The documentary explores a shocking Russian crime targeting the American financial system and the rise and fall of a Russian oligarch who became part of today’s historic prisoner swap between the United States and Russia
CNBC will also launch an original six-part podcast series, “The Crimes of Putin’s Trader,” detailing Eamon Javers’ nearly year-long investigation starting August 15
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., August 1, 2024 — Today, CNBC debuts “Putin’s Trader,” a riveting, all-new digital documentary hosted and reported by CNBC Senior Washington Correspondent Eamon Javers. With exclusive access to the FBI investigators and Department of Justice prosecutors who led the investigation, the story details the rise of a young Russian oligarch, Vladislav Klyushin, who generated an illicit $93 million through insider corruption adding to his already immense fortune, and his Moscow-based cyber security firm that doubled as a front for hacking-driven insider trading on Wall Street.
On August 1, the White House announced a massive, multi-national prisoner swap among the United States, Russia and other nations. As part of the historic deal, the Russian government released high-profile Americans held in captivity there, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who had been in a Russian prison for more than a year. Vladislav Klyushin was one of the Russians sent back to his country as part of the exchange, cutting short his nine-year prison sentence. Klyushin walked out of an American prison, boarded a flight, and was turned over to Russian authorities.
Klyushin was no ordinary criminal – his firm worked for the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin and cultivated connections at the highest levels of the Russian government. The documentary gains access to court records that disclose real-time details of Klyushin and his employees in action, financial information they stole, companies they invested in, and millions of dollars in profits taken through illegal trades in the stock of prominent American companies such as Tesla. CNBC also gives audiences a look inside these criminal minds, sharing never-before-seen images and video of the oligarch and his team as well as private communications among the conspirators.
“Putin’s Trader” lies at the rare intersection of cybersecurity, insider trading and espionage, and big power rivalry between Russia and the United States. The featured interviews include Washington Field Office Former FBI Special Agent BJ Kang, Google Cloud’s Google Threat Intelligence Vice President Sandra Joyce, Boston U.S. Attorney’s Office Securities Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit Deputy Chief Seth Kosto, among others.
Javers also interviews a former officer of the Russian FSB intelligence agency, whose identity had to be concealed for the documentary, and he argues that the Klyushin insider trading case is just one part of a much bigger Putin plan to destabilize Western financial markets and enrich his top intelligence officers. This former spy, who defected to the United States and lives here now under an assumed name, alleges that high ranking Russian intelligence officials routinely conduct illegal insider trading on Wall Street for their own personal profit.
CNBC’s digital documentary is available to watch now on CNBC.com and YouTube: CNBC.com/PutinsTraderDoc.
CNBC will also release an original six-part podcast called “The Crimes of Putin’s Trader”, detailing Eamon Javers’ journey into this criminal web. Rich with evidence from the case and detailed personal accounts, the series includes an exclusive conversation with a seasoned CIA veteran who specialized in recruiting Russian operatives and an extended interview with the former Russian FSB officer who defected to the U.S. The first two episodes drop on Thursday, August 15 at 6AM ET and the remaining episodes will be released every Thursday at the same time. “The Crimes of Putin’s Trader” can be found on all podcast platforms and at cnbc.com/putinstrader.
For more information contact:
Jennifer Dauble
CNBC
t: 201.735.4721
m: 201.615.2787
Stephanie Hirlemann
CNBC
m: 201.397.2838
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