' Archived 2008-02-15 at the Wayback Machine Keith Dovkants, Evening Standard
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- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Faulconbridge, Guy (2008-02-13). "Georgian Patarkatsishvili feared murder plot". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
- ^ "UK Cops Examine Georgian Tycoon's Death". Associated Press. 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Особое мнение. Дмитрий Муратов". Echo of Moscow. 2008-02-13. Archived from the original on 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
- ^ "Сделка не состоялась. Чем занимался в последние дни перед смертью Бадри Патаркацишвили (in Russian)". Novaya Gazeta. 2008-02-14. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- Regnum News Agency. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-16.[permanent dead link]
- ^ The Widow and the Oligarchs Susanne Andrews, Vanity Fair, October 2009
- ^ Susanne Andrews, Vanity Fair, 2009
- ^ a b [Gudavadze v Kay [2012] EWHC 1683 (Ch)]
- ^ [IN THE MATTER of the trusts known as The Valmore Trust and The Summit Trust, Mr Justice Dudley, The Supreme Court of Gibraltar, Claim No. 2008 M No 70, 17 December 2009]
- ^ In re: Fisher Island Investments, Inc., and Little Rest Twelve, Inc. Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, United States District Court For The Southern District of Florida, Case No. 12-cv-20939-KMW, 10/16.2013
- ^ The odd couple and their extraordinary labyrinth of wealth The Times, 21 January 2012.
- ^ Berezovsky settles Patarkatsishvili lawsuit Financial Times, 13 September 2012.
- ^ Patarkatsishvili family reaches deal over Metalloinvest stake Financial Times, 14 March 2014.
External links
- Badri Patarkatsishvili, Civil Georgia's profile. 2008-02-13
- (in Georgian) Patarkatsishvili: The Oligarch's Way. NewsGeorgia's profile. 2008-02-38
- Mark Hollingsworth and S Lansley, Londongrad: From Russia With Cash: The Inside Story of the Oligarchs. 4th estate, 2009
- Badri Patarkatsishvili Full Biography