Khotyn Aleksei Yuryevich

Khotyn Aleksei Yuryevich

Biography

Alexey Yuryevich Khotin was born on May 21, 1974 in Minsk.

In 1991 he graduated from the Minsk Suvorov Military School. In 1997 - the Russian Academy of Economics (now the University) named after G.V. Plekhanov.

Khotin's father, Yuri, has been the owner of the Belarusian companies Astor, Alatard and Belkosmex, which produced cosmetics and household chemicals, since the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, he and his son moved to Moscow, where they rented the premises of the Mikoms meat processing plant (formerly named after Mikoyan) for the production of household chemicals. After that, they began to buy Moscow factories engaged in cosmetics and household chemicals, including the Moscow Soap Factory and Helios-M.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Khotins decided that it was more profitable to reconstruct industrial areas for offices and actively engaged in the development business, buying up the areas of former factories and research institutes.

In 2011, Khotins acquired Gorbushkin Dvor and Filion shopping complexes for $500 million, and in 2015 they became the owners of the Moscow Hotel (operating under the Four Seasons brand). The amount of the last transaction was estimated at $160-450 million. In 2017, they sold Gorbushkin Dvor for $500 million.

The Khotins did not have a single company to control their assets. According to the Russian version of Forbes magazine, they owned about 1.8 million square meters. m of retail and office space.

According to media reports, in the 2000s, Alexei Khotin was an adviser to the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Mironov. The former speaker himself stated that he was not familiar with Khotin.

In the early 2010s, Alexey Khotin began to diversify his business and began to invest in the oil industry. His father's name was already not mentioned in this business. In 2013, Alexey Khotin, together with businessman Alexander Klyachin, became the largest co-owner of Exillon Energy, a London-based company that owns oil assets in Russia.

Since 2014, Alexey Khotin has been named in the media as a co-owner of Ugra Bank. This credit institution, which in 2012 occupied 272nd place in terms of assets in Russia, in 2016 entered the top 30 in terms of assets. In the same year, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation forced the bank to disclose the beneficiary of the main company - the co-owner of the bank (52% of the shares) - the Swiss Radamant Financial AG. It turned out that Alexey Khotin owns it. Khotin owned another 0.5% of Ugra shares directly.

On July 10, 2017, the Bank of Russia (CBR) introduced a moratorium on satisfying the claims of Ugra Bank creditors for a period of three months. At the same time, the regulator entrusted the Deposit Insurance Agency with the functions of an interim administration for managing the bank for six months. A press release from the regulator noted that the Central Bank took such measures in connection with the unstable financial situation of Ugra. On July 27, Alexei Khotin said that he had sent the Central Bank of the Russian Federation a plan for the financial recovery of the bank, calculated until 2027, which provided for the repayment of debts to the DIA secured by a loan portfolio and the personal guarantee of a businessman. However, on July 28, 2017, the regulator revoked Ugra's license. According to the regulator, the owners of the bank "Ugra" at the expense of deposits of individuals credited their own companies. At the same time, the facts of the withdrawal of assets, dubious transit operations and the provision of inaccurate reporting data were revealed. Subsequently, it turned out that the "hole" in the bank's capital amounted to 160 billion rubles. In September 2018, the Moscow Arbitration Court declared Ugra bankrupt. The collapse of the bank became the largest in the history of the modern Russian banking system, depositors were paid a record insurance amount - more than 170 billion rubles.

After problems with the bank "Ugra" it was reported that Alexey Khotin left for Russia. Following this, he concentrated on the oil industry: in 2018-2019, his Exillon Energy acquired several large fields in Timan-Pechora and Western Siberia.

Since 2016, the Russian version of Forbes magazine has included Alexei Khotin among the richest businessmen in Russia. In the ranking for 2019, his fortune was estimated at $700 million.

2019: Detention and house arrest

On April 19, 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced the detention of Alexei Khotin. He is accused of embezzling 7.5 billion rubles. from the bank "Ugra."

