Same thing happening in Australia. Rich Chinese businessmen with links to the CCP are given the green light to buying up chunks of Australian property and government assets.

I really wish they had mentioned that London allows the ANONYMOUS purchase of real estate. I'm not British so I don't know if there is a legit reason for that, but it sounds set up to be corrupt.

"Transforming thugs into aristocrats" I was unaware a transformation was required.

When money is thrown with such freedom and abundance at someone, they become blind, deaf and dumb. This is what happened in England and the rest of the world.

British politicians and businessmen that allowed this should also be prosecuted and their assets frozen

All of these properties should be seized and used to pay for the damage done in Ukraine and Georgia.

And yet the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear with China as well, yet we do nothing there either…. 🙄

How REPULSIVE can it get!!! Respect to the people digging into this

It's still insane to me that when the USSR fell, it was immediately seized upon by criminals. It's crazy to me to know most of these hyper rich Russians are all criminals of some kind.

Isn't it interesting how people suddenly get a conscience. I think the threat of social media has a lot to do with it.

I have been saying this since the first round of sanctions. I'm not intelligent nor have I studied geopolitics. Just look at the way the UK responded to the poisoning of its own citizens along with the radioactive isotopes that were strewn about London in the aftermath. Someone should have STOOD UP to them back then. And the US should have known that if you allow the Crimea invasion, that it would lead to Georgia and Ukraine. No one did anything to Hitler after he invaded the Sudetenland, Chekhovian, and the border. So, he had good reason to believe France and Britain would do NOTHING about Poland.

Londongrad. Well put

Shame on the British politicians who have been happily inviting dirty Russian money for decades

8:45 '' We have become very dependant on Russian money..'' ... Beg to differ: Not ''We'' .... UK Politicians have become very dependent... Johnson and Lebedev being a case in point... Why on earth was a Foreigner ennobled ? Money !!!!!

Thank You 60 Minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Russia is a mafia state." Good quote.

"thugs into aristocrats"- most important quote

the numbers used and quoted in this video are so big that it's difficult for people to realise the scale of them! 2 billion USD worth of property in that tiny area mentioned means 4000 half a million USD houses!

He’s now just a “millionaire” 😭

Speaking as a UK citizen, I would like it to be known that it's the present Conservative government who have chiefly benefitted from Russian money, which is why politics in this country has become so corrupt and has influenced the political narrative of the last few years, particularly the Brexit campaign, which was supported by Putin as another way of sowing division in Europe.

This video misses several critical points; 1. Russian money and interference played a large role in the 2016 Brexit vote, Evgeny Lebedev used his newspapers to publically push for Brexit and influenced Boris Johnson to back Brexit 2.The Conservatives initially gave the Russian Billionaires 18 months to move their assets before the sanctions are applied, this was then reduced to 6 months when it was made public. 3. The Conservatives have received an estimated £10 million donations from Russian Billionaires, not the stated £4 million. 4. The Security Services report into Evgeny Lebedev (who was made a Lord) was blocked from release by Boris Johnson himself, MI6 specifically stated he should not be made a Lord and Johnson overrode their objection on his personal authority as PM. 5. Boris Johnson has a very close personal relationship with Evgeny Lebedev, our PM has been invited to Evgeny Lebedev's Italian villa for "party" weekends on numerous occasions, once when Johnson was the Foreign Secretary he secretly went for a weekend leaving all his security staff behind in London. 6. The Russian money that was supposed to be paid in taxes, etc.. to benefit the wider community thus justifying this laundry service, has never reached the wider community, from 2010 onwards the Conservative party have been cutting public funding in every area of government, even now in 2022 public spending (in real terms) has not reached what it was in 2009. The level of corruption in the Tory party is far, far deeper than most realise

As you know, Britain is a global financial laundry. That's how Britain lives. So there's nothing to be hysterical about!

60 minutes should also make a programme on Russian oligarchs in the US, and their dirty money!!..

Need only look at all the shopping opportunities in London to understand( anything available to be purchased )....it’s ALL geared to those with unimaginable wads of cash to spend.

i like how we smoothly glide over the fact that the aristocracy only became the aristocracy by being thugs a few centuries earlier

Everyone has known this for years. Nothing here that is news. The UK could care less where the cash comes from as it props up the FTSE and half the financial firms in London.

