Yuri Milner, Silicon Valley’s wealthiest Russian, stated on Monday that he had renounced his Russian citizenship.
Milner finished the manner in August, in line with a publish on his mission company DST Global’s website, which addresses its “historical past in terms of Russia”—a subject that’s grow to be arguable following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a tweet, Milner stated that he and his family “left Russia for good” in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea. When Russia attacked Ukraine in advance this year, DST Global launched a assertion condemning “Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine, its sovereign neighbor,” and his basis spoke out in opposition to “unprovoked and brutal attacks in opposition to the civilian population.” Milner stated he stood in the back of the ones statements.
Milner turned into born in Moscow and turned into the maximum distinguished tech chief to are seeking for to distance his company from Russia as Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion drew condemnation and sanctions from Western governments. Milner’s ties to the u . s . a . sparked a few consternation in Silicon Valley, in which he’s an established fixture. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates Milner’s wealth at about $3.five billion. DST Global made profitable investments in tech giants consisting of Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc., and Twitter Inc.
DST Global drew scrutiny for taking Russian finances from a state-managed financial institution and different Russian backers in 2011. DST hasn’t taken any cash from Russia in view that that time, nor has it made any investments withinside the u . s . a ., Milner advised Bloomberg in March. In 2011, Vladimir Putin turned into now no longer the president and it seemed to be a sunnier time for US-Russia relations.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek in March, Milner stated, “I can’t alternate the reality I turned into born in Russia. I can’t alternate the reality we had a few Russian finances.”
Milner has a residence in Los Altos, California, which he bought in 2011 for $a hundred million. He holds an O-1 visa withinside the US, a kind famous with marketers and reserved for human beings of “superb ability.”