Posted 15 апреля 2022,, 11:01

Published 15 апреля 2022,, 11:01

Modified 24 декабря 2022,, 22:36

Updated 24 декабря 2022,, 22:36

Mikhail Fridman seen in one of the most expensive restaurants in London

Mikhail Fridman seen in one of the most expensive restaurants in London

15 апреля 2022, 11:01
Фото: Anna Gordon/FT
A sanctioned Russian oligarch complaining about a modest salary was seen with a young companion in an Italian restaurant.

On March 15, Great Britain imposed sanctions against Russian oligarchs, one of which turned out to be Mikhail Fridman. Last year, the co-owner of Alfa Group was named 11th in the list of the richest people in the UK, where he lives, with a fortune of 10.8 billion pounds. After the imposition of sanctions, Friedman said that all his bank cards were blocked, which did not allow him to go out to a restaurant or hire a servant to clean his mansion in Hampstde. Friedman bought Athlone House in 2016 for £65 million. Now, according to realtors, the cost of the house has risen to 90 million pounds.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais in March, Friedman complained: “The UK authorities have to give me a certain amount so that I can ride a taxi and buy food, but this will be a very limited amount in relation to the cost of living in London. I can't even pay at the restaurant. I have to eat at home and I'm practically under house arrest." At the same time, the oligarch said that the sanctions would not have any effect on the political situation: “I have been living in London for eight years now, I have invested billions of dollars in the UK and other European countries, and the answer to this is that they will confiscate everything and throw me out out. Sanctioned people will have to return to Russia where they will have no choice but to be absolutely loyal and where they will continue to work because they are energetic, brilliant and talented people, they will open a business and create new workers places." In another interview with Bloomberg, Friedman said he was forced to turn to the UK government to be able to use his money, to which he received the answer that his request would be granted only if it was deemed "reasonable". According to the oligarch, this could mean that he would receive a monthly allowance of around £2,500.

However, Friedman was recently spotted dining at London's famed Restaurant C, formerly Cipriani, known as the go-to spot for celebrities like the Beckhams and Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone, according to the Daily Mail. The cost of a dinner for two with wine here can reach several hundred pounds. The establishment's website states that it is "one of the most famous and exclusive Italian restaurants in London" and is "in the heart of Mayfair, steps away from the most elegant shopping district".

Witnesses say that Friedman came with a companion, a woman in her 30s, around eight in the evening, and stayed for several hours: “A short, fat guy. He didn't look nervous or like a man in a crisis at all".

"