Anti-Corruption Foundation uncovers evidence that Russian state oil giant Rosneft maintains a staff of paid escorts
The Anti-Corruption Foundation has uncovered evidence that the Russian oil company Rosneft maintains its own staff of paid escorts. Researchers studied a complete list of the state corporation’s employees, analyzing their names, birthdates, passport details, and job titles, and found dozens of young women listed in the company’s personnel records, whose information also appears on websites offering escort services.
Rosneft, Russia’s second-largest state-controlled company (after Gazprom), officially employs these women as high-paid “specialists,” “advisors,” and “secretaries” in administrative departments. Leaked telephone records and police databases identify several of these employees as sex workers, the Anti-Corruption Foundation learned.
For example, one of these women, Albina Ivanova, joined Rosneft in 2016 at the age of 21 as a deputy head of the company’s administrative department. Over nine years, her total salary earnings are reportedly 33 million rubles ($335,000 by today’s exchange rate), and she has accompanied Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin on 58 private jet trips. Additionally, Ivanova gets a second paycheck from the Independent Oil and Gas Company, which is also connected to Sechin, says the Anti-Corruption Foundation. On social media, Ivanova regularly shows off her collection of expensive jewelry, handbags, and cars.
According to researchers, Igor Sechin’s salary at Rosneft last year amounted to 4.6 billion rubles ($46.7 million).