In a dramatic courtroom showdown, sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev finds himself entangled in a legal dispute with his former friend, Alexander Gorbachev, over a stake in one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, PhosAgro. 

The dispute, rooted in alleged agreements made after the fall of the Soviet Union and promises exchanged over a pint of beer, has now become the subject of intense scrutiny before a judge in the United Kingdom. 

Gorbachev claims that in 2005, during a casual conversation outside a pub, he and Guryev made a verbal agreement wherein Guryev promised him a significant portion of his stake in PhosAgro. Gorbachev alleges that Guryev assured him that his shares would be held under Gorbachev’s protection until certain legal matters were resolved. 

However, Guryev vehemently denies any such agreement, stating that no discussions regarding such arrangements ever took place. According to Guryev’s legal team, Gorbachev’s claims are nothing but a “fraudulent construct” aimed at extorting Guryev. They argue that Gorbachev relinquished any rights to Guryev’s stake when he cashed out for $20 million in 2007. 

The legal battle also extends to the ownership of Witanhurst, a sprawling mansion in London’s affluent Highgate neighborhood, which Guryev acquired in 2008. While Gorbachev’s lawyers assert that the mansion was purchased using funds from a joint account shared by both parties, Guryev’s legal team disputes this claim, denying the existence of any joint financial arrangements. 

Amidst the courtroom drama, conflicting narratives emerge regarding the nature of the relationship between Guryev and Gorbachev, once close associates now embroiled in a bitter legal feud. As the proceedings unfold, the case sheds light on the complexities of high-stakes business dealings and the challenges of resolving disputes between erstwhile friends turned adversaries.