"The Baron Lebedev of Hampton in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames and of Siberia in the Russian Federation." That's Lebedev's official title in the House of Lords. And he owns a whole bunch of British newspapers.

Amazing! While working class homes are repossessed. Shame on UK.

And yet, the Russia report still hasn't been released. Can't imagine why.

Why would they think messing with their money would make a Lunatic back off? His heightened fury now proves this.

All it takes for evil to triumph is for "good" men to do nothing

They weren't complacent, they were pro-active. 100%

I may be wrong, but was this also what was going on in Cyprus? It’s a well-known fact that Russian loans helped Cyprus a great deal during their financial crisis. A lot of Russians live in Cyprus and in recent years it has become a financial hub due to its low taxes.

Absolutely BRILLIANT. Combined two of the best shows and it felt authentic as ever. BCS FTW!!!!!! Thank you.

4 million dollars in donations!! LOL the “lion’s share”. That’s peanuts for these guys, including the British political parties.

Just “repatriate” the real estate for the benefit of the British People.

Yep... As an Englishman we know Russia money has poured into our capital ITV had done a good job in reporting it. But unfortunately they didn't continue ringing that bell. I know now Russia played a role in the U.K's Brexit. Now we have an incompetent government that seem to be hoping from situation to situation very badly.

5:10 "Is that why more people don't publicly speak out against Putin?", He asks earnestly (after showing a Putin critic in a cage in court). Geez, I don't know.... perhaps we need to delve a little deeper!🤣

For too long Britain have been a safe heaven for stolen money. Yes, are we talking about British indian company🤦🏿‍♂️ That city was built on that😭🤣🤣

This sounds all too familiar to me for the some reason. Some Russians purchased property at one of Trump locations in South Florida and its listed under a L.L.C. with no name listed on paperwork. This gets really deep when it comes to dirty money.

We have the same issue in the US. We also have a similar visa program. You can essentially buy your way in. Western culture worships money and think wealthy people are special. We give them all passes all of the time.

We've known this for years. Everyone knew.

Wonder why so many in the GOP suddenly worship Putin? Maybe someone should follow the money?

Money = power = corruption

"Blood money stains the human minds, bodies, and souls, with unforgettable and unforgivable memories and sins." Alexander Tran

Rachel Maddow's "Blowout" goes into great detail about Khodorkovsky and the other Russian Oligarchs and the Russian Mafia-economy. Great Read!

Londongrad, Londonistan, Londonia...London is home to so many cultures

The UK government knew about this from day one - this is all about greed. Citizenship in a different country should always be something that you earn, by working hard, learning the local customs and language. It should never be something that you can just "buy" and then treat the massive amounts of property that you purchase like a savings account. So many Londoners have been priced out from the property market because of these Golden Visa schemes. This really has to stop because if you walk around the wealthiest areas of London, you're unlikely to find anyone who is British and this is a problem all over the UK. For a country that constantly cirticises other countries about corruption, here is the irony.

As i read a bit of history, this love of crime wealth is what made London wealthy and they have been at for a 1000 years.

Thank you for an important news story. I would like to see another video about the connection between Russia and Brexit.

Informative. Thank you!

We all need to make sacrifices (e.g., higher energy and food bills) as if we're in a world war. Our parents and grandparents did so, now our turn.

"Transforming thugs into aristocrats 24/7"

This is what happens when you destroy your manufacturing base and have to rely on the financial market to prop up your tax haven state. The only good thing i can see is that a lot of russian money and property is now tied up for the unforeseen future.

Fabulous journalism!

Very illuminating!

Yes, it is a sad affair that Russia is in such a state, and no wonder how Putin gets his own way. Personally, I think that the UK has allowed this to go on as if nothing was wrong with it. Like someone else has commented the people in the UK who allowed this to go on then they should be prosecuted as well. I also think that the general UK public is being duped by their own government because to say they did not know what was and is going on and should have at least a royal inquiry into this matter. How on earth can a Russian oligarch be admitted to the house of lords it is so ridiculous and so obvious some corruption has gone on - where will it all end??

Grad simply means city. "Gorad" would be a much better transcription. Reporters don't bother and massacre the pronunciation.

Glad to hear Dominic Grieve again!

Not surprised. I've seen many real estate shows about them buying houses etc.

A country should have borders of all types. Electronic, data, currency etc. This is what makes it a defined country.

