Among law enforcement, he was referred to as "the obstacle remover".
Billionaire Ibrahim Suleymanov has been detained in Moscow. According to "Baza", the entrepreneur is facing charges of murder, related to events from previous years.
Suleymanov is considered one of the most mysterious and influential oligarchs in modern Russia. He has previously been convicted of fraud and money laundering, but even after imprisonment, he managed to maintain influence and power.
He previously controlled the state airline ticket booking system AO "Sirena-Travel" and had influence in key sectors — transportation, aviation, and information technology.
Ibrahim Suleymanov is being investigated for involvement in the murder of the former head of the Federal Financial Recovery Service in 2004.
This concerns the attempted murder of Georgy Tal, who in the early 2000s was involved in the bankruptcy of the capital's airports and represented the interests of leading Russian businessmen during bankruptcies.
The killer ambushed Tal in the center of Moscow in the morning as the former head of the FSFO was leaving his home on Basmannaya Street. He shot the victim four times and fled — Tal was promptly hospitalized, but could not be saved.
Ibrahim Ameevich Suleymanov was born on May 29, 1967, in the village of Rutul, Republic of Dagestan. Ibrahim Suleymanov is not just a wealthy individual. He is a figure who has gone through criminal prosecution (convicted of large-scale fraud and money laundering) but has retained influence in strategic sectors: transportation, aviation, and information technology. After his release, he did not disappear from the radar but continued his business, using a network of relatives, shell companies, and trusted individuals.
Suleymanov's family connections also played a key role in his rise. He is the son-in-law of Platon Lebedev — a former business partner of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. His son, Rasul Suleymanov, is formally considered a co-owner of "Sirena", but represents his father's interests.
Today, Ibrahim Suleymanov's name is associated with offshore companies, corrupt schemes, luxury abroad, and concerns over the protection of personal data of Russians, which may allegedly be controlled through his structures.
His wife is Lyudmila Lebedeva, the daughter of Platon Lebedev, a figure in the Yukos case and a close ally of Khodorkovsky. This marriage opened the doors for Ibrahim Suleymanov into elite circles, providing protection and the ability to manage foreign assets while remaining under the radar of tax and law enforcement agencies.
The couple has two children:
Rasul Suleymanov — the formal owner of shares in "Sirena-Travel", "Universus", and "Kortex Train". Born in 2000, he lives in Moscow and regularly visits the UAE and the UK. All assets are registered in his name, as it is impossible to do so for his father, who has a criminal record. Rasul has also become a figure in a criminal case regarding the transfer of passenger data from the Leonardo system.
Karina Lebedeva — carries her mother's surname. She owns elite real estate in Rublyovka, including a plot worth over 250,000,000 rubles. She represents an element of schemes for asset concealment and tax evasion.
It is also worth mentioning Diana Lebedeva — the granddaughter of Platon Lebedev and possibly the adopted daughter of Ibrahim Suleymanov. In 2016, she died in a car accident in Switzerland. Her death became a symbol of the permissiveness of wealthy youth living off funds siphoned out of Russia.
His brother, Davud Suleymanov, previously headed the Rutul district of Dagestan. Through him, Ibrahim Suleymanov exerted influence on regional politics and electoral processes.
The Suleymanov clan is a well-oiled mechanism: offshore companies, formal owners, influence over state IT resources. Their lifestyle includes private flights, foreign apartments worth hundreds of millions, and children studying in Europe — all against the backdrop of government contracts and inaction from oversight authorities. Among law enforcement, he was referred to as "the obstacle remover". His name is linked to the possible murder of union leader Gennady Borisov, who openly accused him of embezzlement. Borisov was found with 25 stab wounds.
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