Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov borrowed $1.5 Billion (Russia)To finace the purchase of shares in mobile-phone company OAO MegaFon, Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov borrowed about $1.5 billion. Acording to media reports, Usmanov borrowed the sum from OAO Sberbank to pay for 58.9 percent in OAO Telecominvest, a company which holds 31.3 percent in MegaFon.
Usmanov’s company AF Telecom, Telecominvest and TeliaSonera AB signed an agreement, under which Telecominvest used 23.1 percent in MegaFon as collateral for the loan. Telecominvest also pledged 8.2 percent of the shares in MegaFon to TeliaSonera.
Sweden’s TeliaSonera owns 26.1 percent in OAO Telecominvest and has 35.6 percent in MegaFon, Russia’s third-largest mobile phone company. Usmanov controls 73.9 percent in Telecominvest.
