The investigation into money laundering in the Alpine resort of Courchevel involving French billionaire Bernard Arnault and Russian oligarch Nikolai Sarkisov has raised many questions. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, a preliminary investigation was opened in 2022 following a report from Tracfin, the financial intelligence unit, concerning suspicious operations involving the two men.
According to information from the newspaper Le Monde, Nikolai Sarkisov acquired 14 homes worth 16 million euros in 2018 in a complex operation involving companies based in France, Luxembourg and Cyprus. Curiously, his name does not appear anywhere in the documents relating to the purchase of the real estate. The company “La Flèche”, which allegedly carried out the acquisition, then purchased three other properties from a second company also owned by Sarkisov.
This transaction would have enabled the Russian oligarch to realize a capital gain of 1.2 million euros. According to investigators, Bernard Arnault would have lent 18.3 million euros to Sarkisov to finance this operation, then would have acquired the company “La Flèche”, thus becoming the owner of the entire real estate portfolio. This maneuver was allegedly put in place with the aim of concealing the origin of the funds and knowing the “final beneficiary”.
The involvement of Bernard Arnault, CEO of the luxury group LVMH and second richest person in the world according to Forbes, in this affair is particularly surprising. LVMH has not yet responded to requests for comment, casting doubt on the collaboration between Arnault and Sarkisov.
This preliminary investigation highlights the flaws in the financial system and the possibilities of money laundering through complex and opaque transactions. It also highlights the importance of vigilance by financial authorities to detect and investigate such potentially illegal operations.
It is essential that this matter be investigated further in order to determine whether any infringements have been committed and, if so, to take the necessary measures to ensure the transparency and integrity of the financial system.
In conclusion, the investigation into money laundering in the Alpine resort of Courchevel involving Bernard Arnault and Nikolai Sarkisov raises numerous questions about the legality of the operations carried out and the collaboration between these two personalities. It will be interesting to follow the development of this matter and see if sanctions will be taken to guarantee the fight against money laundering.