The transformation of Western businesses that left Russia continues with another strange deal – this time for the ownership of Starbucks coffee shops.
Objects will now have three new owners. The group of new shareholders includes restaurateur Anton Pinsky, a company of a former senator from the Kabardino-Balkaria region and… Russian rapper Timati (Timur Yunusov).
The 38-year-old musician is known for several tracks in praise of the regime. One of them was released in 2015, in which he sings “My best friend is President Putin” and in which he praises the Russian head of state as a “tough superhero”.
His song “Moscow” was released shortly before the local elections in 2019. In it, he sings about how he “doesn’t go to protests” against the government and “will eat a burger for the health of Mayor Sobyanin”.
The clip has a record 1.4 million “dislikes” on YouTube (that is, votes from people who want to show their disapproval of the song) and was taken down by Timati himself because of the mass discontent against the campaign in favor of the irreplaceable mayor, writes “Boulevard Bulgaria”.
Yunusov also has close ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and in 2017 he was photographed on Instagram while riding in his private plane. Timati is also among the artists who appeared at Putin’s propaganda concert in March 2022 – shortly after the Russian army invaded Ukraine.
Anton Pinsky reports to RBC that the deal is in the final stages, with the chain retaining the lease rights and Starbucks equipment, but the new owners will not receive the trademarks because “the brand is leaving.”
It is not yet clear what the new establishments will be called and what their symbolism will be. The value of the transaction has not been announced.
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