Igor Sechin's reputation suffered because of the yacht - court decision. "Novaya Gazeta" learned about Sechin's connection with one of the most luxurious yachts in the world

In 2013, one of the leading yacht manufacturers in the Netherlands, Oceanco, launched an ultra-modern “king yacht” 85.6 meters long, designated Y708.

The company of Italian Alberto Pinto worked on its luxurious interior; Russian designer Igor Lobanov was responsible for its appearance. The Y708 has every imaginable comfort feature and can accommodate up to 14 passengers in seven luxury cabins, one VIP cabin and three double cabins.

Inside the yacht there is a gym, a spa area and an elevator. At the stern there is a swimming pool, which, if necessary, can be transformed into a helipad. On the upper deck, passengers can relax in the jacuzzi and immediately lie down on soft white sofas. After Y708 was transferred to a new owner, whose name is hidden under a veil of secrecy, the name of the yacht changed to St. Princess Olga (“Holy Princess Olga”).

Sechina's husband, Igor, is one of the highest paid heads of state-owned enterprises in Russia. Last year the BBC reported that Rosneft's board of directors had approved his annual salary, which could be as high as $11.8 million, including bonuses. Sechin does not report his income; the size of his monetary assets is unknown.

It is impossible to determine for certain whether Sechin would have had enough income to purchase and maintain the elite St. Princess Olga, but if you go only from the BBC information, it’s unlikely.

Theoretically, the option of regularly renting a yacht is not excluded, but this is also not cheap - a vessel of such a level as St. Princess Olga, can be rented per week for no less than one million dollars.

In an official letter to Novaya Gazeta, a Rosneft representative stated that the company “...does not consider it possible to answer questions regarding the personal life and property of employees.”

Here I would like to note that OCCRP and Novaya Gazeta took information from publicly accessible social media accounts. These user profiles were deleted after journalists raised questions about their content.

The Rosneft representative also expressed the opinion that Novaya Gazeta is participating in a slanderous campaign launched against the oil giant, but did not specify which one was launched by whom and for what purpose.

The company regarded the publication of the publication as a kind of “order” based on unverified data.

The state-owned oil company responded to the newspaper’s attempts to clarify a number of details for the article in a unique way: the publication “The Secret of “Princess Olga” is allegedly based on illegally collected and unverified data. Nevertheless, the article was published and caused a wide response. Igor Sechin’s company saw in Novaya’s material an element of an information attack that jeopardizes the management of Rosneft. According to the conclusions of journalists, one of the most luxurious yachts in the world, with elevators and swimming pools for SPA, the cost of which, according to some sources, is 100 million dollars, may well belong to the head of the corporation, Sechin.

At the same time, the new wife of the head of an oil giant uses an elegant designer vessel for fashionable travel. This conclusion was made by Novaya's investigative department by comparing geotags and captions of photographs from the Instagram of Sechin's life partner, which had remained open for the time being, with the data from the tracker of the yacht itself. By the way, she is called “Holy Princess Olga”, which is also the name of the blonde captured in the photographs, presumably Olga Sechina. Rosneft believes that this is not enough. Nevertheless, Novaya considers the investigation conducted by its journalists to be conclusive. The publication's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov told Echo about this.

An important nuance is that if we assume that the yacht is rented and compare its movements with the time spent on board by the beautiful guest or hostess, then in this case the cost even for Sechin, who is by no means poor, is very high - a million dollars a week. At the same time, according to BBC estimates, excluding bonuses, the head of Rosneft earns about 12 million a year. The money Sechin earned over four years at the helm of Rosneft might not have been enough to buy a yacht.

Igor Sechin actively entered the oil business after Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin. Before that he worked in the government. Previously, Rosneft denied the excess income of its leader and sued Forbes magazine, which wrote about 50 million payments to Sechin in 2012.

The investigation into the Princess Olga yacht is not ordered, says the author of the investigation, Roman Anin.

We can only speak approximately about Igor Sechin’s income, since it was the head of Rosneft who was one of those who opposed the mandatory declaration of income of heads of state-owned companies. Deputy Director of the Russian branch of Transparency International Andrey Zhvirblis reminds us of this.

Until today, the owner's name is St. Princess Olga was kept strictly secret. However, Novaya Gazeta discovered photographs from the yacht on social networks published by the wife of one of the most influential people in Russia - Igor Sechin. The details in these photos are very similar to those in St. Princess Olga. Moreover: the places in the photo coincide with the yacht’s route.

"Private party"

Olga Sechina works at the state-owned Gazprombank. Novaya Gazeta's source at the bank says that her annual salary could be approximately 35 million rubles. Judging by photographs on social networks, Sechina spends most of her time abroad. Her Instagram account contains many photographs from private jets, but even more from a yacht off the coast of the fashionable resorts of Sardinia and Corsica.

External similarities

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 5

Photo 6

Route intersections

Photo 8. Yacht in the port of Adriano

Photo 15

How much does it cost

Last year, the BBC agency, citing a decision of the Rosneft board of directors, reported that Igor Sechin’s salary with bonuses could be approximately $12 million per year. If these estimates are correct, then the head of Rosneft could hardly afford to buy such a yacht.

