An exiled investment banker who became a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin after leaving Russia has been found dead in Washington DC.
Latvian-American Dan Rapoport, 52, killed himself in recent days, according to reports in Russian media.
News of his death was revealed in a post to Telegram by the former editor of Russian Tatler magazine.
Los Angeles-based Yuniya Pugacheva claimed that Mr Rapoport’s dog was found in park near his Washington DC home with a suicide note and money.
However his widow Alena Rapoport has reportedly denied the death was suicide.
She told Russian language news service RBC that an investigation was underway into his death, and there were “no notes, no suicide”.
“To our great regret, the husband and father of our daughter is no longer with us,” she was quoted as telling RBC.
Ms Rapoport, a Ukrainian virologist, also refuted other claims made by Ms Pugacheva that she had split from her husband and he had been in London “in the company of young girls”.
After leaving Russia in 2012 over his support for pro-democracy activist Alexei Navalny, Mr Rapoport purchased a property in the Kalorama district of Washington DC.
Putin critic Dan Rapoport has died in Washington DC
(Facebook)
Dan Rapoport and wife Alena, who has denied reports that he died by suicide
(Facebook)
He later sold the property to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump when they moved to the US capital to take up senior adviser positions in Donald Trump’s administration in January 2017.
Mr Rapoport moved to Kyiv, Ukraine after selling the property, where he met his wife Alena.
“Dan evacuated us from Kyiv and returned there himself to help my country,” Alena Rapoport reportedly told RBC. “Then we were supposed to meet in the USA.”
Bill Browder, a prominent Putin critic, wrote on Twitter that his death was “very upsetting news”.
“He was one of the first Moscow based financiers I knew who publicly supported Alexei Navalny. RIP Dan.”
Very upsetting news. Exiled Putin critic Dan Rapoport has died by suicide in Washington DC at 52. He was one of the first Moscow based financiers I knew who publicly supported Alexei Navalny. RIP Dan https://t.co/eIsaC8T6d4
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) August 16, 2022
Mr Rapoport was born in Latvia when it was still part of the Soviet Union and in 1980 his family were granted political asylum in the United States.
He studied at the University of Houston before moving to Russia in the 1990s to work in the finance and gas industries.
He co-owned a popular Moscow night club The Soho Rooms for a period.
Mr Rapoport left Russia in 2012 reportedly due to his support for Mr Navalny, who is serving a nine year prison term after returning to his home country in January 2021.
Source by www.independent.co.uk
