Londongrad: From Russia With Cash, , by Mark Hollingsworth and Stewart Lansley

[Jan Klimkowski]

The official MSM history of Boris Berezovsky:

Boris Berezovsky: timeline

Key events in the life of Russian billionaire and Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky, who has been found dead in his home

Cass Jones
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 23 March 2013 22.08 GMT


1989: Boris Berezovsky leaves his career as a mathematician following the collapse of the Soviet Union and establishes the Logovaz car dealership which allows him to sell off Russian made vehicles at profit. The company makes him a multimillionaire.

1995-1997: Berezovsky establishes himself as one Russia's leading oligarchs and acquires a stake in Russian television channel ORT Television, airline Aeroflot and the lucrative Sibneft oil company with Roman Abramovich. He is credited for securing president Boris Yeltsin's 1996 re-election by forging an alliance with several other prominent businessman to fund his campaign.

1999: The businessman reaches his height of power and political influence by being appointed the deputy secretary of Russia's security council and securing a place among the Yeltsin inner circle known as the "family". He backs Vladimir Putin to succeed Yeltsin as president and uses his TV company to conduct a smear campaign against his main rivals during the run up to the 2000 election.

2000: Berezovsky's relationship with the new president begins to disintegrate after Putin vows to crack down on oligarchs and limit their political power. The businessman leaves Russia for self-imposed exile in the UK where he launches a campaign to overthrow Putin.

2001: The Russian government demands Berezovsky's extradition on fraud and money laundering charges but Britain refuses. He is granted political asylum two years later.

2006: Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who worked for Berezovsky, is assassinated after being poisoned with Polonium-210 in a London hotel. Berezovsky accuses Putin of being behind the death.

2012: Berezovsky loses a $6.5 billion legal battle against Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich who he claimed blackmailed him into selling shares in Sibneft at a reduced price. The judge describes Berezovsky as an "inherently unreliable witness", who is "deliberately dishonest". His legal bill is estimated at £100m.

January 2013: He is reported to be in financial difficulties during legal proceedings brought by his former partner Elena Gorbunova who won a freezing order on his assets amid claims he owes her money.

March 2013: Berezovsky is found dead at his home in Ascot, Berkshire, at the age of 67.