The two sons of a colourful Russian coal baron found dead in his private gym fear he was murdered, say reports.
The body of billionaire Dmitry Bosov, 52, who played ice hockey with Vladimir Putin, was discovered by his second wife Katerina with a gunshot wound to his head in a ‘suspected suicide’ at his Moscow mansion.
But his adult sons, backed by law enforcement experts, have called for a full criminal investigation into whether he was murdered, reported Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) newspaper.
Bosov had seven months ago paid $30 million in cash for a landmark Beverly Hills property but was also known to be in several business wars in Russia and the US.
Dmitry Bosov (pictured centre, with his family) was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at his mansion in Moscow
He was found by wife Katerina (pictured) who had come to search the property with a security guard after Bosov stopped responding to her messages
The youngest of his five children, daughter Bella Alexa, aged two, is a social media star with 354,000 followers whose biography describes her as a ‘Rich Kid of Beverly Hills’.
It is known that Bosov – who controlled coal giant Siberian Anthracite and boasted he would live to be 100 – had recently become obsessed with his security.
His sons Artyom, 29, and Anton, 24, are believed to be raising concerns over the circumstances of their father’s death with the Russian Investigative Committee which is so far treating the death as suspected suicide, said MK.
A family source said: ‘He always participated in the lives of his children, showed hyper-concern and took care of them in every possible way.
‘It is impossible to imagine he wanted to depart like this.’
His sons Artyom, 29 (left), and Anton, 24 (right), are believed to be raising concerns over the circumstances of their father’s death with the Russian Investigative Committee which is so far treating the death as suspected suicide, said MK
Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, Kirill Kabanov, told Izvestia: ‘I don’t think that this person, being quite successful and rich, just killed himself.’
Retired police colonel Yevgeny Chernousov called for Bosov’s numerous business battles to be probed and an investigation into whether this was murder staged as suicide.
As reports emerged that Bosov had died, it was also revealed that his former business partner in the 1990s – Anatoly Bykov – was arrested on suspicion of ordering two contract killings when the two men were key figures at the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant in Siberia.
Bosov was found locked in the gym complex at his mansion (left). His Moscow mansion is pictured right
As reports emerged that Bosov had died, it was also revealed that his former business partner in the 1990s – Anatoly Bykov (centre) – was arrested on suspicion of ordering two contract killings when the two men were key figures at the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant in Siberia
Regional politician Vladimir Vladimirov publicly suggested a link to Bosov’s death.
‘They surrounded (Bykov’s) property in the morning. They even used a helicopter…
‘One possibility is that this may be linked to Bosov.’
It is believed Bosov would have been called as a witness in the case against Bykov.
The notorious 1990s ‘Metals Wars’ in Russia led to ‘mountains of bodies’, according to one account.
Bosov’s 17 year-old-son Kirill (right), from his previous marriage, posted a picture with his father captioned: ‘I will miss you forever’
The youngest of his five children, daughter Bella Alexa, aged two, is a social media star with 354,000 followers whose biography describes her as a ‘Rich Kid of Beverly Hills’
It is known that Bosov (pictured) – who controlled coal giant Siberian Anthracite and boasted he would live to be 100 – had recently become obsessed with his security
Bykov – worth $1.1 billion – was a key figure in Putin’s Night Hockey League involving ice hockey veterans in which he and other political and business figures take part.
His Siberian Anthracite group sponsored the league.
With other business tycoons, Bosov played alongside Putin.
Bosov’s 17 year-old-son Kirill, from his previous marriage, posted a picture with his father captioned: ‘I will miss you forever.’
Bosov’s friend Demyan Kudryavtsev said that the tycoon had been ‘so frightened of the (coronavirus) epidemic that for almost two months he locked himself in his house and did not meet with anyone’.
He remained in his Moscow mansion for two months and ‘yelled’ at friends to ‘stay home or die’.