From Davos to Sanctions: What Epstein Files Reveal About Russian Oligarchs

A newly published collection of documents released by the US Department of Justice sheds light on the breadth of interests pursued by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The materials indicate that Epstein received and studied curated selections of media coverage focused on Russia's largest businessmen, their participation in global economic forums, legal disputes, Western sanctions against Russia, and the activities of Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram and VKontakte.

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The documents form part of the so-called "Epstein files,” a massive archive that includes emails, witness testimony, address books, financial records, and internal correspondence. According to the released materials, references to Russian billionaires appear repeatedly, most often in the context of international forums, financial transactions, or political developments affecting Russia's economic elite.

Russia's Wealthiest Figures in Epstein's Materials

According to the Forbes ranking for 2025, the ten richest Russians are:

• Vagit Alekperov, co-owner of LUKOIL, with an estimated fortune of $28.7 billion;
• Aleksei Mordashov, main beneficiary of Severstal, $28.6 billion;
• Leonid Mikhelson, co-owner of NOVATEK, $28.4 billion;
• Vladimir Lisin, chairman of the board of NLMK, $26.5 billion;
• Vladimir Potanin, one of the main shareholders of Norilsk Nickel, $24.2 billion;
• Gennady Timchenko, co-owner of NOVATEK and Sibur, $23.2 billion;
• Andrey Melnichenko, former beneficiary of EuroChem and SUEK, $17.4 billion;
• Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, $17.1 billion;
• Alisher Usmanov, founder of USM Holding, $16.7 billion;
• Suleiman Kerimov and his family, $16.4 billion.

The majority of references to these figures in Epstein's files relate to their participation in major international events or to media coverage of their business activities.

Davos, St. Petersburg, and Media Monitoring

The documents include participant lists from the World Economic Forum in Davos held in January 2011 and January 2013, as well as from the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2015. These lists mention Alekperov, Mordashov, Mikhelson, Lisin, Timchenko, and Usmanov.

Epstein also received compilations of press articles referencing Russian businessmen. Among them were reports on the approval of Megafon's IPO on the London Stock Exchange, coverage of Belarus accusing Suleiman Kerimov of abuse of power during the Uralkali scandal, and reports on the subsequent sale of his stake in the company to Vladimir Kogan.

Epstein was also sent articles describing Pavel Durov's refusal to block opposition groups on VKontakte following Russia's parliamentary elections on December 4, 2011.

Sanctions, Crimea, and Western Legal Debates

The Epstein files also contain discussions of articles published by Bloomberg and the Financial Times concerning US sanctions imposed on Russia after Crimea joined the Russian Federation.

Lawrence Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and former chief economist of the World Bank, forwarded Epstein his correspondence with lawyer Neil Wolin, asking how one could reconcile the freezing of foreign assets by the United States.

Wolin replied that foreigners do not enjoy the same constitutional protections as US citizens and that Congress had granted the president legislative authority to block assets in the interests of national security.

He described sanctions against individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a standard method of political pressure on Russian authorities.

Contacts Involving Kerimov, Usmanov, and Lisin

On April 7, 2018, Epstein sent a message via iMessage to Steve Bannon, former adviser to US President Donald Trump, discussing legal claims against Suleiman Kerimov by French law enforcement. At the time, Kerimov was under house arrest in France due to tax-related allegations, which were later dropped.

Epstein also received messages from an individual named Olivier, believed from context to be Olivier Colom, a former diplomatic adviser to ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The correspondence discussed a planned meeting with Alisher Usmanov on May 23, 2014, which was later canceled.

In another exchange dated January 11, 2014, Colom described a dinner with Vladimir Lisin in a small Paris restaurant, calling him "a good guy” and noting his invitation to visit Moscow.

"He wants me to come to Moscow to talk. Do you know him?” Colom asked Epstein.

Epstein replied by asking whether any attractive French government-owned real estate was available for purchase anywhere in the world.

A representative of Vladimir Lisin later commented to RBC that Lisin had no interest in Nicolas Sarkozy or his advisers and that recalling every person who might have approached him during a meal in 2014 was impossible.

Abramovich, Zhukova, and Unfulfilled Meetings

The Epstein files contain dozens of references to businessman Roman Abramovich and his former wife Daria Zhukova. Emails suggest that Epstein sought to meet the couple after they viewed his property in 2016, reportedly considering its purchase for $250 million. According to the correspondence, Epstein ultimately declined to sell the property.

The Broader Context of the Epstein Files

In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution and was convicted of the rape of a minor. In 2019, he was arrested again on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy and later died in jail before trial.

The US Department of Justice continues to release the Epstein files, which include thousands of documents such as witness statements, email correspondence, police reports, financial records, and interrogation transcripts. The materials reveal Epstein's extensive network of contacts, spanning politicians, celebrities, and business figures across multiple countries.

On January 30, US authorities released an additional three million pages of documents, along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 photographs related to the case. Portions of the materials remain redacted, primarily to protect the identities of victims.