Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new prime minister appears to own elite real estate in a prestigious suburb outside Moscow, the Proekt investigative news website reported Thursday.
Russia’s parliament voted to approve Mikhail Mishustin, head of the country’s tax service, into office Thursday. Putin’s surprise choice is part of the president’s shake-up of the political system, which led to his loyal ally Dmitry Medvedev’s resignation as prime minister.
Mishustin and his wife were listed as owners of a 900-square-meter house on a 5,500-square-meter estate in the suburb of Rublyovka in 2001-2005, according to Proekt.
The current asking price for similar-sized properties reportedly stands at 600 million rubles ($9.5 million).
The property’s current owners are listed as “the Russian Federation” as of 2005, according to a Federal Registration Service screenshot published by Proekt.
Two of the Mishustins’ adult children appear to be the Rublyovka house’s formal owners, Proekt wrote, citing the new prime minister’s past tax returns from when the children were minors.
The two sons were also reportedly listed as owners of a Moscow apartment which Proekt wrote is located steps away from the White House — Mishustin’s new place of employment.
Russia’s Supreme Court in 2017 allowed the Federal Registration Service, which Mishustin headed in 2004-2006, to classify the names of property owners.
Meanwhile, opposition activist Alexei Navalny has estimated that Mishustin’s wife Vladlena Mishustina, who does not appear to own a business, earned 789 million rubles ($12.5 million) in nine years.
Mishustin, 53, ran the country’s tax service where he won praise for dramatically improving tax collection.
He had not declared any real estate in 2018, according to his tax returns.
“Surprisingly, Mishustin, who has worked in the business sector for several years, doesn’t own any real estate at all, if his declaration is to be believed,” Proekt wrote.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.