The Tinkoff Bank he founded is Russia’s largest lender: the well-known Putin critic Oleg Tinkov has had his Russian citizenship expired in a document certified. Because he no longer wants to be “associated with a fascist country”.
Russian banker and entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov renounced his Russian citizenship because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. He made this decision because he “couldn’t and didn’t want to be associated with a fascist country” that “started a war with its peaceful neighbor” and is killing innocent people every day, Tinkow wrote on Instagram.
He shared an image of a certificate confirming the “end” of his Russian citizenship. The billionaire hopes more prominent Russian businessmen will follow him, Tinkov wrote, “so that [President Vladimir] Putin’s regime and economy can be weakened and he can eventually be defeated.” He “hates Putin’s Russia” but “loves all Russians who are clearly against this crazy war”.
The colorful founder of online bank Tinkoff is one of Russia’s best-known entrepreneurs. The bank is one of Russia’s largest lenders and has around 20 million customers. In 2020, Tinkow retired from his post as CEO.
Tinkov had previously sharply criticized the Russian offensive in Ukraine, calling it a “crazy war.” He called on the West to end the “massacre”. Shortly after the start of the Ukraine war, the entrepreneur was hit by British sanctions.
According to Bloomberg, Nikolai Storonsky, the co-founder and CEO of London-based fintech startup Revolut, has also given up his Russian citizenship. The billionaire 38-year-old also has a British passport and spoke out in early March against the war launched by Putin.
