Andrey Akimov, head of Gazprombank, is a key figure in Vladimir Putin's regime. His presence at the meeting held on February 24, 2022 – the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine – during which the Russian president demanded that some 40 Russian oligarchs show their "solidarity" with the war effort in Ukraine, bears witness to his proximity.
Unlike most of the men present that day in the Kremlin's St. Catherine Hall, Akimov escaped the freezing of his assets by the European Union. The continent cannot do without his bank to pay for its Russian gas supplies. A cautious man, Akimov took the necessary steps to dispose, in 2022 and 2023, of a substantial real estate portfolio he owned in France, as revealed by Le Monde in a joint investigation with the Russian media outlet iStories.
Dozens of documents, from both confidential data leaks and public records, link Akimov to four luxury villas located on the French Riviera, in Haute-Savoie (in the French Alps) and on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, with an acquisition value over €20 million.
The financing of these assets, which includes a myriad of offshore companies, raises the question of the origin of the funds and possible money laundering. Sold since the invasion of Ukraine, these properties now seem safe from possible seizure by the courts, even if the reality of Akimov's withdrawal raises questions. Some of the new owners of the villas are, in fact, linked to the oligarch or the Russian gas industry.
When contacted, Akimov refused to answer Le Monde's questions in detail, saying they were "unreasonable" and based on "conjecture." He also stated that he "reserves the right to protect his interests by all available legal means" in the event of publication of "false or defamatory" information.
Akimov's trail leads first to Villefranche-sur-Mer, in the French Riviera. Officially, it's difficult to link the oligarch to the 1,600-square-meter property with a swimming pool and Japanese garden, purchased in 2009 for €5.5 million by a Monegasque company called SCP Barca. In Monaco, it is impossible to access the identity of the owners of non-trading companies.
But the documents filed by the notary at the time of the villa's sale in July 2022 list two shareholders whose names are no strangers to Gazprombank. Anna Litvintseva, the majority shareholder, presented as "retired" and a "private investor," is co-owner of several offshore companies alongside Akimov and his former romantic partner, Marianna Chaykina, in the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus. The other shareholder is Viktor Komanov, a member of Gazprombank's board of directors. They did not respond to Le Monde's request for comment.
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