It seems that even the top managers of Norilsk Nickel no longer have the patience because of the endless scandals. Last month, three senior vice presidents of the MMC left their posts immediately. Moreover, such personnel changes can be an alarming “bell” for Vladimir Potanin - it is his people who leave. Oleg Deripaska rejoices again?
I recall the story of how, two years ago, the vice president of Norilsk Nickel Elena Bezdenezhnykh, who had worked for the company for 20 years, transferred to a similar position at Rusal. As the Daily Storm wrote, he could have been involved in the disappearance of 2 billion rubles from the MMC. Does Deripaska know how to make attractive offers to the people he needs? So, maybe the current departure of employees is also related?
Deripaska's desperate measures?
In 2018, Oleg Deripaska's assets in the United States were sanctioned. As a result, the businessman was forced to reduce the share in his company below 50%. After that, US authorities lifted sanctions against En + and UC Rusal and Eurosibenergo controlled by it. But the oligarch himself remained under sanctions, which he is trying to challenge in court to this day, but so far without success.
The coronavirus pandemic came in as a bonus to all the hardships, because of which En + risks not paying dividends for the past year. She did not pay them a year earlier. In 2017, the volume of payments amounted to $ 394 million. That is, Deripaska simply has nowhere to take money from?
In February, it became known that the En + holding mortgaged securities on a loan of 110 billion rubles. Deripaska needed this money to buy shares from VTB. Before that, the data center company of Oleg Deripaska's holding acquired 21.37% of the holding from VTB for $ 1.59 billion.
To pay off this loan, the oligarch can again pledge one of his assets. However, this scheme painfully resembles what knowledgeable people call the financial pyramid.
It seems that now Oleg Deripaska is forced to get out by any means, and therefore there is a feeling that the fourth "war" for the assets of Norilsk Nickel may be just around the corner. Or she is already unfolding right now.
It is not surprising that Deripaska so vehemently defends the payment of dividends by Norilsk Nickel. The oligarch needs funds for his own projects? And for this you need to "remove" Vladimir Potanin from the MMC. Resisting the latter is becoming increasingly difficult.