Jalopnik: oleg deripaska

Russian "Undesirable" Oleg Deripaska Makes Play For Hummer

Andrew Stoy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, owner of Moscow-based Russian Machines, is in the hunt for the Hummer brand, according to Russian business magazine Vedomosti. Should Deripaska end up the high bidder, GM is going to have to take the paperwork to him: He's been barred by the US State Department from entering the country due to his alleged ties to organized crime and possible false statements made to the FBI, and he's been accused by business associates of extortion, kidnapping, and "unsavory business practices." We know: On the surface, Deripaska sounds like the perfect suitor for Hummer, but some statements made by one of his associates have us a little concerned.

Sergey Babichenko, a representative of Russian Machines' parent company, wrote to ABC News, explaining, "Mr. Deripaska is a respected member of society, a leading Russian businessman, a philanthropist and an outspoken champion on vital global issues of sustainable development and climate change." That last part's what has us worried: We fear that Deripaska may not be aware of the scope of the environmental backlash Hummer has faced in the States. Then again, if Rick Wagoner had just stuffed naysayers into the trunk of a limo and taken them for a "little ride," perhaps Hummer sales wouldn't be down by 60% this year. [ABC News]

Chrysler Group Sales Speculation: Russian Billionaire To Fund Magna Bid For Chrysler!

Ray Wert — Thu, 10 May 2007 10:15:00 EDT

OK, so we'll totally called this one. True, we called it humorously, but whatevs, we'll take our wins when and where we can. Under the terms of an agreement announced early Thursday companies owned by Oleg Deripaska, the Russian entrepreneur, will pay $1.54 billion to acquire 20 million Class A shares of Magna International. Magna CEO Frank "Stroke Me, Stroke Me" Stronach claims the transaction has nothing to do with the Chrysler bid — but it's hard not to think that the additional hot injection of cold Russian capital from Deripaska doesn't have something to do with it. So this means if the Magna deal goes through we'll have the same guy who owns GAZ also now owning part of the Chyrsler Group — so we guess GAZ will finally be able to steal those Jeep designs legally. Ah, the joys of Capitalism! [Hat tip to AllenParkPete!] – Ray Wert

Russian billionaire buying Magna stake [Report On Business]

Watch Out, GM! The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

Ray Wert — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:25:09 EDT

And we bet the General's general, Rick Wagoner, probably felt he was pretty much in the clear when it came to foreign raiders. Wagoner's just finished fending off the possibility of bedding GM in a threesome with Carlos Ghosn's Renault-Nissan alliance — so our bet's that he's been feeling all big n' bad in the exec tower at the RenCen as of late. Well, maybe those champagne corks were popped a bit too soon — because the caviar they brought to go with it may be providing a bit more indigestion than they'd originally thought. That's because there are conflicting reports coming out of the land formerly shrouded by an iron curtain that Russian multi-rubillionaire Oleg Deripaska, one of the architects of the Yukos "deal" a while back, may have made a decent-sized purchase of stock in the General. Germany's Manager Magazin reports, without citing a source, that Putin's pocket tycoon's...

...been given a new fish to fry:

"Now he has received a mandate from the Kremlin to develop the international competitiveness of the Russian automotive industry...Deripaska already has a majority of Russian vehicle builder Gas via his holding company Basis Element and appears to be aiming for cooperation with GM in order to gain access to the Asian market among other things."

The story went on to note the main Moscow man's even looking to purchase up to 10% of the automaker. Keep in mind all of this comes after the story we reported yesterday about Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service investigating the General for possible price-fixing — which is fairly similar to how the Yukos snatch-n-grab went down. But, as we said, it's a conflicting report right now — as a Reuters report this AM also says Deripaska hasn't purchased anything. Of course, our own folks on the ground have also spoken with this same source and asked him for a comment. His response of,

"Who the hell knows, everything is possible"

leaves pretty much anything open. For all we know Deripaska's looking to have the General build a space-based golden eye in the sky laser to hold cities hostage.

Obviously it goes without saying the source of the original report, and it would seem, the night watchman sourced by the second report, aren't what we would normally call "credible" — but fear not financial fans, we'll keep on top of Liza so she'll keep on top of this one like caviar and sour cream on a latke. Mmm...latkes. – Ray Wert

UPDATE 1-Russian oligarch buying GM stock - German magazine [Reuters]
Russian tycoon's firm denies report of GM investment [Reuters]