When it comes to governments, money ALWAYS talks!

Good ! Give us more

"4 million dollars since 2012!" ** Laughs in American **

Maddy Vlady Gotta Go❕

Not only that...it was a catalyst for Brexit being voted for by a tiny margin. We know now that it was a Putin interest first and foremost

Amazing how they plea ignorance.

we've done more in the UK than the US has since this conflict, keep up

The British are very good at being theatrical

Thank you for calling out my governments complicity.

I have the feeling the situation is no different in Vienna, Paris, Zürich......

£1 million investment visas would be better because these would include things bought beyond property and increase the cash flow cycle.

A very British mentality. The Spiders Web. Offshore Secret Tax havens.

If I was the queen I’d dissolve parliament over this, and hold an instant election

QE2 should revoke the granting of life peerage from the British PM. This is definitely dangerous to UK and it should be the responsibility of the Royal Family and the House of Lords. 😨😨

Lord Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia is where it's at. Really cool title. Must be a cool guy too.

To me Dominic Grieve is a modern hero. He is what British politicians were, principled.

Conservative governments, anywhere in the world, tend more toward corruption than liberals ones. The reason is the common conservative ideology of government regulations strangling business. But without those regulations, it is normal human nature for people with a love of money to gradually test the boundaries of legality, of what they can get away with, until they get government pushback. Under conservatives, that pushback comes way too late.

60 Minutes needs to a story about the US tax Havens of Delaware, South Dakota, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Nevada, etc. The Pandora Papers detailed among other things the use of those states to hide money, assets and avoid taxes.

You didn't mention that there were other people who died after them two guys survived their poisoning.

It is important to remember that there are many who benefited, because the English did not open the floodgates to the Russian oligarchs out of altruism. And of course to protect this dirty money they had to get out of the EU because it was going after tax evasion. Yes, Brexit was financed on a grand scale with Russian money, all of which was used to fund campaigns to stir up discontent in the various population groups.

Yes get rid of every oligarch out of London. Dirty money ,who allowed that to happen.?

What about Miamigrad, New Yorkgrad,L os Angelesgrad.....I lived several years in Aventura, North Miami Dade and use to dine in a nearby small City called Sunny Isles where the most expensive properties by the beach are located and I can say that there are Russians everywhere so why 60 minutes does not say anything about Russian and other nationalities oligarchs money inflows to USA?

The city of London is outside of British regulation. The golden mile has always had financial independence. It was the City of London that broke the siege of Derry in Northern Ireland, hence the change and controversy of the cognomen of Londonderry. London has always provided from the misery of the helpless innocents.

the root of ALL EVIL, has no master

its easy to talk about it now...But 60 min and friends kept very quiet when the Uk invited them 3 decades ago

- I was thinking... are we the baddies? - Shut up and keep cashing the money!

g r e e d is powerful

Nationalize their assets.

Oh, the "poor" oligarchs. I'll not cry for them.

On you all .

dont worry there's always the Saudis.

Incredible that the lebedev guy got elected. *edit: not elected, appointed ☝️* Astonishing that I only hear about this now.

Let's not forget, these same UK, Swiss banks and firms helps drug dealers, warlords for war torn countries, and corrupt government and business people keep the black money safe and even help launder all the money. The government should do something about this but the bankers have so much power that they can bend any politician to their will.

How Embarrassing! What on Earth were you thinking! You must atone for this evil!

The only reason why UK is complicit about this is because its the only part of its economy that has significant growth.

Since you're pointing at the UK, don't forget to point at your own country 60 Minutes. The US immigration system is just as bad, with folks who have money and connections getting the nod in front of legitimate immigrants who waited patiently in line, doing the right thing. I have had the pleasure of attending a few oath of citizenship events, once in a while, you spot some of those folks in the event because unlike everyone else, they are usually have immigration escorts with them, have reserved seats, and are wearing designer clothes. And that's just the regular folks with money, pretty sure the really well connected folks and lots of money don't even have to go to such an event as the event is probably brought to them privately by a sea of lawyers. Not hating, just saying.

"Business as usual, good good , now to notate a list of which of these corporations to invest in, nyah! " - Snidely Whiplash , Mustache Person

Very good interviewer. Richard Pryor ?

Brilliant, add the son of a Russian sky to your government. Unbelievable, but we had Trump as president