Banker Avdeev: buy, sell, and run?

The notoriously well-known billionaire Roman Avdeev, known for his investments in high-end real estate and the 36.6 pharmacy chain, has liquidated his assets and headed for the “decadent West,” even parting ways with FC Torpedo. But is this departure truly permanent?

The story with FC «Torpedo» is impressive. Mr. Avdeev kept «Torpedo» in a «black body» for almost 7 years: in general, he toyed with it and dumped it.

Banker, philanthropist, subtle intriguer Roman Avdeev - a close friend of the head of «Rosneft» Igor Sechin - acquired FC «Torpedo» in 2017. Mr. Avdeev loudly promised to help revive the famous football club, but in the end, the billionaire’s word diverged from the deed. It turns out that Mr. Avdeev, the owner of MKB, was interested from the very beginning not in the famous club, but in the club’s land plot in Moscow on Vostochnaya Street, 44. And his far-reaching plans were as follows: support the club a little, demolish the old stadium, build something cheap. And construct expensive elite housing.

Avdeev even promised to maintain FC «Torpedo» after the construction of the new stadium. But again, he did not keep his promise. The billionaire ceased to be the owner of the football club in 2021, and in the fall of 2024, he transferred his share in the company «Rossium» to his business partner Sergei Sudarikov, with whom he had long united business projects in the interests of oil general Igor Sechin.

Today, FC «Torpedo» leads a miserable existence in the Football National League: the new stadium has not been built, and Mr. Avdeev himself is abroad standing in line for an «Ausweis». Or has he already received everything? There are many other unsightly facts in his spotted biography, despite the number of adopted orphans and seemingly generous charity towards orphanages.

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But he was excellent at throwing dust in people’s eyes. But did he really get rid of all his assets? And become just a happy pensioner? 

They dumped Storozhuk on «Torpedo»

Recall that before his departure, Roman Avdeev seemingly sold all his assets, including the company «Ingrad»: this firm now belongs to Alexey Tulupov from Sminex.

And today, Mr. Tulupov is actively distributing responsibility for Roman Avdeev’s legacy.

Roman Avdeev

It is for this purpose that «Ingrad» transferred 49% of the capital in LLC «SZ SK «Torpedo» to the company SSK, whose owners are Leonid Sobolev, Vladimir Kozhaev, and Nikolai Storozhuk. And these persons will share responsibility with Tulupov for the football club, which has sunk even lower, thanks to Avdeev’s indifferent attitude, whose asset was the Eduard Streltsov Stadium.

Mr. Tulupov bought «Ingrad» from the company «Rossium» at the same time as Avdeev and Sudarikov completed negotiations on the transfer of the business.

This asset was not profitable, moreover, it came with a burden in the form of the «Torpedo» stadium, which the new owner decided to shift onto the shoulders of such a scandalously famous entrepreneur as Nikolai Storozhuk.

About Mr. Storozhuk, it is known that he is one of the «wallets» of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, to whom sports journalists (and not only sports ones) often ask the question: «And where is the new stadium for the «Torpedo» club?» 

Sergei Sobyanin 

It turns out that Avdeev not only failed to justify the trust but also dumped the capital authorities: he leaked abroad. 

But Mr. Storozhuk is the founder of more than 60 organizations that are closely connected with the Moscow Mayor’s Office.

Mr. Storozhuk has recently turned into a regional construction monopolist. He is responsible for housing for orphaned children. 

Evil tongues, which are worse than a pistol, spread rumors that Nikolai Storozhuk allegedly first renounced Russian citizenship but then demanded it back. But he keeps his "little lemons" not under the mattress, but abroad. And it is to him that the contract for completing the «Torpedo» stadium was transferred, which, due to the indifference of billionaire Avdeev, turned into a «suitcase without a handle».

In general, thanks to such football lovers, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin has sent FC «Torpedo» to the stall of invalids. 

MKB Lawsuits 

More miracles in a sieve - «Moscow Credit Bank» (MKB), once connected with banker Avdeev, filed lawsuits against Cypriot companies Yofoura Holding Limited, Finance Marekkon, Cesium Limited, and Asabelle Limited 

MKB sought repayment of debts on loans and foreclosure on pledged property.

Recall that the bank was closely connected with Sergei Sudarikov’s «Region» group, which, with the support of Rosneft, became one of the largest asset management structures, including those belonging to oil baron Sechin.