Theoretically, Igor Sechin could rent a yacht for his wife. But even with his officially high income, the rent of St. Princess Olga would have hit the family budget hard. Offers for weekly charter of yachts like St. Princess Olga, start at $1 million. And, judging by the photographs, Olga Sechina has spent quite a lot of time on the yacht over the past three years.

The press service of Rosneft did not answer Novaya Gazeta’s questions in substance. “The company does not consider it possible to answer questions regarding the personal life and property of employees beyond the requirements of the law, and cannot afford to create unacceptable precedents. However, your illegal collection and use of unverified and inaccurate information may result in legal liability. We regret that the content of your requests over the past month falls into the context of an obvious custom campaign launched against Rosneft and its leader,” the company said in a statement.

[ : Rosneft press secretary Mikhail Leontyev told RBC that the article in Novaya Gazeta provides a “comprehensive position” of the company. He did not elaborate on the details. - Insert K.ru]

One of the richest top managers in Russia, head of the state oil company Rosneft, Igor Sechin, has again become an eligible bachelor. The Telegram channel learned that the Sechin couple divorced in June of this year - information about the Sechins’ divorce is in the Moscow court database.

The magistrate of the Dorogomilovsky district divorced the spouses on June 14 and determined with whom their child, daughter Varvara, would remain. The judicial act itself, however, was not in the database - it was probably seized for reasons of confidentiality.

In 2014, Forbes already wrote that Igor Sechin married a second time “to a young employee of his apparatus,” however, the publication did not name the exact date of the wedding or the name of this employee. At the same time, in June 2016, Life published the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Guests at the Pavlovsk museum-reserve were received by the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin. In the video, it is noticeable that the top manager of the state-owned company is accompanied by a girl with blond hair. It was Olga Rozhkova.

In the summer of 2016, an article “The Secret of “Princess Olga” appeared in Novaya Gazeta. It was about one of the largest yachts in the world - St. Princess Olga (Holy Princess Olga). The publication stated that the yacht, the cost of which was estimated $100 million, allegedly belongs to Rozhkova. Journalists claimed that they have documents that Sechin remarried in 2011, when he was deputy prime minister. According to the publication, then Olga Rozhkova changed her last name to Sechin. At the time of their acquaintance, Olga was working in the apparatus of the Government of the Russian Federation. The 25-year age difference did not bother the girl, and soon they began an affair.

In October 2016, the head of Rosneft, through the court, forced Novaya Gazeta to refute information that he or his wife were associated with this yacht.

From unofficial sources it is known that Sechin and Olga have a common daughter, Varvara. The information portal "Investigation Management Center" reported that until recently she was registered with her mother in a 50-meter apartment on Kutuzovsky Prospekt.

The reasons for the couple's divorce still remain a mystery to the general public. In the social circle they say that the quiet family happiness of the Sechins was destroyed by Olga’s new hobby - 31-year-old racing driver from Italy Francesco Provenzano. They met in 2015. At least, that’s when their first photos together appear.

Francesco Provenzano began his racing career with karting performances, then moved to Italian “formulas”. He is three years older than Olga. Now he is 31, and in Italy he became known in the late 2000s thanks to his performances in the Renault World Series and the Italian Formula Renault. Frankie, however, did not shine with racing talents. His biggest achievement was third place in Formula Master Italy in 2007. He previously raced for ADM Motorsport and Trident Racing.

He lives in Italy, in the province of Reggio Emilia, and trains a youth racing team. Since at least 2015, he has been friends with the Russian Formula 1 pilot Daniil Kvyat. Fans of the Russian racer posted a photo with Francesco on Twitter.

It is possible that an Italian citizen may have real estate in the United States. According to Kansas state cadastral records, Provenzano's namesake has a home there.

It is not yet clear what income the lovers live on. However, after the divorce, Olga Sechina can receive good alimony from her ex-husband to support their daughter. According to the law, for one child until he or she comes of age, the second parent must pay up to a quarter of his monthly official income.

The income of one of the richest top managers of state-owned companies in Russia, who is considered to be Sechin, has been closed for a long time. Even the discussion of Sechin’s salary by Forbes magazine ended in court. In the 2013 Forbes ranking, the magazine named Sechin the most expensive manager, estimating his remuneration at $50 million.

Sechin sued Forbes, proving in the first instance that the amount indicated was unreliable and the publication damaged its business reputation. Due to the court decision, Forbes was forced to make adjustments to the annual publication of the ranking of the highest paid Russian top managers in 2014.

In the spring of 2015, the Board of Directors of Rosneft extended the powers of Igor Sechin for another five years. The company announced for the first time how much its president will earn. The salary for the president of Rosneft is set by the board of directors in the amount of 15–20 million rubles.

Based on these figures, Sechin’s annual salary could be up to 240 million rubles, excluding bonuses and additional payments. The amount of the president's annual bonus is set as a percentage of the annual monetary remuneration and reaches 150%. Thus, taking into account the bonus of 360 million rubles, Igor Sechin can receive up to 600 million rubles per year.

