The Tverskoy Court of Moscow recognized 53-year-old billionaire Denis Sh tengelov and his father Nikolai, who own the food holding KDV Group ("Babkin's Seeds," Calve, "Kiriezhki," etc.), as extremists and ruled to transfer all their property to the state, Russian media report.
The property of Denis's civil partner Maria Karzhilova was also confiscated. Her lawyers argued that she should not be involved in the case, as she and Sh tengelov are not officially married; however, the prosecution insisted that the couple has "unregistered marital relations" and common children.
The lawsuit from the Prosecutor General's Office was filed back in August of this year. The investigation stated that Nikolai Sh tengelov supported the Ukrainian authorities, financed Kyiv, and even created his own formation that conducts activities "dangerous to the life and health of Russians, as well as to the safety of society and the state." Denis, according to Russian law enforcement, shared these views and also transferred money to "unfriendly countries."
The Sh tengelovs' defense called the accusations unfounded and noted that no documents confirming a connection to Ukrainian military structures were provided to the court. The lawyers requested additional examinations and a change of judge, but the motions were denied. Now the Sh tengelovs intend to appeal the decision.
Denis Sh tengelov is a co-owner of "Konditerus Kom," which includes the KDV Group holding and the "Yarche!" store chain. He also owns the "KDV" football club in Tomsk, and previously he was a co-owner of the infamous Kemerovo shopping mall "Zimnyaya Vishnya." The total revenue of the companies reaches 185 billion rubles (almost 2 billion euros), and Sh tengelov's net worth is estimated at 1.4 billion dollars by Forbes. After the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Sh tengelov, like his father, publicly condemned the actions of the Russian authorities. He currently lives in Dubai.
