Arkady Volozh, the co-founder of the Russian IT company Yandex, hired security for the first time after Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly wished him “health.” About this informs Bloomberg.
Volozh said that this happened after his statement in August 2023, in which he categorically condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it barbaric, and expressed horror at the bombing of Ukrainian cities. In September, Putin commented on Volozh’s statement, calling it forced by the businessman’s life in Israel.
“Well, God bless him, let him live well there.” Putin added.
It was after these words that Volozh decided to resort to strengthening personal security, although he admitted that it added to the discomfort. Putin also called Volozh a “talented businessman”: the same expression he used to describe Yevgeny Prigozhin. As is known, Prigozhin later died in a mysterious plane crash, in which the Kremlin denies involvement.
Volozh, who achieved the lifting of EU sanctions in 2024, compared them to a prison, and the sale of the Russian part of “Yandex” to the exit of the Jews from Egypt. He has deleted all Yandex applications from his phone, has not visited Russia since the start of the war and does not plan to do so.
