Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Usmanov Doubles Down On Uzbekistan

Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Usmanov Doubles Down On Uzbekistan

One of Russia's billionaires, Alisher Usmanov, caught in the sanctions dragnet. He is investing more ... [+] in Uzbekistan as Western relations freeze. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images) Say what you will about sanctioned Russian billionaire and yachtsman (once, anyway) Alisher Usmanov – he's a business genius; he's a fan of fencing; he's a gentle globalist philanthropist; he's tied to Vladimir Putin – but one thing is certain. He is one of a growing number of Russian billionaires being punished for the war in Ukraine. Business as usual is dead. He lost his mega-yacht Dilbar – which the childless Usmanov put into a family trust to the benefit of his sister — to the long arm of European sanctions law in April. And his private jet – which is an Airbus 340-300 – is no longer flying the friendly skies with Usmanov sitting on sofa seats up front. It's increasingly difficult for his companies to make money in Europe, let alone Russia. This is what the sanctions were meant to do. Make the Russian elite feel pain. Maybe they could talk some sense into Putin. But that's not happening. Usmanov is not talking sense to Putin if he is talking