Deprivation of the bank "Yugra" license forced its owner Alexei Khotin to seek additional funds for his projects. He wants to attract an investor from Saudi Arabia to the oil company Exillon, and, according to Kommersant's information, suggests that the Saudis think about investing in Russian Oil of their partner Sergei Podlisetskiy.

The owner of the bank Yugra, Alexei Khotin, discussed with Saturday's Saudi Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal the attraction of investments into Russian projects of a businessman, businessmen said yesterday. It was, in particular, about investments in the lost license bank Yugra, in the oil company Exillon Energy and the Four Seasons Moscow Hotel in Okhotny Ryad. Also yesterday, Exillon suddenly announced the holding of an EGM on August 30, which is likely to be the subject of an investor attraction.

Alexey Khotin along with partner Alexander Klyachin - the main owners of Exillon (29.9% through Seneal International and another 26.7% through Sinclare Holdings), another 13.82% of the oil company belongs to VTB, 5.9% - to the bank of the IFC. The company's assets are located in Timan-Pechora and Western Siberia, with production of about 700,000 tons of hydrocarbons. The company is traded on the Warsaw (in the beginning of August it is announced about delisting) and the London stock exchanges. The capitalization is £ 172 million (13.4 billion rubles).

The Exillon reports for 2016 indicate that in the second half of the year the company attracted consultants "in connection with the potential M & A transaction", spending $ 5.5 million for this purpose. According to a source from Kommersant close to Exillon shareholders, the prince was also offered Consider the assets of the oil company "Rus Oil" Sergei Podlysetsky (partner of Alexei Khotin) with the production of about 4 million tons of oil. Sources of Kommersant in the market believe that the real owner of the company is Mr. Khotin, his representatives deny this. The interlocutor of Kommersant asserts that negotiations with the Saudis are being conducted actively, the scheme of a possible deal will be ready for the shareholders' meeting. However, he assures, Mr. Khotin does not intend to go out entirely from Exillon's capital, but wants to raise funds for his projects after the license was withdrawn from Yugra Bank at the end of July. In addition, the emergence of an Saudi prince as an investor could protect a businessman from possible attacks by creditors.

Alexei Khotin continues his struggle for the preservation of Yugra Bank, despite the revocation of the license, and earlier proposed the additional capitalization of the bank with the participation of oil assets. The Central Bank rejected the plan as insolvent. In particular, one of the main arguments for revoking the license was the business model of the bank, which, in the opinion of the Central Bank, was based on the financing of business projects related to the beneficiaries of the credit organization at the expense of the individuals' funds raised by issuing loans to companies whose scale of activities did not match The volume of loans received. "If after the introduction of the interim administration it is still possible to talk about the restoration of the bank, its financial recovery, then after the revocation of the license, especially on the grounds that led the Central Bank, it lost its meaning," - explains the head of the group of bank ratings ACRA Kirill Lukashuk. "It's easier to create a new bank from scratch," he believes.

Kommersant's interlocutors suggest that the talks on attracting Saudi investments may be a move that should strengthen Mr. Khotin's arguments in the dispute with the Central Bank about the return of the license, despite very small chances. In addition, according to Kommersant, at least part of Aleksey Khotin's oil assets is pledged for loans issued by Yugra. Having put them on sale at a high price, Mr. Khotin can try to raise the price of the mortgage. However, to the possibility of a real investment of the Saudis in these assets, the interlocutors of Kommersant are skeptical.