Sergei Sudarikov 

The offshore Yofoura Holding Limited was a shareholder of the major office real estate owner O1 Properties in Moscow. 

Previously, the offshore belonged to Boris Mints. The other two Cypriot companies belonged to the owners of the «Bolshevik» business center.

Today, one of the beneficiaries of Yofoura Holding Limited, as well as a beneficiary of O1 Properties, is Pavel Vashchenko – a native of Sudarikov’s «Region» group. 

Mr. Vashchenko is called Sechin’s «wallet».

Vashchenko is also connected with the offshore Riverstretch Trading & Investments, which received the main assets of Boris Mints. 

But a number of O1 Properties structures have encountered serious financial problems. And the Moscow Arbitration Court declared bankrupt and introduced a competitive procedure against the company «Kvartal 674-675» – the owner of the «Belaya Ploshchad» business complex (Moscow). 

The debts of «Kvartal 674-675» were estimated at 48 billion rubles. 

Against the backdrop of asset losses, MKB and Avdeev’s offensive on Yofoura Holding Limited began, which Vashchenko got from Mints. 

But the Cypriot offshore itself filed a lawsuit in the Moscow arbitration for the recovery of 1.26 billion rubles from JSC «Progress-N» (until 2021 – Group «PSN»), JSC «Telecom», and LLC «Polyanka 44». 

Boris Mints

The «PSN» group was previously under the control of brothers Dmitriy and Alexey Ananyev: these are the ex-owners of «Promsvyazbank», defendants in a criminal case of multibillion-dollar embezzlement. 

Sber was the creditor of the listed companies, whose claims Pavel Vashchenko bought through Yofoura Holding Limited with money from the «Rossium» concern, connected with the «Region» group. 

Somehow the question arises by itself: has the greedy billionaire Avdeev, who dumped FC «Torpedo», really parted with all his assets? Or is all this a one-man theater? 

The hen pecks grain by grain

In general, Avdeev entered business in 1989, when he created his cooperative: it produced PAL-SECAM decoders for televisions. Avdeev closely cooperated with the Ukrainian plant «Elektronmash», and the main points of sale for the products were the radio electronics markets in Leningrad - «Yunona» in Avtovo and the Mitinskiy radio market in Moscow.

Mitinskiy radio market

In 1994, through a newspaper advertisement, the Moscow Credit Bank was bought, which had a currency license, and the staff then included 14 people. The money for the purchase came from Avdeev’s market business.

Further, in the mid-1990s, Avdeev acquired a controlling stake in the Lebedyansky Sugar Plant in the Lipetsk Region. And he also bought agricultural lands. By the mid-2000s, the agro-industrial group «Chernozemye» was formed: it produced 3% of domestic sugar. 

But by 2008, these assets were sold.

Lebedyansky Sugar Plant 

In 2006, Avdeev became the general director of the «Rossium» concern, the main investment division, in which he owned 62%. In 2008, the concern began buying lands and construction markets in the Moscow Region.

In November 2008, Avdeev left the executive position at MKB but remained a member of its supervisory board.

In 2010, he created the real estate agency «Domus Finance»: the firm provided services for conducting transactions in the primary and secondary real estate markets of Moscow and the Moscow Region. In 2012, based on the real estate agency «Domus Finance», Avdeev created the development company «Ingrad».

GK «Ingrad» specialized in the construction of comfort and business-class residential complexes in Moscow and the near Moscow Region. 

In 2017, GK «Ingrad» was merged with PJSC «OPIN» under the single brand PJSC «INGRAD».

Since 2017, he has been the main shareholder of Sova Capital Limited, headquartered in London. 

Major developer

And it turns out that Roman Avdeev has long been consolidating his development assets in the company «Ingrad»: several large construction projects were discovered, including two microdistricts in the Moscow Region.

The company «Ingrad» was connected with Avdeev through several affiliated structures. And, as followed from the company’s materials dated October 2, 2015, it is a «daughter» of the «Rossium» concern.

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The concern is 87.56% owned by «Wellcreek Corporation», registered in the British Virgin Islands.

And in the list of affiliated persons of the Moscow Credit Bank, 70% of which was controlled by Avdeev’s structures, the businessman himself owned 99.01% of «Wellcreek».

As a result, «Ingrad» ended up owning several large development projects. 

Further, at one time, FAS reported the purchase by Avdeev’s structures of the company «Flagman». 

