Energy Magnate
Found hanged in his garage
The circumstances of the Ukrainian-born oligarch's death are remarkably reminiscent of the tragedy that occurred almost 10 years ago in Ascot, Berkshire, when the news of the death of Russian billionaire, and Watford's close friend, Boris Berezovsky struck the world like a bolt from the blue.
According to Watford's neighbors, he told them during his lifetime that "Boris was killed by the secret services... they'll come for me eventually".
A year before Boris Berezovsky, another millionaire of Soviet origin passed away. Alexander Perepilichny, a 44-year-old native of the Ukrainian SSR, a financier was found dead after an evening jog in his mansion on the outskirts of Weybridge. This town is located in the county of Surrey, where Michael Watford himself owns property.
English Name: Mikhail Watford
Russian Name: Уотфорд Михаил
Birth Name: Mikhail Tolstosheya (Михаил Толстошея)
Date of Birth: 1955 (age: 66 years)
A native of Vologda, Mikhail Tolstosheya once lived in Kharkov. Then he moved to Moscow. He worked in the Union State Circus at the "Merry Arena of the Moscow Circus".
He was engaged in fraud. He contradicted the Criminal Code and was sentenced under Article 147 by the Kiev District Court of Moscow to 3 years of probation with a one-year suspended sentence.
He started his business in the post-Soviet space, becoming a shareholder of Neftekhimik Prykarpattya OJSC in 1999. This capital helped him become a real estate tycoon in the UK. Watford owned houses in Eaton Square in Belgravia, central London, an £18 million mansion in Virginia Water, Surrey, as well as several properties at Wentworth Manor.
Michael Watford has at least Russian, Greek, and UK passports. He had a bad reputation in Russian oil and other business circles abroad. According to some information, he had financial conflicts with Lukoil and the Swiss bank United European Bank.
