The news folks have kinda avoided talking about the $3.5-million transfer from Elena Baturina to Hunter Biden. Yesterday, I sat for an hour browsing over Baturina.
If you had to pick someone in Moscow, who is most like Donald Trump....it's this gal....Elena Baturina.
She grew up in a regular family (working-class people). She went off to college in Russia and studied business. A year after she finished college....she met up to Yury Luzhkov. Yury was around twenty-five years older than Elena, and he was groomed to eventually become mayor of Moscow. Around four years after meeting....the two married.
Yury was the insider guy who knew what properties were coming up, and how deals could be made. Elena was the business mind who knew the deals and how to turn a profit.
Eventually, Yury would be accused of corruption and take a step or two down.
Elena? She continued on....building hotels that made profits. She was very much in the 'build' of Donald Trump.
Golfing? Yes, she even took up this hobby.
Fortune today? She's worth (at least in 2019) around 1-billion dollars.....mostly in ownership of real estate. Four years ago, she arrived in NY City with capital and started to buy real estate there. Internationally, she owns developmental property in various countries outside of Russia.
Today, she's 57 years old and regarded as the most wealthy woman in Russia.....and a widow (the husband died a year ago).
The $3.5-million to Hunter? Pennies to her. It's simply a 'marker'.....if she had a serious problem....with President Biden around, Hunter would go and ask for the favor.
Playing 3-D chess like Trump? Absolutely. If you were looking for a replacement for Putin....outside of his group, with public attention and Trump-like chatter? She's the one.
How she came across Hunter? Unknown. Did she donate money to the Clinton Foundation? It would be a curious question to ask.
It just makes for an interesting story, and wondering her eventual angle on the chess board.