One of Russia's few self-made business tycoons, Oleg Y. Tinkov, was worth more than $9 billion in November, making him one of the richest people in Russia.
Tinkov, the founder of one of Russia's biggest banks, criticized the war in Ukraine in a post on social media. The next day, he said, Putin's administration threatened to nationalize his bank if it didn't cut ties with him. He sold his stake in the company to a Russian billionaire in a desperate attempt to raise money.
It was like a hostage, you take what you are offered. I couldn't negotiate.
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Tinkov spoke to The New York Times by phone on Sunday from a location he would not reveal. He said he hired bodyguards after friends with contacts in the Russian security services told him he should fear for his life, and joked that the Kremlin might kill him.
For a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a long time, a His downfall helps explain why there has been little but silence from business leaders who are worried about the impact of the war on their lifestyles and their pocketbooks.
Tinkov claimed that many of his acquaintances in the business and government elite told him privately that they agreed with him.
Tinkov spoke out against the war more forcefully than any other Russian business leader.
I believed that Putin would stay in power for a long time. I had no idea that it would be so large.
The Kremlin didn't reply to the request for comment.
There were no threats of any kind against the bank's leadership, and Tinkov denied his characterization of events.
Oleg has not been in Moscow for a long time, did not participate in the life of the company, and was not involved in any matters.
Tinkov has been in trouble in the West. He agreed to pay $507 million to resolve a tax fraud case in the United States. He was included on a list of sanctions against the Russian business elite.
The Foreign Secretary said at the time that the murder of innocent civilians is a crime and that the people who are involved are guilty.
Tinkov is seen as a rare Russian business pioneer because of his maverick capitalism on Richard Branson and his transformation from irreverent beer maker to founder of one of the world's most sophisticated online banks. He has criticized Putin, but he has never set foot in the Kremlin.
Tinkov was able to coexist with the Kremlin and make billions because he broke with Putin years ago.
Tinkov wrote an emotional anti-war post on social media, calling the invasion crazy and deriding Russia's military.
The Russians posted photos of their shredded cards on social media. A prominent state television host delivered a rant against him.
Tinkov had left Russia to receive treatment for leukemia. He kept a 35% stake in the company, which was valued at more than $20 billion on the London stock exchange last year.
The bank's senior executives were told by the Kremlin that any association with their founder was a problem.
The statement of your shareholder is not welcome, and we will nationalize your bank if the owner doesn't change, and if you don't.
Tinkoff announced on April 22 that it would change its name this year. Tinkov says that he was trying to sell his stake in Russia's financial system because it had been damaged by Western sanctions.
Tinkov said he was thankful to Potanin, the mining magnate, for allowing him to save at least some money from his company, but that he could not reveal a price, but that he had sold at 3% of what he believed to be his stake.
Tinkov said that he sold it for kopecks because of his statements.
As long as Putin is alive, I don't think anything will change.
I don't believe in Russia's future and I don't want to associate my name with a country that attacks its neighbors.
Tinkov is worried that the foundation he started to improve blood cancer treatment in Russia could also be in trouble because of his financial troubles.
He denied that he was speaking out to get the U.K. sanctions lifted, but he hoped the British government would correct the mistake.
He said that his illness might have made him more brave to speak out than other Russian business leaders. He claimed that members of the elite were in shock about the war and had called him to offer support.
They are tied to the West and part of the global market. They don't like it. They want their kids to go to Sardinia.
Tinkov said that he had heard from friends with security service contacts that he could be in danger, and that no one from the Kremlin had ever contacted him directly.
They told me that the decision had been made. I don't rule it out.
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