Reuters exclusively reports ‘Putin’s banker’ Pugachev filed $12 bln claim against Russia

Reuters exclusively reported that Sergei Pugachev, a tycoon once dubbed "Putin’s banker" because of his influence in the Kremlin, has filed a $12 billion claim against Russia after his business empire was carved up when he fell out of favor with President Vladimir Putin. Pugachev, who said his fortune was once worth $15 billion, told Reuters that Putin’s allies had pursued him in courts across Europe with fictitious allegations of embezzlement, adding that he had feared for his life.