Based on these figures, it can be assumed that Olga Sechina can receive 150 million rubles a year in alimony, unless the former spouses agree on a different amount.

In addition, Olga Sechina may also receive the house they share with Igor in Barvikha, Moscow Region, on a plot of 3.2 hectares, built in 2016. Previously, the media reported that the market value of the house and land is at least 4 billion rubles.

This was already the second marriage for the head of Rosneft. Sechin's first wife is Marina Vladimirovna. After the divorce in 2011, she received ownership of the mansion of the former spouses in Serebryany Bor and other properties that were indicated in the declaration of the then Deputy Prime Minister.

From this marriage, the head of Rosneft has a daughter, Inga, born in 1982, who married former senior vice president of VTB Timerbulat Kerimov, as well as a son, Ivan, who first worked as an analyst at Gazprombank, and then, according to media reports, moved to to his father at Rosneft.

The Basmanny Court, following a claim by the head of Rosneft, ordered Novaya Gazeta to refute the information contained in the article about the yacht St. Princess Olga. The publication will appeal this decision, said the newspaper's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov.

President of Rosneft Igor Sechin (Photo: Bloomberg)

The Basmanny Court of Moscow on Monday fully satisfied the claim of the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin against Novaya Gazeta, recognizing the information in the article about the yacht St. as untrue. Princess Olga, which became the reason for the lawsuit, reports RIA Novosti. According to the court decision, the publication must publish a refutation in the printed version of the newspaper and on its website.

Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov told RBC that the publication will appeal the decision of the Basmanny Court. According to him, the decision was “unexpected” for the editors.

“This is a bold, comprehensive decision, but we will appeal it. I would never risk writing seditious lines in Novaya Gazeta that Igor Sechin is not an influential politician, which were cited as an argument for Rosneft. I would refrain and think hard and advise others,” Muratov said.

During the court hearing, representatives of Igor Sechin stated that the information published by Novaya Gazeta “does not represent any public significance,” and the reason for publication was “idle interest,” Interfax reports. Sechin’s lawyer Elena Zabralova also stated that the defendants “did not provide reliable evidence of the widespread information that Sechin is associated with one of the most luxurious yachts in the world, Princess Olga, registered in the Cayman Islands, that Igor Sechin is hiding information about his property, and his expenses exceed the official income and income of his family.”

In turn, the representative of the defendants stated that the information that became the basis for the lawsuit was presented in the article in the form of assumptions, questions and conclusions, and not statements. He also noted that Sechin is “an influential politician, a high-ranking official in the past, the head of the largest oil and gas company, a large stake in which belongs to the state.” “Such a person should be more tolerant of the press representatives’ interest in him,” noted a representative of Novaya Gazeta.

Igor Sechin and journalist Roman Anin in mid-August. The top manager’s complaints were caused by Anin’s article published in Novaya Gazeta under the title “The Secret of “Princess Olga.” How is the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin connected with one of the most luxurious yachts in the world? The material stated that the wife of the head of Rosneft, Olga Sechina, was vacationing on the yacht St. Princess Olga worth $100 million. The journalist referred to data from an Instagram account, which, according to him, belongs to Sechina.

The press service of Rosneft commissioned the article. In his lawsuit, Sechin demanded that the information in the article be recognized as untrue and discrediting his honor and dignity. Initially, the press secretary of the Basmanny Court of Moscow, Yuno Tsareva, said that Sechin also demanded that the newspaper's circulation be destroyed. Later, the deputy editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, Sergei Sokolov, said that there was no requirement to destroy the circulation in the lawsuit. “In the lawsuit, the applicant demands that the material be removed from the site and a refutation published,” Sokolov said.

Lawsuit against Novaya Gazeta and Sechin’s wife Olga. She demanded that this material be removed from the newspaper’s website and the entire circulation of the August 1 issue in which the article was published destroyed. However, the Basmanny Court of Moscow in early September accepted her claim for consideration.

In mid-September, the court, following a lawsuit by the head of Rosneft, ordered Vedomosti to destroy all available copies of the July 20 issue with the article “Sechin is building a nest in Barvikha” and remove the material from the site. The material alleged that the head of Rosneft bought a plot of land near the clinical sanatorium of the Presidential Administration of Barvikha and was building a house there. The company's press service also stated that, according to its assumption, the article was ordered, and Sechin was suing. The court's decision has not yet entered into force. The newspaper's editor-in-chief Tatyana Lysova said that the publication would appeal against it.

In turn, Rosneft filed a lawsuit against RBC over the article “Sechin asked the government to protect Rosneft from BP.” The material was published in April on the website and in the RBC newspaper, information from it was also announced on air on the RBC TV channel. The defendants in the oil company's lawsuit were the founder of the RBC newspaper - BusinessPress LLC, the authors of the article Maxim Tovkaylo, Timofey Dzyadko and Lyudmila Podobedova, the RBC TV channel and presenter Konstantin Bochkarev.

Initially, Rosneft only demanded a refutation of the information from the article. At the end of September, the company made a new claim in court, demanding to collect ​3.124 billion rubles from the defendants jointly and severally. “as compensation for reputational damage.”