SAD OLIGARCH

Cool Zone Media
SAD OLIGARCH

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WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSIA'S DEAD OLIGARCHS? Since January 2022, more than 12 of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs have been found dead. One was poisoned with frog venom. One was found hanged on a handrail with his wife and children killed with an axe. Several fell out of high windows. All of the deaths are suspicious. Russia says most of them were coincidental suicides--that the oligarchs were simply depressed. I don't think so. Sad Oligarch is a modern true crime style investigative podcast series that looks into each Russian oligarch death in 2022/2023, unravelling a dark tale of Kremlin corruption and Russian political influence across the world.

  1. EPISODE 1

    A Family Annihilation in Moscow

    On March 23rd 2022, affluent Russian businessman Vasily Melnikov was found dead alongside his family in their upscale Moscow apartment. They’d all been stabbed to death: Vasily, his wife, and their two sons aged 4 and 10 years old. The killings were brutal and tragic. In the crime scene photos one of the murder weapons can be seen. It's a Russian Special Forces combat knife...  In this episode we investigate the Melnikov family annihilation. Did Vasily kill his whole family as the Russian police claim, or is something else going on? You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    32 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    A Double Suicide at Gazprom's Nest

    One day after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian Gazprom executive hanged himself in the garage of his villa in the affluent village of Leninskoye. As police started to investigate the scene, security from Gazprom arrived and pushed them out. This was the second Gazprom executive suicide in as many months in the same village. Was work at Gazprom really that stressful, or did someone punish these wealthy higher-ups? You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    28 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    An Oil Baron’s Frog Venom Heart Attack

    In May 2022 a Russian billionaire engaged in a shamanic ritual in a bid to help cure his hangover and spiralling alcoholism. During the ritual, frog venom was injected into his blood stream. He soon died of a heart attack. Was this a case of misadventure, or did his Kremlin linked oil company have something to do with his demise? You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    32 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Axe Family Murder at the Holiday Villa

    On April 19th 2022, a Russian tycoon was found hanging from a railing inside his Spanish holiday villa. His wife and daughter were also found dead. They’d been hacked to death with an axe. The Spanish police ruled the incident a murder-suicide, but the businessman's adult son, who wasn't there, thinks otherwise. He believes someone else murdered his whole family. He might be right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    32 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    A Business Assassination with a Non-lethal Firearm

    As Gazprom linked businessman Yury Voronov took a break at his cottage mansion, a gunman snuck through the trees and broke into his home. Voronov was shot at several times before a bullet struck him in the head. He was found floating in his swimming pool. So why was this death presented as a possible suicide in the Russian media? And how was Voronov killed with a gun that doesn’t fire live rounds? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    30 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    A Rich Scientist Falls Down Some Stairs

    In September 2022 the former head of the Moscow Aviation Institute fell down some stairs at work and died instantly. Why is this suspicious? To clarify that we have to ask two questions… How does the head of a scientific research institute amass great wealth on a normal salary? What was his role within the Ukraine war?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    31 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    An Oil Magnate Jumps Out a Hospital Window

    A checkup at the hospital seems an unlikely place for a suicide, but when a multil-million dollar Russian oil magnate had to get his heart checked, that's exactly what happened. A man worth half a billion dollars, with awards from Putin himself, decided to jump from a sixth storey window without leaving a note. Russian state media said he was depressed. His family say he wasn't.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    35 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    The Nightclub Owner Who Fell Out a Window in Washington, DC

    What does a Latvian-born nightclub owner have to do with you Russian oil and gas, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump? More than you’d expect… Sadly we can’t ask him directly, as the man in question fell out the window of his luxury apartment in Washington, DC last year.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    29 min
See All Season 1 (14)

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WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSIA'S DEAD OLIGARCHS? Since January 2022, more than 12 of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs have been found dead. One was poisoned with frog venom. One was found hanged on a handrail with his wife and children killed with an axe. Several fell out of high windows. All of the deaths are suspicious. Russia says most of them were coincidental suicides--that the oligarchs were simply depressed. I don't think so. Sad Oligarch is a modern true crime style investigative podcast series that looks into each Russian oligarch death in 2022/2023, unravelling a dark tale of Kremlin corruption and Russian political influence across the world.

Information

  • Channel
    Cool Zone Media
  • Creator
    Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
  • Episodes
    16
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    SAD OLIGARCH
  • Provider

    iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc has not identified itself as a trader for this podcast. If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area, consumer rights do not apply to agreements between you and the provider.

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