A German billionaire is suspected of faking his own death while skiing in the Alps, after which he fled to the Russian capital Moscow to his lover, who is 20 years younger than him, NEXTA reported.
According to an investigation by the German TV station RTL, the billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub may still be alive, because a biometric analysis of footage captured by security cameras in Russia confirms up to 90% probability of his identity.
It all started in April 2018, when Haub, then 58 years old, disappeared in the Alps. The search for him continues for days, but there is no trace of the rich man, and the rescue operation is interrupted. Three years later, the court in Germany officially declared him dead, as no evidence to the contrary was found.
However, new evidence suggests that the former head of the Tengelmann Group is not dead, but living in Moscow. An Israeli-American company has analyzed up-to-date CCTV footage in Moscow that bears a striking resemblance to the appearance of the US-born German businessman. The public prosecutor's office in Cologne has started an investigation into the case.
Karl-Erivan Haub's brother – Christian, who succeeds his position in the company after his disappearance, is suspected of perjury. It is suspected that members of Haub's family knew of his intentions but lied to the investigating authorities.
And why did the billionaire flee to Russia? According to the media, there are two reasons. One is that it did business with Russia and the deals in question put the company at a disadvantage in the Western world. The other reason is love. Karl-Erivan Haub, whose fortune was estimated at $6.4 billion before his disappearance, had a lover in Moscow: Veronika Ermilova. In the days before his disappearance, the businessman had spoken to her 13 times. It is alleged that Ermilova was connected to the Russian services, and in particular to the FSB.
Karl-Erivan Haub left behind a wife, two children and a company with nearly 75,000 employees when he disappeared. His lover Ermilova is described as “an enigmatic beautiful lady with dark hair and a dazzling smile”. The two had been to Sochi, Baku and Moscow together in the years before the billionaire's disappearance. It is not clear what the connection of the Russian special services is to the case, if there is any at all.