Who was Anton Cherepennikov? All you need to know as Putin’s Multi-millionaire wiretapper dies at 40

Anton Cherepennikov, a Russian multi-millionaire known for being one of the most prominent figures in Vladimir Putin's spying operation, was found dead at the age of 40. As per Russian media, Cherepennikov's body was discovered at a property in Moscow and reportedly died of a cardiac arrest, with no post-mortem being performed.

Cherepennikov, an infamous Russian elite, founded ICS Holding (X-Holding) - a bunch of IT firms well-known for monitoring Internet users and wiretapping phones. He gained significant recognition for his involvement in the passing of legislation connected to the separation of Runet, which involves websites within the top-level .ru domain.

He held a position on the esteemed board of directors at Megafon, a prominent Russian telecommunications company. Furthermore, until the year 2019, he had the ownership of the eSports team, Virtus. pro. This eventually resulted in the formation of ESforce Holding, a prominent esports organization that contains a multitude of esports teams, tournaments, and media entities.

Anton Cherepennikov and his business were put on the U.S. sanctions list on February 25, 2023.

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Anton Cherepennikov's friend has doubts about his cause of death

According to media outlet Baza, Anton Cherepennikov's friend Vasily Polonsky said he has doubts about the way the Russian elite died.

“I do not believe [he died of] cardiac arrest. The exact cause of the entrepreneur's death will be determined later."

An opposition source said:

"He was an absolutely key tool in Putin’s repression. His assassination cannot be ruled out as the security apparatus becomes desperate due to the failing war."

As per reports, Anton Cherepennikov's position as Russia's electronic snooper earned him a profit of £172 million.

Several news agencies reported that Anton Cherepennikov graduated from Bauman Moscow State Technical University and Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. When he first started his business, he imported Blackberry phones and sold computers and printers. He played Counter-Strike on the computer and cards. People said that the mysterious businessman was a gambler and very "competitive" in nature.

On the personal front, Anton Cherepennikov married his first wife after meeting her on a dating site. They got divorced, and he blamed his hectic work schedule of 15 hours per day. He tied the knot again after meeting a woman named Anna, also on a dating site.

According to The Sun UK, almost 40 notable Russian figures, such as scientists, oligarchs, and even generals, have passed ever since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began.

Several sudden deaths have raised eyebrows about the way they were dubbed suicides and swiftly erased their traces.

A politician from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District named Aleksandr Kolodich was discovered buried in his home's basement on June 12, 2023. His body had been stabbed and had wounds all over it. Another politician named Pavel Antov was also found dead on December 26, 2022, in a hotel. This happened shortly after he raised his voice against Vladimir Putin and his conflict with Ukraine.

Colonel Vadim Boyko died on November 16, 2022, allegedly from five fatal shots in his office, which was ruled a suicide.

In May 2023, Russian Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko also died unexpectedly while returning from Cuba. He had previously criticized Putin's conflict with Ukraine.