In June 2019, it became known that Alfa-Bank sued $262 million from a dozen companies of the former owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin. Also in the proceedings of the court remain two claims totaling 23.3 billion rubles. Previously, the debt to Alpha was estimated at $700 million.

Khotin himself at that time is under house arrest in the case of embezzlement in a bank in Ugra.

In September 2019, investigators opened a new case against the former owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin, imputing him a total of 290 billion rubles. The DIA filed a civil lawsuit against the banker for this amount.

2020

Alfa-Bank entered into a second settlement agreement with Alexei Khotin on the settlement of debt for $590 million

In 2016, four businessman structures took $690 million from the bank. The bank issued loans under Khotin's personal guarantee. After the Central Bank revoked the license from Ugra in July 2017, Alfa-Bank went to court with a demand to pay off the debt ahead of schedule. Then the parties entered into an amicable agreement: Khotin's structures pledged to pay off the debt, and Alfa-Bank - to stop the courts. The terms of that agreement allowed Alfa-Bank to demand repayment of debts when initiating a criminal case in connection with the withdrawal of assets from Ugra or causing damage to the bank, its clients, creditors or the state. This happened in April 2019, Khotin was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement from Ugra more than 7 billion rubles. Alfa-Bank filed several claims against Khotin's companies in the arbitration court for 40 billion rubles.

In February 2020, it became known that Alfa-Bank entered into a second settlement agreement. New agreements were signed until March 2023, but by January 2020, Khotin's debt to Alfa Bank decreased to $590 million. As additional collateral, Alfa-Bank is pledged an office center in Moscow. One of Khotin's companies founded the Filion shopping center in Alfa Bank, others - the Agat business center on Bolshaya Semenovskaya, the Cheryomushki shopping center and Cherry Tower on Profsoyuznaya Street. Khotin was also credited to VTB, Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank, Trust.

DIA froze the assets of Alexei Khotin

In March 2020, the DIA filed lawsuits against Khotin, related companies - the former board of Ugra Dmitry Shilyaev, Complex Investments (Komin), Kayum Neft, Cyprus-based Senegal (through which Khotin owns a stake in Exillion Energy).

The Deposit Insurance Agency has achieved a freeze on the assets of Alexei Khotin. In April 2020, the arbitration imposed restrictions on the disposal of Khotin's money and other property within 5.5 billion rubles. Creditors' claims in the Ugra bankruptcy case amount to 193 billion rubles, the overwhelming majority of them are DIA claims.

Asset seizure

On April 30, 2020, the Moscow Arbitration Court, at the request of the state corporation Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA, bankruptcy trustee), arrested property, including cash, 14 former heads of Yugra Bank, including Alexei Khotin, as well as three companies within the amount of 5.6 billion rubles.

Seizure of property

In August 2020, the Moscow Arbitration Court arrested the property of the former leaders of Ugra Bank for 22.1 billion rubles. Such measures were introduced under the claims of the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA, bankruptcy trustee). Read more here.

Release from house arrest in the case of embezzlement of 7.5 billion rubles

On October 13, 2020, Alexei Khotin was released from house arrest. The ex-owner of the bank "Ugra" is accused of embezzlement of more than 7.5 billion rubles (part 4 of article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions for a period until January 15, 2021, the press service of the Moscow City Court reported (quoted by TASS).

Also, from under house arrest, the court released other defendants in the criminal case - the former president of Ugra Alexei Nefedov and the former chairman of the board Dmitry Shilyaev. None of them pleaded guilty, they refused to testify on the merits of the charges.

By October 14, 2020, the consideration of the criminal case against Khotin and its other participants was not over. According to Kommersant, his defendants get acquainted with the case of embezzlement of about 23.5 billion rubles. A total of 174.7 billion rubles were paid to depositors of Ugra Bank.

Former owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin was released from house arrest in the case of embezzlement of 7.5 billion rubles

The Moscow City Court banned businessmen from leaving their homes at night (from 22:00 to 06:00), attending mass events, communicating with other defendants in the case and using the Internet if we are not talking about emergency situations.

