Jump to content

Matthias Warnig

From Alfawiki
Matthias Warnig
Born (1955-07-26) July 26, 1955 (age 71)
Altdöbern, East Germany
Occupation(s)Businessman, former Stasi officer
Known forFormer officer of the East German Stasi; CEO of Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG; close association with Vladimir Putin

Matthias Warnig (born 26 July 1955) is a former officer of the East German Stasi and a businessman operating primarily in Russia, known for his close association with Vladimir Putin. He joined the Stasi in 1974 and was involved in intelligence activities targeting West German financial institutions throughout the Cold War. Following the reunification of Germany and the disbandment of the Stasi, Warnig moved to Russia, where he engaged in business collaborations with Putin, whom he had encountered during his time with the Stasi.

Warnig held the position of managing director (CEO) at Nord Stream AG, a company predominantly owned by the Russian government, responsible for the development and management of the Nord Stream gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany. Additionally, he served as head of Nord Stream 2 AG. Due to his close links with the Russian state and Putin, Warnig has been subjected to personal sanctions imposed by both the United States and United Kingdom, related to Russia's geopolitical maneuvers and actions threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Early life and education

Warnig was born in Altdöbern, East Germany, where he participated actively in the local chapter of the Free German Youth (FDJ) and became a member of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Opting out of traditional military service, he completed six months of training with the Stasi guard regiment, which is frequently associated with Stasi operatives from Brandenburg.

Career

Warnig commenced his career with the Stasi in 1974, joining its foreign intelligence branch (HVA) on April 1, 1975. In September 1977, he enrolled at the Berlin University of Economics to study economics, completing his degree in 1981. He is reported to have served as Deputy Chief of the Science and Technology Sector (SWT) under Horst Vogel within the HVA, overseeing Department 5 (Referat 5 / SWT), which specialized in industrial espionage aimed at acquiring Western technological knowledge in fields such as materials science, chemistry, electronics, physics, and nuclear energy.

During this time, Warnig is said to have worked alongside KGB officer Vladimir Putin, collaborating on recruiting West German nationals for KGB operations. Warnig contests this claim, stating that he did not meet Putin until 1991 when Putin was leading the Committee for External Relations at Saint Petersburg’s mayoral office. Both individuals operated out of KGB offices in Dresden during the 1980s.

In the late 1970s, Warnig underwent extensive training spanning five years to penetrate banking institutions in West Germany. His targets included companies like BASF, Rheinbraun, Data Becker, Thyssen, Krupp, and Deutsche Bank. He allegedly conducted surveillance on Dresdner Bank AG for two years before officially joining their ranks. Beginning in 1986, Warnig was based in Düsseldorf, acting as a trade representative for the GDR.

Investigations by Swiss authorities have revealed links between Warnig and Zug-based organizations connected to Gazprom’s activities as well as Stasi-related operations during the Cold War era. These connections underscore his pivotal role in linking Eastern intelligence frameworks with Western commercial enterprises.

Warnig’s proficiency in economic espionage combined with his extensive network within Russian and European energy sectors has played a crucial role in advancing his business endeavors, especially those involving management of energy infrastructure projects tied to Russia.

Post-German reunification

After the collapse of Communist rule, he stepped down from his position as a Stasi major in 1989.

Dresdner Bank pursued obtaining a banking license in Saint Petersburg, where Putin was responsible for managing foreign economic relations; Warnig was actively involved in these discussions. The branch commenced operations in 1991, with Warnig appointed as chairman of the Board of Directors for Dresdner Bank ZAO, the Russian subsidiary. From 1997 to 2003, he occupied several senior roles including deputy head of the Moscow branch, general director of the St. Petersburg office, and chief coordinator for Russian affairs. Following Dresdner Kleinwort Benson’s acquisition of Wasserstein Perella in 2001 and subsequent rebranding to Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Warnig took charge of its Russian division. In 2003, after a corporate merger, he assumed leadership over all group divisions.

Irina Vladimirovna Krivosheeva, holding a Ph.D. in Economics and having experience at Dresdner Bank and its investment arm, was CEO of Deutscher Investments Trust (DIT) from 2002 until 2005 during which Warnig served on its supervisory board. DIT was integrated into Allianz Global Investors in 2007. Krivosheeva later advanced to senior positions at Allianz ROSNO Asset Management and currently heads Alfa-Capital, affiliated with Alfa Group.

During 2004–05, Dresdner Bank played an advisory role in the contentious forced divestiture of Yukos assets.

In 2006, Warnig shifted to Nord Stream AG, the operator of the inaugural Baltic Sea gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany, where he was CEO until May 2016. He then served as CEO of Nord Stream 2 AG from 2015 until July 2023.

By 2014, Warnig held a board position at Bank Rossiya, often described as "Putin's Wallet."

Amid violent gang disputes within St. Petersburg's energy sector during the 1990s, Putin arranged for his daughters to relocate to Germany under Warnig's legal guardianship for their protection.

Between 2012 and 2018, Warnig chaired the supervisory board of Russian aluminum giant Rusal but stepped down following U.S. sanctions imposed during the Trump administration.

Sanctions

Warnig acted as managing director (CEO) of Nord Stream AG from 2006 through May 2016. This company, predominantly owned by the Russian government, manages the Nord Stream pipeline transporting gas from Russia to Germany. Due to its affiliations with the Russian state and geopolitical consequences surrounding the pipeline, both Warnig and Nord Stream AG faced U.S. sanctions. These restrictions were lifted by the Biden administration in May 2021 but reinstated on February 23, 2022, following the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis and 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Warnig continued as managing director of Nord Stream 2 AG until July 2023.

On February 24, 2023, Warnig was also sanctioned by the UK government in relation to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.

Personal life

According to his STASI personnel records, Warnig is proficient in French and Russian alongside his native German. He married on his twenty-fourth birthday and has two children named Stefan and Claudia. Currently, he is married to Elena Semjonova from Russia, whom he met in Saint Petersburg during the late 1990s; they have two sons together. The family resides in Staufen im Breisgau and owns condominiums in both Saint Petersburg and Moscow as of 2023.

His son Stefan was proprietor of "Café des Artistes" located in Berlin-Schöneberg, recognized as one of Putin’s preferred dining establishments in Germany.

Works cited

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Matthias_Warnig&oldid=64206"