By John Helmer, Moscow Michael just isn’t cracked up to be George. The warrior qualities of Russia’s patron saint could come in handy in politics – aim, endurance, fearlessness – but Mikhail Prokhorov has managed in his three-month political career to demonstrate their opposites, and to prove – stunningly if you calculate his personal wealth […]

by John Helmer - Monday, September 19th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow Victor Rashnikov, owner of the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine (MMK), appears to have done it to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin one more time. The latest financial report, issued last week by the company, reveals a whopping 93% plunge in net income – second quarter compared to first quarter — despite a 9% […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, September 8th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow   “Conversations with senior representatives of ALCOA indicate that SUAL was not Deripaska’s first or only choice for this merger (which is one possible reason why it has taken more than five years for the two parties to come together). Deripaska approached ALCOA in the first half of this year, but […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow The US State Department has been torturing Russian oligarchs into making admissions by seating them in the special chair devised by the Spanish Inquisition in September 1970.

by John Helmer - Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
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Dmitry Rybolovlev’s interest in acquiring US assets is well-known in part because he paid the highest price in American history for a house. Take the tour. Compared to the asking price of $125 million and the transaction price of $95 million, Rybolovlev got a 24% discount. But the asset value of the house has done […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, September 1st, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow Oleg Deripaska has reached an agreement with President Alpha Conde to end the claims of the Guinean Government against United Company Rusal, Guinean sources report from Conakry. The terms of settlement remain secret; some of them are expected to be announced publicly soon.

by John Helmer - Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
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Soooo! much choice

by John Helmer - Friday, August 5th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow One thing isn’t clear about this story, and that’s whether the dog is old, and the trick is new, or vice versa. Another thing isn’t clear – and that’s whether there are any dogs at all in this story, from the point of view of a public prosecutor. The tale concerns […]

by John Helmer - Friday, August 5th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine (MMK), owned by Victor Rashnikov (left image), released its second-quarter operational report today, several days behind schedule. The report confirms the Russia-wide trend, already reported here, of cutbacks by the steelmaker for most types of its domestic production. The news may be awkward for Rashnikov, because a fortnight […]

by John Helmer - Friday, July 29th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow On February 1, 2010, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a report on operational results for the previous year, 2009, of the Mechel steel and mining group, Russia’s fifth-ranked steelmaker, which is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The group is owned by Igor Zyuzin (image, […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
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