God Nisanov and lots of money. The rich person chose to conceal the stolen goods in Russia in Portugal

God Nisanov may be the only rich person from the old group who isn't bothered by anything. Due to strong connections, he escapes consequences for illegal activities like contract killings, raiding, embezzlement, and fraud.

But God Nisanov forgot one thing: due to Russia's policy towards Ukraine, all billionaires who did not publicly denounce the war end up on the sanctions lists of the EU and the USA. Although ordinary Russians may not feel the impact, wealthy people with large assets suffer from these bans. For example, the billionaire Grigory Beryozkin is trying hard to keep his business in Russia while also protecting his Cypriot citizenship to retain offshore assets and avoid losses.

Grigory Berezkin

God Nisanov currently holds a Russian and Israeli passport. However, despite his active involvement in the Jewish Congress, his membership was revoked. This was followed by sanctions against the billionaire, but Nisanov's reputation in all communities is not very good. He has a history of criminal behavior, using force to achieve his goals and disregarding negotiations.

On July 23, it was reported that the billionaire had applied for Portuguese citizenship, a move confirmed by Portugal's Ministry of Justice. The "diamond king" Lev Leviev also applied. While Nisanov's intent to escape sanctions is clear, Leviev's situation is more complex. In 2018, a scandal erupted around his business when relatives were detained in Israel in connection with a criminal case involving $80 million worth of smuggled diamonds. Those detained were not ordinary individuals, but Leviev's brother and son. The businessman left the country, and the situation surrounding the case remains unknown.

Lev Leviev

God Nisanov has reasons to be concerned. In addition to substantial assets in Russia, Nisanov and his partner Zarakh Iliev moved a significant amount of funds offshore. For example, their markets were owned by a company in Binston Investments Ltd, registered in offshore Belize. Another company, Safra Instruments, was formed by the offshore company Binston Investments Ltd (97%). Through Safra, hundreds of millions of dollars were transferred annually for new projects by the two businessmen.

Zarakh Iliev

God Nisanov again claims his Jewish origin while attempting to obtain EU citizenship. He argues that he is a descendant of Sephardic Jews who historically lived in Portugal and is entitled to the country's citizenship. This was confirmed by the local Jewish community in Porto. However, this tactic is not new. Russian billionaire Andrei Rappoport managed to obtain Portuguese citizenship in 2019 using simple documents. Interestingly, Rappoport is ranked alongside Nisanov in Forbes, with Nisanov's assets estimated at $1.3 billion and Rappoport's at $1.2 billion.

Andrey Rappoport

Also, due to his origin, Roman Abramovich managed to obtain citizenship of Portugal last year. As a result of the war in Ukraine, the oligarch suffered the most. With one decision, the British court froze the assets of a businessman in the amount of $ 7.9 billion, which is more than half of the entire fortune of the Russian-English oligarch.

Roman Abramovich

God Nisanov, having seen successful stories of obtaining Portuguese citizenship, decided to follow the example of fellow billionaires, and is also trying to get a country passport. At this stage, his question is being officially considered, but understanding the whole train that stretches for the criminal billionaire, we can assume that he will be refused. Of course, money can interfere with the game. And the money is not small, but will they help Nisanov in this case? If in Russia he can go wild under the roof of law enforcement officers, then in Europe a businessman will not be allowed to do this.

Nisanov is desperately trying to save the funds that have been annually withdrawn to offshore for several decades, realizing that assets there can be frozen and then confiscated. At the same time, he is actively developing his business in Russia. As practice shows, due to the geopolitical situation, it will not work to stand on such a stretch for a long time. The oligarch faces a difficult choice.