Left: Rabbi Yonah Pruss. Right: Gennady Bogolyubov.

Rabbi Settles Lawsuit with Oligarch

A London-based Russian oligarch who was sued by his own rabbi over two major London property deals has settled the case out of court.

From International Business Times:

Billionaire Gennady Bogolyubov — who is also being sued by Viktor Pinchuk in the biggest High Court damages claim — was alleged to have reneged on a joint venture with Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yonah Pruss to invest in London properties.

The rabbi claimed that he acted as a middle man in Britain for the oligarch when Bogolyubov, a Ukrainian, moved his family to London, and had helped them to settle into their new life in a vast mansion in Belgrave Square, a report in the Evening Standard said.

Rabbi Pruss also started a business here with Bogolyubov in which he would scout for properties the billionaire would invest in.

According to a report in the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Pruss, who had once run a Lubavitch support group for Soviet Jewry, had been recommended to him by a leading rabbi in Ukraine.

Rabbi Pruss allegedly received £10,000 a month for running the foundation from May 2008 to July 2011, according to Bogolyubov’s defence papers. Among other things, Rabbi Pruss’s duties included arranging “educational facilities for Bogolubov’s children” and “recommending kosher food suppliers”.

Click here to continue reading at International Business Times.

9 Comments

  • Haim

    How much did Yona get? It happens all the times the rich don’t like to pay ,they have to learn a deal is a deal and a rabbi is also flesh and blood Yona Kol hakavod

  • Fellow Jew

    A Rabbi should not be doing business deals with his congregants full stop. This is not the first time a rabbi has done business in this way and it always ending bad.
    Bogolubov stopped giving to chabad because of this for a time…

  • Yosy

    From the time he was a shliach to LA as a bochur, Prus has always been an opportunist. I bet Bogolubov settled just to avoid the headache, not because of any merits.

  • To #5

    RYP is one of the nicest and classy people that I know. Yosy, I know that you had a hard life growing up, but there is no need to vent online. Yosy, I know how difficult its been for you in the last few years, but lets try to have some Ahavas Yisroel to a man who has generously supported our Moisdes behind the scenes for many years.

  • Anonymous

    Yosy stop betting and assuming things about people. You know no facts. zai gebentched.

  • Anonymous

    Yossi, its disgusting to just judge people!!!! Ryp is an amazing Rabbi!!!!

  • frumster

    this rabbi should not be doing business like his he is a man of very low morals who is self centered and chasing money all the time – this is not the spiritual way he should be conducting business – he profited very nicely from Bogolyubov family before he sued him and demanded more … shame on him! would like to see where he has contributed his large windfall