The Investigative Committee of Russia asked for a tougher measure of restraint. The department noted that top managers need to familiarize themselves with more than 160 volumes of the criminal case. In addition, according to investigators, they are accused of a serious crime and "have significant material capabilities" to hide from the investigation and trial.

Earlier, the Deposit Insurance Agency said that the largest and highest-quality asset withdrawal scheme was organized in Ugra. 98% of all loans (about 240 billion rubles) were directed to finance Alexei Khotin's business in the field of real estate and oil production. According to the DIA, Khotin received loans from various banks, and then repaid them at the expense of funds withdrawn from Ugra^[1]

Repeated house arrest in the case of embezzlement of 7.5 billion rubles

On November 17, 2020, Alexei Khotin was again sent under house arrest in the case of embezzlement of 7.5 billion rubles. The first court of appeal overturned the decision of the Moscow City Court and sent the former owner of Ugra Bank under house arrest.

The Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases canceled the decision of the court of first instance and granted the investigator's petition, electing Khotin house arrest until January 18 [2021 - approx. TAdviser], "the press service of the court said (quoted by TASS).

Ex-owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin sent under house arrest in the case of embezzlement of 7.5 billion rubles

According to a RBC source familiar with the investigation, under the terms of the new house arrest, Khotin is forbidden to communicate with ex-president of Ugra Alexei Nefedov, former chairman of the bank's board Dmitry Shilyaev, former director of the capital's branch of Ugra Nina Chernova, ex-CEO of the bank Yuri Gusev, their representatives and close relatives. In addition, a measure was excluded that allowed Khotin to leave the house in the daytime.

Nefedov and Shilyaev, who are involved in this case, have also been re-placed under house arrest. The defendants are charged under Part 4 of Art. 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Appropriation or embezzlement"), none of them pleaded guilty, they refused to testify on the merits of the charges.

The Investigative Committee also opened a case against Khotin on the fact of embezzlement of 283 billion rubles. A civil lawsuit for this amount was filed against him by the Deposit Insurance Agency, recognized as a victim in the Ugra case.

It is noted that the collapse of Ugra became the largest insurance event in the history of Russian banks - the amount of payments to depositors amounted to 174.7 billion rubles. The Central Bank came to the conclusion that 90% of Ugra's loan portfolio was in business related to owner projects.

According to the investigation, Khotin's involvement in the theft of funds from Ugra Bank in the amount of 7.5 billion rubles is confirmed by documents from the Bank of Russia, the Deposit Insurance Agency, as well as other evidence.^[2][3]

2021

The Prosecutor General's Office sent to the court a case of embezzlement of 23 billion rubles from Ugra Bank

In February 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office sent to the court a criminal case on embezzlement of more than 23 billion rubles from Ugra Bank. The indictment in the criminal case against the beneficial owner of Ugra Alexei Khotin, the board of directors of Dmitry Shilyaev and President Alexei Nefedov, as well as the director of the branch  in Moscow Nina Chernova was approved.

Seizure of property

On April 8, 2021, the Moscow Arbitration Court arrested the property of the former leaders of Ugra Bank and four companies for a total of 21.6 billion rubles.

According to Interfax, citing a court ruling, security measures were taken on three statements by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA, bankruptcy trustee) to recover 18.4 billion rubles in losses, 2.2 billion rubles in losses and 1 billion rubles in losses from ex-heads of the bank and companies.

Among the defendants in all statements are the former co-owner of the bank Alexei Khotin, ex-president Alexei Nefedov, ex-CEO Dmitry Shilyaev, as well as Complex Investments JSC, Irelyakhneft JSC, Millennial LLC, Irelyakhskoye LLC.

It follows from the court documents that the DIA applications in the framework of the bank's bankruptcy case went to court on February 20, 2021, and on March 24 to take measures. A preliminary meeting on these statements is scheduled for April 28.

The agency recalls that Alexei Khotin is charged with a particularly large embezzlement of Ugra funds (part 4 of article 160 of the Criminal Code). Initially, it was about 7.5 billion rubles, but then the amount increased to more than 20 billion rubles.

