Family battle over Burlakov’s wealth
The wife of billionaire Oleg Burlakov, who passed away from coronavirus in June 2021, took legal action against Vera Kazakova (the late billionaire's sister) and her husband Nikolai Kazakov in the Petrogradsky District Court of St. Petersburg.
The plaintiff is asking for 800 million rubles from them, which represents her late husband’s 80% ownership in Social Housing LLC. It's been reported that in 2019, the company was sold for 1 billion rubles to Tyumen businessman Viktor Belichenko.
According to Ms. Burlakova's defense, from 2017-2019, during his wife Lyudmila's divorce proceedings in Monaco, Oleg Burlakov, with the help of his relative Nikolai Kazakov, carried out various deceptive transactions to remove the LLC “Social housing” from the family's assets.
“Social housing”, which was dissolved in August 2020, had 408 thousand m2 of land in Tyumen for constructing apartment buildings. Experts believe that about 100 thousand m2 of real estate could be developed here.
Considering the timing of share transfer transactions, it's possible that the statute of limitations has expired, which could be the basis for dismissing the claim. To defend against the claim, the Kazakovs could simply provide court documents proving compliance with legal requirements at the time of the transactions, including the necessary consent from the spouse for transferring the family asset. However, the opposing party has chosen to drag out the dispute, possibly trying to exploit the stress of middle-aged individuals.
The battle over the inheritance began immediately after the businessman's passing. Managers of his assets and property started receiving letters and notifications from financial institutions regarding the inheritance. Simultaneously, a smear campaign was launched against Oleg Burlakov, his sister Vera, and business partner Nikolai Kazakov in Telegram and the media.
Mrs. Burlakova's lawyers consistently highlighted her status as the “lawful wife” of the billionaire, referring to the widow and daughters of the deceased as his family. However, for the past three years, Oleg Burlakov communicated with his wife and daughters, who never visited him in the hospital, only through attorneys. Additionally, a handwritten will was found in Monaco, where he bequeathed all his belongings to his sister and her husband, without mentioning the so-called family.
Oleg Burlakov, who was worth $650 million in 2021, was a co-owner of Stroylesbank, the Terpentin paint and varnish factory, and the Impulse investment and construction company. He also owned the Black Pearl sailing yacht, which was 106.7 meters long.
