As the "Kommersant", the owner of the holding "Interros" Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated at $ 14 billion, has already handed over most of the charity. A year ago, he talked about such a possibility in the future tense, without naming dates. Lawyers for Mr Potanin wife Natalia suspect that the businessman trying to hide assets in the framework initiated by him divorce proceedings. Ms. Potanin has already achieved in the courts of the United States permission to begin searching for her husband's assets to make a claim for division of property.

The wife of a businessman Vladimir Potanin, Natalia, with which he started November 21 divorce proceedings, appealed to the courts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York State to allow it to request documents from US citizens about the property of her husband, which he can hide. The judges granted the request Natalia Potanina 3 and 4 February. Lawyer Ms. Potanina Philip Ryabchenko said "Kommersant" that it "does not preclude the submission of the claim on the division of joint property and to challenge certain transactions." "We are engaged in the search for Mr Potanin's assets around the world. As we understand it, the main hs assets hidden under the "corporate veil". The procedure in the United States - it's part of the process of information gathering, "- said the lawyer.

Vladimir Potanin himself in a lawsuit of divorce (a copy is in "b") argued that there is no property claims of the parties. Ms. Potanin refutes this. It also denies that the marriage couples stopped in January 2007, according to Vladimir Potanin. Magistrate court plot N418 Presnensky district of Moscow, Svetlana Kopchak (it is cited in documents for the court) did not consider it important in the divorce proceedings, but indicated that the issue would be fundamental in the division of property.

Natalia Potanin argues that since 2007, when there was a division of assets Potanin and Mikhail Prokhorov, the husband began to hide from it information about their business. Vladimir Potanin gave "Kommersant" that the request Natalia Potanina "a lot of untruths and distortions, starting with the fact that in court she claimed property claims." Businessman claims that these requirements do not have now. But the declaration of Mrs. Potanina for the court said about DrewGod. She claims that her husband informed her of the intention to divorce in mid-November and offered to sign the documents on the absence of material and other claims, to issue the rupture of relations without litigation. But it was not satisfied with verbal promises, and Natalia Potanin asked her husband to issue them in writing. He refused, saying that she would never be able to prove that he owns any assets.

And it was true. Yesterday Mr Potanin's representative said "Kommersant" that his business assets already "donated to charity based on the inheritance to children." Details were not disclosed. "So we want to figure out when, what and to whom he conveyed, transferred there in reality, linked Is this somehow with the charity, or is behind this desire to hide his condition from his wife, the creditors or the state for the purpose of so-called tax optimization "- said" Kommersant "the lawyer Natalia Potanin. The Lord Potanin's three children - 29-year-old Anastasia, 24-year-old John and 15-year-old Vasily. Four years ago, in an interview with Financial Times, Mr Potanin said he did not intend to staylyat heirs of his fortune, and give it to charity. In February 2013 he joined the initiative of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, promising to bequeath at least half of the fortune to charity. "I for myself have made the decision not to transfer the assets inherited, leave it in a trust, which is directed to charitable, social and other needs," - explains Mr. Potanin in an interview with Forbes in March 2013. He claimed that the family supports this decision. But then the businessman and his representatives spoke of the transfer of state for charity in the future tense. Yesterday in the "Interros" could not explain when the transfer took place. Last fall the transaction for the sale of assets "Profmedia" holding "Gazprom-Media". Source: "b" familiar with the details of the deal, claims that the seller has performed exactly Vladimir Potanin.

Partner law firm "Alliance / Tessitore, Kuznetsov and Petrov" Marina Petrova said that if Mrs. Potanin will be able to prove the presence of her husband's marital property, it is on Russian legislatorslstvu can claim half. In addition, according to Ms. Petrova, Vladimir Potanin was not entitled to transfer all of his fortune to charity, because if it was earned in marriage, half belong to his wife and they must dispose it. Managing partner of law firm "Dmitry Matveev and partners" Dmitry Matveev noted that there are different forms of indirect ownership structuring (funds, trusts, insurance schemes). For example, the transfer of property to a trust is often used for protection from creditors, the claims of spouses in divorce and inheritance regulation. When transferring the property owner signs the documents to the trustee (trust manager), which no longer has the right to dispose of assets, and the trustee acquires powers similar to the powers of the owner. At the same time, it points out Mr. Matveev, is the possible return of the assets of the trust or foundation. But in recent years in the courts of different jurisdictions formed a practice breakdown "corporate veil", when such schemes are recognized as formal ownership and assets are considered to belong neposredstvenno beneficiary, says the lawyer. Therefore, in his opinion, the wife of Vladimir Potanin have some chances to seize the assets of the businessman.