Earlier in April 2021, the Moscow Arbitration Court decided to fully satisfy the claims, within which Ugra Bank demanded more than 5.9 billion rubles from Progress Oil and Gas Company JSC and OrenSlyCompany LLC (USC). The defendants filed a counterclaim to invalidate several clauses of the loan agreement, according to which Ugra recovered the debt, but the judge completely refused this.

"Ugra" asked to recover from the defendants jointly 5.94 billion rubles. The third party in the case was the Khortitsa oil company, which by April 2021 is in bankruptcy proceedings.^[4]

2022

Rosselkhozbank intends to bankrupt the owner of Gorbushkin Dvor and Orlikov Plaza

In January 2022, it became known that Rosselkhozbank, which credited Alexei Khotin's oil and development companies for a billion dollars, intends to seek bankruptcy of the businessman's structures, on the balance sheet of which are the Gorbushkin Dvor shopping complex and the Orlikov Plaza business center.

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation demanded to recover 169 billion rubles from the owner of the bank "Ugra" Khotin and his oil company "Rus-Oil."

In November 2022, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation demanded to recover 169 billion rubles from the owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin and his oil company Rus-Oil.

The Prosecutor General's Office believes that the businessman's structures implemented illegal tax evasion schemes, and also transferred the proceeds from the sale of oil to controlled persons.

2023

Ugra Bank's lawsuit to recover unjust enrichment for 180 billion rubles

In April 2023, Ugra Bank filed a lawsuit against the owner Alexei Khotin to recover unjust enrichment for 180 billion rubles. Khotin was arrested in April 2019, he is under house arrest. In 2020, another embezzlement case was opened against him in the amount of about 283 billion rubles.

Recovery of 192.16 billion rubles by the court

The Zamoskvoretsky District Court Moscow recognized Alexei Khotin as the ultimate beneficiary of JSC "" and Rus Oil recovered about 192.16 billion from him rubles as compensation for non-payment of taxes. In addition, states 100% of the shares of the Rus-Oil oil holding, as well as the shares of the companies included in its structure, were converted into income. This was announced on May 10, 2023 by the press service of the capital's courts of general jurisdiction.

According to the investigation, the Rus-Oil group of companies was founded in 2013 by Khotin-controlled structures and conducts mining activities in the Volga Federal District, Western and Eastern Siberia. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation proved that the entrepreneur received illegal income expressed in evasion of mineral extraction tax in the form of hydrocarbons (MET) and value added tax (VAT) by taxpayers - business companies that are part of the Rus-Oil group of companies.

Alexey Khotin

In addition to Khotin, businessman and developer Alexander Klyachin was the defendant in the lawsuit, he specified TASS with reference to the press service of the court. Since December 2013, the businessman has been called a co-owner of the British oil production company Exillon Energy with assets Khanty-Mansiysk in the Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic. At the same time, 30% of Exillon Energy was bought by Khotin, its companies, for example, Kayum, Oil were on the list of assets that the Prosecutor General's Office demanded to recover in favor of the state.

Alexey Khotin himself by May 10, 2023 has been under house arrest since 2019 - he was charged under Part 4 of Art. 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (misappropriation or embezzlement on an especially large scale). The investigation believes that in 2014 the businessman held his people in senior positions in the bank "Ugra," and then in three years with their help stole the bank's funds in the amount of 23.6 billion rubles, issuing deliberately bad loans to controlled firms.^[5]

Preventive measure - SIZO

In mid-October 2023, the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow changed the measure of restraint for businessman and former owner of Ugra Bank Alexei Khotin from house arrest to detention.

The ex-banker is charged with Part 4 of Art. 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (appropriation or embezzlement by an organized group on an especially large scale). According to investigators, Khotin, out of selfish motives, in 2014 created an organized group, which attracted the heads of the bank - the former chairman of the bank's board Dmitry Shilyaev, the ex-president of Ugra Alexei Nefedov and the former director of the bank's Moscow branch Nina Chernova.

Alexey Khotin

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, in the period from 2014 to 2017. they stole 23.6 billion rubles by issuing deliberately bad loans to legal entities controlled by Khotin.

