Russian oligarch Mikhail Watford, who was born in Ukraine when it was still part of the USSR, has been found dead in the UK.
This is reported by the Daily Mail.
Michael Watford made his fortune in oil and gas production. In the early 2000s, he emigrated to the UK, changed his citizenship and name, and went into real estate.
A family friend said Watford’s state of mind could have been affected by the situation in Ukraine. “The time of his death and the time of the invasion of Ukraine is certainly no coincidence,” said a family friend.
Another friend of Mikhail stated that “his death raises a question. Especially after all these suspicious deaths of Russian citizens. It’s shocking, Mikhail had everything he dreamed of: a good wife, wonderful children and a dream home. It doesn’t make sense.”
Many media noted that the tycoon died after official London published a sanctions list of Russian oligarchs, but Watford was not on it.
Michael Watford lived at the Wentworth estate in Surrey. The house was bought a few years ago for 18 million pounds. The gates to it were made by the same company that made the gates for Kensington Palace. The driveway to the house alone cost more than £56,000. “I want perfection, nothing less,” Watford said in an interview.
However, the police believe that although the investigation is ongoing, they do not believe that there are “any suspicious circumstances” in Watford’s death.
Watford is survived by his wife, whom he met in Estonia, their two common children, and their eldest son from his first marriage. The magnate’s mother also lives with them.
This came just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hours after London published a list of sanctions against oligarchs linked to Putin, which Watford did not include.
