Tycoon Mordashov's Local Spat Signals Changing Elite in Russia
Alexey Mordashov, one of Russia's richest men, has found an unexpected adversary in the governor of the region where his steelmaker, Severstal PJSC, operates, the latest illustration of the waning power of the country's tycoons that's been accelerated by the invasion of Ukraine.
Vologda region Governor Georgy Filimonov has appeared to target the steelmaker while engaging in what he described as a ' Beavis and Butt-Head '-style back-and-forth with the billionaire in an interview with the RBC newspaper, a reference to the American cartoon from the 1990s. He introduced a ban on the hiring of migrants for construction, only to reverse course when Severstal complained that would threaten projects in the region, and made headlines calling for a physical fight on a Japanese tatami mat.
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