Another criminal case was also initiated on the fact of embezzlement in the amount of about 283 billion rubles, the total damage in the cases was estimated at about 290 billion rubles.

First, Alexei Khotin was sent under house arrest. The Basmanny Court forbade him to leave his home on Malaya Polyanka from 22:00 to 06:00 Moscow time, as well as communicate with other suspects, send and receive electronic, postal and telegraph messages, as well as use communications and the Internet, except to call ambulance and police.

Before his arrest, Khotin was one of the richest businessmen in Russia according to Forbes, his fortune at the beginning of 2019 was estimated at $700 million. In addition to Ugra Bank, Khotin owned assets in oil production and real estate.

Thus, his holding "Complex Investments" owns more than 1.2 million square meters. m of office and retail real estate, as well as the Four Seasons Hotel on Okhotny Ryad.^[6]

Transition of a part of assets of Rus Oil of Aleksei Hotin under control of Rosimushchestvo

In early January 2024, it became about the transfer of some assets of the Rus-Oil oil holding to state ownership. In particular, we are talking about Polar Lights Company LLC and Mayorskoye LLC, which are now under the control of the Federal Property Management Agency. Read more here.

2024

Verdict - 9 years in prison in the case of embezzlement of 23 billion rubles

On March 4, 2024, the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow sentenced Alexei Khotin to nine years in a general regime colony, finding him guilty under Part 4 of Art. 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (embezzlement on an especially large scale). The prosecution asked for the ex-owner of the bank "Ugra" for nine years and 10 months in prison.

The investigation found that Alexei Khotin in 2014-2017. together with accomplices stole 23.6 billion rubles from Ugra Bank, issuing deliberately bad loans to controlled firms.

source = Prosecutor General's Office

In the same case, ex-president of Ugra Alexei Nefedov received 8.5 years in prison, and former chairman of the bank's board Dmitry Shilyaev received eight years in prison. The ex-head of the Moscow branch of Ugra, Nina Chernova, was sentenced to six years of prohibition of certain actions.

According to the investigation, Nefedov was responsible for receiving applications for loans from three legal entities controlled by him, Shilyaev - for signing surety and pledge agreements by borrowers, and Chernova - for conducting dubious transactions at the level of the Moscow representative office of the bank.

The court recovered from Khotin and his accomplices over 17 billion 314 million rubles in favor of the state in the person of the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) to pay off the damage. None of the defendants in the case pleaded guilty.

As Kommersant writes in the issue of March 4, 2024, the defendants have been in jail and under house arrests since 2019, so they will be able to apply for parole in a few years.

Representatives of Ugra depositors (more than 22 thousand of them) reported that Alexei Khotin paid 12 billion rubles, and by the beginning of March 2024, the businessman "continues to pay off the debt." According to a number of former clients of Ugra, they went to almost all court hearings, carefully listening to the speeches of witnesses and experts, but "did not find any violations of the law in the actions of the defendants." ^[7]

Law enforcement officers are trying to turn the personal property of Alexei Khotin into state revenue

Alexei Khotin for April 2024 owns real estate with a total area of ​ ​ 1.5 million "squares," according to Vedomosti.

In total, 13 claims for movable and immovable property of the entrepreneur were filed with the Meshchansky District Court.

We are talking about office and retail premises, including:

• IQ Park Business Park (210,000 sq m),
• Aurora office centers (190,000 sq. M),
• "Red Bogatyr" (135,000 sq. M.),
• Cherry Tower (120,000 sq m),
• Filion shopping centers (122,000 sq. M.) and
• Gorbushkin Dvor (60,000 sq. M.).

The total cost of all objects is about 100-120 billion rubles.

From a legal point of view, there are no grounds for the seizure of these assets, since they are at the disposal of third parties.

But since the claims relate to a criminal case, and they want to turn the assets in favor of the state, the decision to withdraw is possible.

Family

Alexey Khotin is married. Wife - Alexandra. Son - Dmitry, daughter - Anna.

Notes