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September 20, 2009

Two Views Of Mikhail Prokhorov: One Zany and One Not

First, the zany:

Deadspin, Evil Russian Mastermind To Buy Nets In Crucial 'Phase 1' Of Operation

After a quick rundown of the Russian billionaire, this item lists what could happen if he acquires the Nets.

But buying the Nets is only 'phase 1' in Prokhorov's plot to conquer the world through NBA dominance. Here is what the rest of his scheme might look like:

  • Overcharge for domestic beer; use profits to contaminate American water supply with deadly Omega virus.

  • Build giant army of Andrei Kirilenko superclones who can shoot both threes and meddling British agents with perfect accuracy. If Kirilenko's not available, Arvidas Sabonas will do (he's Russian, right)?

  • Destroy Palace of Auburn Hills with doomsday device, the eponymous Moonraker.

  • Create "Russian Dictator Night" promotion, where first 500 Russian dictators get to have picture taken with Nets' gaurd Keyon Dooling.

  • Frame Pat Riley in humiliating sex scandal, then kill Michael Beasley with boobytrapped cypher machine.

  • Swing trade to solidify low-post defense.

  • Entice Pau Gasol to commit suicide; inherit his Spanish castle to use as HQ, and trillion dollar fortune to finance Soviet terrorist plots.

Now here's the not-so-zany:

Daily News, Reported Nets backer and Russian millionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov has suspect background
By Julian Garcia

The Russian billionaire who is on the verge of funding the Nets' long-awaited move to Brooklyn is a hard-partying bachelor who was arrested in 2007 on suspicion he was involved in an upscale prostitution ring.

Mikhail Prokhorov, recently named the 40th wealthiest man in the world by Forbes, has an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion. And while Forbes estimates that the 43-year-old tycoon lost approximately 51% of his fortune in the last year, Prokhorov is still reportedly close to issuing a $700 million bond through his investment firm, Onexim, that would help Nets owner Bruce Ratner build the long-delayed Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn.

Prokhorov, who reportedly could also take over a majority stake in the team if a deal is reached, was arrested in January 2007 while on vacation at a French ski resort when police cracked down on a suspected prostitution ring. According to numerous reports at the time, Prokhorov told investigators that he flew beautiful women in from Russia because he enjoyed their company.

However, investigators suspected that Prokhorov had supplied the women as prostitutes to his wealthy friends and kept the billionaire in custody for several days before releasing him and dropping the charges. Prokhorov later told the French press that "my winter vacation in France was spoiled by local police, who arrested me and my friends without giving any reasonable explanations." A Ratner spokesperson refused to comment on Prokhorov's controversial past.

Posted by steve at September 20, 2009 10:11 AM