Russian tycoon Dmitry Zelenov’s highly suspicious death made headlines across the globe in December.
And now, his name is in the spotlight once again as an ugly family feud erupts over his vast fortune.
The 50-year-old property mogul died in early December after allegedly falling down a flight of stairs during a visit with friends in the city of Antibes in the French Riviera.
He reportedly died as a result of head injuries after suddenly becoming ill during a group dinner earlier in the evening – joining a growing list of Russian oligarchs to die suddenly under mysterious circumstances in recent months.
Zelenov made his fortune as the co-founder of real estate giant Don-Stroy in the mid-90s after the fall of the Soviet Union, and is survived by his wife and four children. However, he left behind no will or formal plan for how to divide his assets among his relatives.
Now, things have turned ugly, with family members pitted against family members in a legal showdown over his millions.
Zelenov’s widow Natalia Dvoryanynova and the couple’s adult son, Michael, have filed a complaint in a US court against the oligarch’s parents, Vladimir and Lola Zelenov, his adult daughter from another relationship, and a financial adviser, alleging that they were attempting to disinherit them.
Dvoryanynova and her two children with her late husband live in Fisher Island, Florida – which boasts the highest per capita income of any place in the US.
According to legal documents seen by news.com.au, lawyers acting for Dvoryanynova allege a plan to “effectively steal millions of dollars” from her and her children by ignoring Zelenov’s wishes regarding his estate, which was described as “nothing short of depraved, criminal and utterly reprehensible”.
According to the documents, Zelenov’s parents both hold US passports and reside at least half the year in a home in Alpine, New Jersey – worth more than $US8 million – which was “indirectly” owned by Zelenov.
In one of the most shocking allegations included in the document, it is claimed that when Dvoryanynova and her two children arrived in Moscow for Zelenov’s funeral, they found the locks had been changed in the home the family shared there.
It is also alleged that clothing, jewellery and other personal items had been removed from the home in Moscow, along with dozens of luxury motor vehicles, including Mercedes, Betleys and a Rolls Royce, which were worth “more than seven figures”.
While the full extent of Zelenov’s fortune remains a mystery, it is believed to include a string of bank accounts, properties, jewellery and cars and tens of millions of dollars in Russian and French properties.
Jason Giller, the founder of US law firm Jason B. Giller, P.A, who is representing Natalia Dvoryanynova, told news.com.au that since Zelenov’s death, “the various nominees and trustees that he relied upon to manage his affairs – both in Russia and across the globe – are now acting in their own interests”.
“More specifically, such actors are converting properties and assets that should rightfully pass to Dmitry’s heirs for their own use,” he said.
“We are confident that American courts will rectify the wrongs done by those who are undermining Dmitry’s plans to take care of his widow and two of his children – including Dmitry’s own parents, who are, of course, also the grandparents to the two children they now seek to disinherit.
“In lock-step with the United States’ current policy, we have full faith in the American judicial system to protect basic human rights, and more so, to protect the rights of American citizens.”
Giller added that while the story was “incredibly disheartening”, it was not unique to the Zelenov family, with examples abounding of “predatory behaviour employed often by many who survive these mysterious deaths of Russian oligarchs”.
A similar case involving Russian multi-millionaire Oleg Burlakova also played out following his death in 2021, with his widow alleging at the time that relatives had attempted to fraudulently claim many of his assets.
Giller explained that it was common practice for the “global elite” – including Russian oligarchs – to park significant swathes of their wealth in the US, often in the form of real estate, as it is often viewed as a “safe haven”.
The lawyer said given the “continued bizarre deaths plaguing wealthy Russian nationals”, the dispute over their assets around the world was likely to continue for some time.
“In searching for the most efficient and protective structures to protect their assets, many Eastern Europeans rely (arguably too heavily) upon oral trust agreements and nominees,” he said.
“In so doing, they often fail to take into account, or accurately protect against, inevitable greed that may arise among those in their closest circles, as is also the case with two other families, those of Oleg Burlakova and Arkadi Badri Patarkatsishvili, who happen to be our clients’ neighbours on Fisher Island, Florida.
“While such self-dealing, infighting and outright conversion are far from novel, especially in the current political climate, luckily, our clients are American citizens who have the ability to seek recourse via the American judicial system.
“In fact, many of the bad actors against whom our clients, Natalia Dvoryanynova and Michael Zelenov, now seek relief have availed themselves of the luxuries of the American economy, health care system, education system, and the like.”
He added: “In turn, one of the messages we hope to send with our complaint is that those who participate in the global economy, including the United States and other stable jurisdictions, like France in this case, and who are tasked with fiduciary duties, cannot have their cake and eat it too.
“They cannot reap the benefits of such stable jurisdictions without being subjected to their legal systems, which we firmly believe continue to protect the interests of justice wherever possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zelenov is just one of at least 12 Russian tycoons – often vocal critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin – to die under suspicious circumstances in the year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine first began.
Other high-profile victims include sausage magnate Pavel Antov, Lukoil chairman Ravil Maganov and Admiralty Shipyards director general Alexander Buzakov.
Many of these abrupt oligarch deaths include bizarre falls from windows, other accidents or sudden illnesses that appeared out of nowhere, sparking rampant speculation over who was really behind the fatalities.
Vietnam has ended the death penalty for eight crimes, including espionage and graft.