"Explosive Documents Reveal Secret Financial Ties Between Russian Oligarch and Putin"

Secret corporate documents obtained by an international consortium of news organizations reveal that a Russian oligarch, Alexei Mordashov, secretly funded journalist Hubert Seipel's book about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The documents indicate that Mordashov's shell company promised to pay Seipel approximately $730,000 to support his work. This revelation sheds light on Russia's ongoing efforts to cultivate opinion-makers and shape narratives abroad. Seipel, who has been described as the only Western journalist with direct access to Putin, has defended his editorial independence and denied receiving money from third parties for his films or TV interviews. The leaked documents are part of an investigation into how the Russian elite hide their assets within the European Union.