Russian crypto billionaire Vyacheslav Taran’s mysterious chopper crash death
A Russian crypto billionaire has died in a helicopter crash. His death is the latest in a number of mysterious incidents this year.
Companies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Companies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A crypto billionaire has died in a helicopter crash near the French-Italian border, the latest in a series of mysterious Russian deaths.
Vyacheslav Taran, 53, founder of Forex Club and president of the Libertex Group, was the sole passenger of a helicopter that crashed in Villefranche-sur-Mer this weekend, the New York Post reports.
Want to stream your news? Flash lets you stream 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer available for a limited time only >
“It is with great sadness that Libertex Group confirms the death of its co-founder and Chairman of Board of Directors, Vyacheslav Taran, after a helicopter crash,” the firm, which bills itself as a leading foreign exchange and crypto trading platform, said in a statement.
Taran was travelling in an Airbus H130 Lucerne, Switzerland, to Monaco when it crashed, according to local reports.
Both Taran and the helicopter’s 35-year-old French pilot were killed, the France Bleu radio network reported.
His death was confirmed by the Russian Embassy in Paris, Monday.
The helicopter crash is still under investigation, and authorities have not indicated any possibility of foul play.
France Bleu reported that a second passenger had been scheduled to fly aboard the airbus to Monaco, but had cancelled last minute.
Taran’s death is the latest of several in the cryptocurrency world.
Tiantian Kullander, the co-founder of Hong Kong-based digital asset company Amber Group, died in his sleep on November 23. He was 30.
Cryptocurrency developer Nikolai Mushegian drowned to death in October at the age of 29.
Authorities have not raised suspicion of foul play in either case.
In his passing, Taran also joins a long line of Russian billionaires who have died under mysterious circumstances this year.
Taran’s company, Forex Club — a reference to the foreign exchange global market on which currencies are traded — was stripped of its license in Russia in 2018 for allegedly ripping off investors, according to a report by Life, a pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet.
The site claimed Taran “has many dissatisfied clients and enemies in Russia, who could well get him abroad.”
Taran is survived by his wife and three children.
Suspicious deaths of Russian oligarchs
A number of Russian oligarchs formerly close to Vladimir Putin have died in suspicious circumstances this year.
There are allegations the deaths may have been on the orders of Putin, as it’s claimed there were similarities in their deaths.
On November 23 cryptocurrency entrepreneur Tiantian Kullander, co-founder of Amber Group, died unexpectedly in his sleep from unknown causes.
Another victim was Ivan Pechorin - Putin’s point man for developing Russia’s vast Arctic resources.
He fell off the side of a boat in waters close to Russky Island in mysterious circumstances.
Earlier this year oil tycoon Ravil Maganov, 67, “fell from a window” at a Moscow hospital. His company Lukoil had criticised the war in Ukraine.
Novatek deputy chairman Sergey Protosenya, 55, was found dead in Spain – with his wife and daughter found dead in their beds with axe wounds.
Gazprom executive Alexander Tyulakov, 61, died in February this year and a note was found
Newspaper editor Vladimir Sungorkin, 68, suffered a stroke and suffocated while on his way to lunch and oil billionaire Alexander Subbotin, 52, died from a “drug-induced heart attack” during a shamanic ritual or from “toad poison” while seeking a cure for a hangover.
- with the New York Post
Originally published as Russian crypto billionaire Vyacheslav Taran’s mysterious chopper crash death
Major bank glitch leaves people in ‘poverty’
Australia’s biggest bank is urgently addressing a major issue that has left hundreds of customers panicking about their finances.
Mining giant cops huge $23.7bn disaster bill
Australia’s biggest mining company has agreed to a massive settlement with the Brazilian government over an environmental catastrophe.