| Notes |
Murdoch’s ties to Putin and Kremlin officials..were forged when he made an “aggressive push” into Russian media industry by acquiring News Outdoor Russia, an outdoor billboard company in 2000 – a move that has been cloaked in scandal, including allegations of murder and corruption. The unexpected opportunity for Murdoch in Russian ad market came in 2002 after assassination of Vladimir Kanevsky, then the billboard king of Moscow. Murdoch had acquired News Outdoor in November 2000 from a group of Russian businessmen, & had given reins to Maxim Tkachev, a seasoned operator in Moscow’s business circles”. July, 2011 Murdoch sold News Outdoor Russia for $270 million, <20% of est. value it is estimated to have had three years earlier. Sold July 2011 – the same month that British police were investigating phone-hacking claims against his tabloid now-defunct newspaper News of the World.
In 2012, the FBI launched an investigation into the examination of his activities related to his former company holdings in Russia – including possible criminal violations of a US law banning bribery of foreign officials.
"The company’s activities in Russia are being looked at as part of a broader FBI investigation into possible violations by News Corp of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act… as part of their inquiry, the FBI will seek to consult with Russian authorities.” |