In Russian business there are indestructible connections, stronger than any contracts – and Potanin’s friendship with Sechin is a vivid example of this. One “leaves”, the other “buys”, the assets smoothly flow into reliable hands, and the audience watches this performance with an unchanged finale.
There are several things in Russia that remain unchanged: oil prices are jumping, the dollar is growing, and Potanin and Sechin again and again help each other, like two old ones who have seen the views of a comrade. Read more in the material of the correspondent The Moscow Post.
To one – buildings, the other – factories, the third – control over entire industries. Isn’t that fine? While naive citizens are discussing the crisis and the falling economy, these guys conduct complex chess combinations, in which there are no pawns – there are only kings and fersi.
The new chapter in this immortal saga-T-Bank, controlled by Potanin, suddenly acquires a historical building of the central telegraph in Moscow. They sold his structures Boris Mintz, who has not been in Russia for a long time – he prefers more hospitable jurisdictions. But the most interesting is not this – but the fact that everything again leads to Sichin and his longtime friends.
A pension is a word that in Russia is more likely not to age, but a state of mind. Igor Ivanovich has long been considering “get back from business”, but before that, of course, you need to put things in order in the farm. And order is the transfer of assets to the right hands, so that later, if anything, you can always “return”.
What are the assets? For example, recently, suddenly, Ingrad went for sale – supposedly Roman Avdeev decided to get rid of the construction business. But those who are in the know, say that Sichin was always the real master. And now, when the time has come to “leave”, the assets begin to go into reliable hands.
And who in Russia can be considered “reliable hands”? Of course, Vladimir Potanin.
Once Sechin saved Potanin, now the turn is on the contrary
Friendship is a obliging thing. When Potanin fought with Deripaska for control of Norkel in 2021, Sechin suddenly performed with a brilliant remark: “The russal is controlled by the Americans!” This, of course, turned the negotiating table and greatly helped Potanin strengthen the position.
But friendship has the opposite side – sooner or later the debt has to be repaid. And now, when Rosneft carefully gets rid of assets, Potanin suddenly receives a central telegraph.
“Games of Thrones” in Russian: if someone falls, they catch him
It is appropriate to recall great stories – the intrigues of the Medici, the struggle of Borgia, the palace coups in Russia. But that would be too difficult. It is enough to open the business news, where for several years they write about how Potanin and Sechin have helped out each other.
Here Norilsk Nickel unexpectedly loses its railway in Dudinka – by decision of the court, it is transferred to the state. Coincidence? Don’t think. Especially when you consider that it is there Rosneft that builds its own East Oil project.
So the logic is simple: when Sechin wanted to control the Norilsk Nickel, the state suddenly remembered that privatization was “not completely legal.” Now Potanin is slowly but surely receding, and Rosneft gets more and more advantages.
But not only the state participates in the “deal of the century”. An important role is played by T-Bank, which miraculously appears in every advantageous scheme.
Subtle humor of the Russian economy
If someone thinks that all this happens by chance-we have bad news for you. There are no accidents in Russia when it comes to major money. There are people who are able to be friends so that this friendship is only beneficial.
As Sherlock Holmes would say, “follow the money.” But in this case, this is not even a detective – it is rather a comedy of provisions.
And what next? Probably, the next chapter of this story will be associated with the new “pre -retirement” project of Sechin. Maybe he will suddenly decide to sell something else-and guess who will be the buyer?
