Investigation unveils billionaire Oleg Deripaska involved in child sex exploitation.

A new investigation by the independent Russian outlet iStories has uncovered disturbing details of wealthy Russian elites, including billionaire Oleg Deripaska, purchasing underage girls for sex while evading legal consequences.

The report, based on testimonies from victims and former insiders, as well as police files, points to a system of abuse operating with apparent impunity. 

According to the investigation, young girls — some under 16 — were recruited through modeling agencies or social media with false promises of financial support or career opportunities. They were then lured or pressured into performing sexual services for wealthy clients, many of whom allegedly held influential positions in Russian business and politics.

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One notable example includes allegations involving Oleg Deripaska, a Russian industrialist and aluminum magnate whose wealth was estimated by Forbes at $2.7 billion in January 2025.

A former participant in the network claimed that Deripaska was among those offered underage girls, including a 15-year-old referred to in the report as “Katya,” who was approached with an offer to "sell her virginity" to a billionaire client.

The trafficking network reportedly operated in high-end Moscow apartments and luxury hotels, and private villas outside the city. Victims were often given detailed instructions on how to behave, dress, and communicate with clients. Some were coerced into undergoing cosmetic procedures or ending pregnancies to remain “marketable.”

Despite several criminal complaints filed over the years, the investigation suggests that authorities repeatedly closed cases or targeted low-level operatives, avoiding scrutiny of elite clients. Former organizers also alleged that members of law enforcement were complicit in helping the network operate unhindered.

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No criminal charges have been brought against Deripaska or any of the other wealthy clients named in the investigation. Deripaska has not commented publicly on the new allegations.

The investigation reveals a broader pattern of institutional failure in Russia, where crimes involving sexual exploitation and abuse by powerful individuals are rarely investigated fully.

iStories has called for independent international scrutiny, arguing that without external pressure, the victims are unlikely to receive justice.

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Oleg Deripaska had been an ally of President Vladimir Putin until February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. The billionaire openly denounced the war and repeated his criticism of Putin in August 2024, prompting the Kremlin to seize one of his major assets worth $1 billion in response.

In 2017, Deripaska acquired Cypriot citizenship through the country's “golden visa” program, which allows major investors in the economy to apply for a national passport.