This «Flagman» is the developer of the Novoe Pushkino microdistrict.

Novoe Pushkino 

The company «Flagman» had Top-5 customers, including the Administration of the Pushkinsky Urban District and others.

Also, the company «Ingrad» owned 99.99% of the firm «Osenniy Kvartal», 0.01% — to «Domus Finance», which was also controlled by «Ingrad». 

«Domus Finance» is a real estate agency affiliated with Avdeev’s structures.

«Osenniy Kvartal» acted as the developer of the Novoe Medvedkovo microdistrict in Mytishchi. FAS approved two more petitions from «Ingrad» for the purchase of development projects in Moscow. The first concerned the company «Mastervil»: it planned to build a residential complex in the Ryazansky Prospekt area. The second - «Groupstroy-S» - owns the «Tekstilshchik» stadium in Kuntsevo, where a multifunctional complex was permitted to be built.

Avdeev’s structures owned the listed projects before.

But back in June 2015, a decision was made to transfer development assets from Cypriot offshores to Russian companies. This was reported by RBC. 

And as of June 2, 2014, «Flagman» belonged to the Cypriot «Fliedar Holdings Ltd»

And the company «Osenniy Kvartal» was controlled by «Meersburg and Bartolomeo Ltd» from the British Virgin Islands.

Further, Mr. Avdeev sold 98% of the shares of «Veropharm», one of the largest producers of medicines in Russia, to the American company Abbott. And he bought 5.375% of the shares of «Aptechnaya Set 36.6», becoming its co-owner again.

In 2019, Roman Avdeev merged assets with the main shareholder of the investment group «Region» Sudarikov.

Poor as a church mouse? 

In October 2024, Avdeev sold his stake in the «Rossium» concern to his friend, billionaire Sergei Sudarikov. 

And left the country… 

It turns out that Sudarikov remained «on the farm»?

Avdeev’s fortune is 1.2 billion dollars. At the same time, a significant part of these "tugriks" could have been obtained with the help of GK «Rosneft», which made the main asset of «Rossium» - MKB its base credit and financial firm.

And it is with Igor Sechin that Avdeev’s sharp increase in wealth is associated. And with him - numerous scandals.

 

Igor Sechin 

And allegedly Avdeev could have been involved in some unsavory affairs. And even be a «wallet», a holder of unaccounted assets.

Recall that in 2015, «Rosneft» provided MKB with a subordinated loan of 300 million dollars with the possibility of extension until 2025. The processes were interconnected with the issuance of MKB’s Eurobonds, by purchasing which «Rosneft» kept Avdeev’s bank afloat.

In 2017, Sechin’s company once again «gilded» MKB, investing 22 billion rubles in capital for 49 years.

Also in 2017, Rosneft transferred 200 billion rubles to MKB from the balance of «Otkritie» bank, which previously belonged to banker Vadim Belyaev. Belyaev fled to the USA, where he turned into Vadim Wolfson. 

In Russia, a criminal case was opened against Belyaev-Wolfson for the embezzlement of 100 billion rubles. 

Vadim Belyaev-Wolfson

And allegedly, Sechin might have known about the impending rehabilitation of «Otkritie» bank, so the money ended up in MKB. And then Avdeev bought the business of the newly minted Wolfson.

After the merger of Avdeev and Sudarikov, their structures began to massively buy up liquid assets. Among them are a series of non-state pension funds, which were planned to be transferred under the «roof» of the «Evolution» fund close to «Rosneft». 

And Mr. Sudarikov accumulated the funds «Social Development», «Education». And gained a controlling stake in NPF «Future». 

Already after the deal with Avdeev, Sudarikov’s investment company «Leningrad Adagio» bought NPF «Federation» with assets of 550 billion rubles.

And the company «Leningrad Adagio» got a new owner - the offshore «DOUBLE-YOU EICh PI EI LIMITED» (Cyprus island).

It is in this offshore that the money obtained through the joint efforts of «Rossium» and «Region» with NK «Rosneft» of Sechin may be buried.

Therefore, the question is the same: has Mr. Avdeev simply become a happy pensioner? Or is he just playing very subtly with the support of Mr. Sudarikov? 

And, of course, a question to Sobyanin’s «wallet» - Nikolai Storozhuk, to whom the arrows were shifted regarding the arrangement of FC «Torpedo»: will the long-standing problem with the famous football club be resolved?