Exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has died in Britain at the age 67. According to the latest unofficial information, the businessman was found dead in his bath. No official information has been released so far.

Police in Russia are yet to be officially notified of the death. According Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Putin has been informed of the incident.

The news from Britain first emerged on Facebook, where Berezovsky’s son-in-law Egor Schuppe posted a status, giving no details regarding the nature of his death.

Police are said to be currently working at the scene, but no official information or statements have been issued.

According to sources cited by Russian Channel One, the body of the Russian tycoon was found in the bathroom of his Surrey estate. The channel also reported that Berezovsky suffered several heart attacks over the course of last week.

Aleksandr Dobrovinksy, a famous lawyer and head of Moscow-based The Alexander Dobrovinsky & Partners law firm, was one of the first to confirm the death of Berezovsky, saying he committed suicide.

“Just got a call from London. Boris Berezovsky committed suicide. He was a difficult man. A move of disparity? Impossible to live poor? A strike of blows? I am afraid no one will get to know now,” the lawyer said on his social network page.

According to the lawyer, Berezovsky had lost much of his fortune, tabloid LifeNews reports. In August, Berezovsky lost a $5.6-billion court battle against Abramovich in a highly publicized dispute over the ownership of the profitable oil company Sibneft. He was further ordered to pay Abramovich’s $56 million in legal costs.

Boris Berezovsky addresses the media outside London's High Court in central London, on August 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Andrew Cowie)

Damian Kudriavtsev, the former CEO of Kommersant Publishing House also commented on the businessman’s death saying he passed away at 11:00 GMT in London. On his twitter account, Kudriavtsev said there were no signs of a violent death.

At the same time, Berezovsky’s son-in-law reportedly said the oligarch had been suffering from depression recently. Further noting that he failed to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances, and often chose to stay at home rather than go out.

Commenting on the news from London, Dmitry Peskov claimed that recently Berezovsky had been in personal contact, asking the president for forgiveness for his “mistakes” and permission to return “to [his] motherland”.

“Some time ago, maybe a couple of months ago, Berezovsky addressed Putin in a letter, written by him personally, in which he admitted he made a lot of mistakes and was asking for forgiveness and to help him to return to the motherland,” Peskov told Russia 24 channel.

Businessman Boris Berezovsky (center) takes part in a rally against fraud in Russian parliamentary elections outside Russian embassy in London on December 10, 2011. (RIA Novosti / Elena Pakhomova)

Berezovsky made headlines earlier this week, after news broke that the tycoon was auctioning off an Andy Warhol portrait of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. The oligarch was planning to sell his limited edition ‘Red Lenin’ print in hopes of paying off creditors and legal bills, the Times reported.  The 1987 portrait has been estimated by Christie's to be worth between $45,000 and $75,000, and is reportedly in excellent condition.

Berezovsky left Russia in the late 1990s over a money laundering scandal with Aeroflot airlines.

He has been on Russia’s wanted list since 2001 on charges of fraud, money-laundering and attempted violent power takeover.


In 2007, a Moscow court found him guilty in absentia of stealing 215 billion rubles from the company and sentenced him to six years behind bars. 

State Duma deputies Viktor Chernomyrdin (2nd right) and Boris Berezovsky (right), June 23, 2000. (RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko)

The tycoon was given a total of 19 years in prison by a number of Russian courts over various charges. He claimed the cases against him were provoked by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2003, the UK granted Berezovsky political asylum.

If Berezovsky’s death is officially confirmed it may be a reason to cancel all criminal cases against him, Interfax news agency reports citing a source “familiar with the situation”.

However, the unnamed source said that the investigation into cases against tycoon could remain open if his family wishes.  If the investigation and criminal cases are canceled, it is possible the court ordered freeze on his key assets would be lifted, the source said. Interfax, noted that this information cannot be immediately confirmed.

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