Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banker |
| Known for | Banking, investment activities, ownership in Spyker Cars, involvement with Bankas Snoras, Portsmouth F.C. |
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov (; born 1975) is a Russian national known for his conviction in fraud cases and his past role as a London-based entrepreneur involved in banking and investment activities. In 2007, his net worth was approximated at $300 million, placing him 182nd among wealthy Russians. In 2019, a Russian court sentenced him to serve time in a penal colony for fraud, and in 2021, he was further convicted of fraud-related offenses in Latvia.
Education
Antonov completed his studies at the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics in 1996.
Banking
From 2004 onward, Antonov held the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board at the International Financial Group Convers Group. Additionally, he chaired the Supervisory Board of JSC Finasta Holding, participated as a Supervisory Board member at JSC bank Finasta, was the principal shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lithuanian Bank Snoras, and served on the Supervisory Board of Latvijas Krājbanka.
Conversbank
Conversbank Financial Group functions as a European financial and banking institution offering services primarily to clients residing outside the Russian Federation. Established in 1989, its headquarters are located in Moscow, Russian Federation.
Bankas Snoras
Up until November 2011, Vladimir Antonov was both the largest shareholder and chairman of Bankas Snoras, a prominent Lithuanian banking institution. Originally founded in 1992 as Siauliai Regional Bank, it adopted the name AB Bankas Snoras in 1993 and is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In 2009, the bank applied for authorization from the British Financial Services Authority (FSA) to conduct operations within the UK. However, the FSA rejected this request due to responses that were deemed "misleading and incomplete," including omissions related to previous refusals to accept retail deposits in Russia and penalties imposed by Lithuanian regulatory bodies. The FSA also reproached Antonov for withholding pertinent information, highlighting a recurring pattern of regulatory non-compliance among entities under his control.
Investigations by Lithuanian officials revealed that Bankas Snoras had inaccurately represented its ownership of offshore assets. To avert insolvency and safeguard both shareholders and depositors, the Lithuanian government took full ownership by nationalizing all shares of Snoras on 16 November 2011. The bank’s activities are currently under criminal investigation.
Investbank
Vladimir Antonov served as First Deputy Chairman of Investbank until March 2011. After a merger in 2008 involving Grankombank, Voronezhprombank, and Conversbank, Antonov gained control over Investbank. This bank maintains close cooperation with related financial organizations both within Russia and internationally, operating across several regions including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Sverdlovsk, Voronezh, and Rostov.
Banco Transatlantico
Antonov maintained a majority ownership in Banco Transatlantico (previously known as Griffon Bank), which was based in Dominica and operated a branch in Panama. In December 2011, he divested his 85.15% shareholding to minority investors. Shortly following Antonov's arrest, the bank experienced collapse.
Spyker Cars
The Swedish National Debt Office (NDO) authorized Vladimir Antonov’s role as a shareholder in the Dutch car manufacturer Spyker, permitting his investment of up to €30 million in Saab, a Spyker subsidiary, for a stake not exceeding 29.9%. Despite rumors prompting thorough background investigations, the NDO found no grounds to reject Antonov’s ownership.
Bo Lundgren, NDO’s director, remarked that the inquiry was extensive due to circulating speculations but ultimately affirmed Antonov’s suitability as an owner. In February 2011, Antonov revealed plans for Spyker to produce the new C8 sports car and to develop a sports-utility vehicle at a Coventry facility, indicating a strategic move beyond their traditional supercar market.
History
In 2007, Bankas Snoras acquired a 29.9% share in the Dutch luxury carmaker Spyker Cars, establishing Vladimir Antonov as its principal shareholder.
By January 2010, reports emerged that General Motors was preparing to transfer Saab ownership to Spyker for a nominal price, with the Swedish government agreeing to back loans from the European Investment Bank. The Saab brand and its operations were expected to remain largely unchanged if the acquisition proceeded.
In January 2014, allegations arose accusing Antonov and his Lithuanian associate Raimondas Baranauskas of misappropriating nearly €500 million in assets and funds from Snoras Bank.
Allegations
Antonov’s 29.9% holding in Spyker Cars reportedly caused delays in Saab’s acquisition during late 2009. Swedish authorities’ investigations suggested connections between the Antonov family and organized crime networks, including money laundering activities. These findings were communicated to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, prompting General Motors to suspend negotiations until Antonov divested his Spyker shares.
Exoneration
By January 2011, General Motors reconsidered its prohibition on Antonov's financial involvement with Spyker and Saab. Antonov denied any illicit affiliations and commissioned independent inquiries to vindicate himself.
In December 2010, two separate investigations—one commissioned by the Swedish government—found no evidence implicating Antonov in criminal conduct. Spyker CEO Victor Muller publicly endorsed Antonov’s innocence. Subsequently, reports indicated Antonov intended to acquire Spyker Cars’ sports-car division; however, this transaction never materialized.
Arrest
On 23 November 2011, European authorities issued an arrest warrant for Antonov as Lithuanian prosecutors sought to interrogate him regarding alleged asset stripping at Snoras Bank. He was apprehended in London on 24 November and denied all accusations. Following his detention, his assets were frozen. Antonov asserted on Facebook that he was politically targeted. His extradition process was postponed until January 2012.
Antonov’s full extradition hearing was initially planned for January 2013 but was deferred to July 2013. In September 2013, prosecutors accused him and Raimondas Baranauskas of submitting fraudulent documents to Lithuania’s central bank aimed at concealing transactions involving 33 transfers between 2008 and 2011. After extended legal proceedings, the court approved his extradition contingent upon receiving a fair trial in Lithuania.
In January 2014, Westminster Magistrates Court in London ruled in favor of extraditing Antonov. He appealed this decision with a hearing scheduled for December 2014 but lost the appeal in May 2015. Reports indicate he fled the UK by July of that year and subsequently took residence in Moscow.
In March 2019, the Vyborg court in Saint Petersburg sentenced Antonov to two and a half years in a penal colony for fraud related to an amount of 150 million roubles at Sovetsky Bank and imposed a fine. Later, in August 2021, as former co-owner of Latvijas Krajbanka, he was convicted by Vidzeme regional court of major embezzlement, receiving a six-year prison term, confiscation of property, and ordered repayment of €27 million to Latvia’s state treasury; this verdict remains under appeal.
Motorsport
In April 2010, the United Historic Rally Team representing Saab revealed that Vladimir Antonov would pilot their second car in the 2010 Midnight Sun Rally held in Sweden. Antonov, a dedicated Saab fan since purchasing his initial Saab 9000 in 1994, competed behind the wheel of a 1978 replica modeled after a specially crafted Saab 99.
Football
In March 2011, Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI), under the leadership of Antonov, acquired Executive Sport Ltd, the proprietor of the 'Leaders in Football' conference. By June 2011, CSI had completed the acquisition of Portsmouth F.C., a club competing in the Football League Championship, following prolonged negotiations. Antonov announced intentions to develop a new stadium, contingent upon progress within the football club. He stepped down from his chairman role on 29 November after CSI entered administration.
Subsequent to his resignation, Portsmouth entered administration triggered by a winding-up petition from HMRC concerning £1.6 million in outstanding tax liabilities, which resulted in an automatic deduction of 10 points. During this period, the Football League accused Antonov of providing misleading information to regulatory bodies; Antonov countered by blaming issues on actions taken by the Lithuanian government. By the conclusion of the season, Portsmouth was relegated to League One for the first time in three decades.
References
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Fugitive financiers
- Russian bankers
- Russian football chairmen and investors
- Place of birth missing (living people)
- Plekhanov Russian University of Economics alumni
- Russian businesspeople in the United Kingdom