Oleg Tinkov, the founder of a major Russian digital bank, renounced his Russian citizenship in protest of the war in Ukraine.
“I have made the decision to renounce Russian citizenship,” Tinkov announced in an Instagram post on Monday along with a photo of a certificate confirming his decision, dated October 26.
The post has since been removed, but photos of it circulated on social media and were reported by Russian state media.
“I cannot and will not be associated with a fascist country that started a war with its peaceful neighbor and is killing innocent people every day,” Tinkov wrote.
Tinkov, who founded Tinkoff Bank in 2006, earlier this year blasted Russia’s “crazy war” in Ukraine. He was one of 65 individuals and entities sanctioned by the UK on March 24 for “supporting Russia’s illegal invasion”.
Tinkov recently sold his 35% stake in Tinkoff Bank’s parent company TSC to a company controlled by Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin. Before the sale, Tinkov’s fortune was estimated at about $3.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Another billionaire financial services tycoon also cut ties with Russia because of the war.
Nikolai Storonsky, the co-founder and CEO of Revolut, renounced his Russian citizenship earlier this year, the British company said on Tuesday, confirming a report in The Telegraph.
“His position on the war is public: the war is completely abhorrent and he remains resolute in calling for an immediate end to the fighting,” Revolut said in a statement.
