Multi billionaire Oleg Tinkov, has renounced his Russian citizenship citing the war with Ukraine as the reason behind it.
The Russian billionaire banker has condemned president Vladmir Putin describing him as a fascist.
Tinkov founded the online Tinkoff Bank, one of Russia’s largest lenders, with about 20 million customers.
In an Instagram post, he said: “I can’t and won’t be associated with a fascist country that started a war with their peaceful neighbour.”
Tinkov also accused Kremlin of forcing him to sell his stake in Russia’s second-largest bank over his refusal to tow the government’s line on its invasion of Ukraine.
Few Russian tycoons have criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in public.
In the Instagram post, Tinkov said he is renouncing his citizenship as he did not want to be associated with a “fascist country, that started a war with their peaceful neighbour.”
He is reported to be living in London, but is subject to UK sanctions, like many other members of Russia’s business elite.
“I hope more prominent Russian businessmen will follow me, so it weakens Putin’s regime and his economy, and put him eventually to defeat,” Mr Tinkov’s original post said.
In April, Mr Tinkov castigated the Kremlin in even stronger terms, condemning what he called a regime based on nepotism and servility.
“The Kremlin bureaucrats are shocked that not just they, but also their children now won’t travel to the Mediterranean in summer. Businessmen are trying to save the remains of their property,” he said.
The 54-year-old business tycoon now only holds Cypriot citizenship.