Billionaire Todd Bowley has secured the support of the US government and influential figures in the Persian Gulf with ties to the Trump family to participate in the auction for the international assets of the Russian oil giant "Lukoil".
This was reported by the "Financial Times" newspaper.
Bowley's consortium includes the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, brother of the UAE president.
Also included is the family of Qatari billionaire Al-Hayat, who has worked closely with the White House and members of the Trump family on real estate projects and energy.
Bowley's group has not yet finalized a deal with "Lukoil". People familiar with the matter said its proposal is at an advanced stage, but it is not clear how far the talks between the parties have progressed.
The assets in question include "Lukoil" refineries in Bulgaria and Romania, as well as a 45 percent stake in the "Zeeland" refinery in the Netherlands.
They include oil and gas fields from Central Asia to Mexico, thousands of gas stations and a large portfolio of refineries in Europe.
The sale of the assets represents a rare opportunity to acquire more than 3 billion barrels of proven and probable reserves, as well as some of the largest refineries in Bulgaria and Romania.
"Lukoil" offered to sell the assets after the US imposed sanctions on the company and its Kremlin-controlled rival Rosneft in October in an attempt to push Russia towards a peace deal with Ukraine.
"Lukoil" received and accepted a buyout offer from international commodities trader Gunvor, with key terms agreed between the parties.
However, the deal was not approved by the US Treasury Department.
At the end of January 2026, "Lukoil" entered into an agreement with the US investment company Carlyle for the sale of LUKOIL International GmbH. The agreement is awaiting approval from OFAC.