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German billionaire who was pronounced dead found “living with mistress in Moscow”
‘In July 2008, both were in Moscow and Sochi within a few days… In May 2009, both travelled on the same night train from Moscow to St Petersburg, in separate compartments. The trips were booked at the same time and by the same person.
According to reports, German-American millionaire Karl-Erivan Haub, who vanished during an Alps walk and is thought to be dead, is now residing in Moscow with his Russian mistress.
When Haub vanished in April 2018, he was 58 years old and preparing for a ski mountaineering competition at Switzerland’s Matterhorn summit.
One morning, he was last observed alone as he headed up a ski lift; he never made it back to his hotel.
A German court ruled him legally dead in 2021, leaving behind his wife, their two children, and his retail behemoth Tengelmann Group, which employed over 75,000 people.
In court, his younger brother Christian testified that there was no proof Karl-Erivan, whose estimated net worth was £5.2 billion, was still alive.
However, a significant investigation headed by the German network RTL currently states that Karl-Erivan has been located in Moscow, where it is believed he is residing with Veronika Ermilova, his mistress.
According to RTL, Christian is currently being looked into by the prosecutor’s office in Cologne for possibly making false claims while under oath.
Following his brother’s disappearance, Christian took over as head of the Tengelmann Group and stated he hired a security firm to look into the “rumours” that he was still alive.
Mark Binz, his attorney, stated to the German publication Die Zeit that the accusation was baseless.
Retail mogul Karl-Erivan, who would now be aged 64, is alleged to have called Veronika’s phone 13 times in the three days before he vanished in 2018, according to the probe by RTL and media outlet Stern.
The calls were substantial – one lasting more than an hour – leading to suspicions he was plotting to fake his death.
The investigation found that Veronika, 44, ran an ‘inconspicuous’ event agency in St. Petersburg, which organised skiing, hiking and climbing excursions for outdoor enthusiasts – but she is also suspected of being involved with Russia’s FSB security service.
An investigation by Tengelmann later revealed that Karl-Erivan’s life was closely intertwined with Veronika’s.
Investigators suggested she ‘may work for the Russian domestic secret service FSB’, although stressed this ‘cannot be proven’.
‘What can be proven, however, is that she is always in the same places at the same time as Karl-Erivan Haub,’ said the report.
‘In July 2008, both were in Moscow and Sochi within a few days… In May 2009, both travelled on the same night train from Moscow to St Petersburg, in separate compartments. The trips were booked at the same time and by the same person.
‘Strange too: [Veronika] came to Moscow the day before just to take the train back home.
‘Further overlaps of short trips by Karl-Erivan and [Veronika] can be found for stays in Omsk (2010), Sochi (2011), Baku (2014) and Moscow (2015, 2017).’
The report states: ‘It is not clear why these alleged meetings took place. It doesn’t sound like a love vacation.’
RTL journalist Liv von Boetticher speculated that Karl-Erivan’s disappearance in Switzerland may have come as the result of shady business dealings.
‘Karl-Erivan Haub is known to have done business with questionable people in the Russian economy,’ she claimed.
‘Our assumption is that business with Russia or with Russian business partners could have got Karl-Erivan in trouble in the West.’
The exact method used by Karl-Erivan to conduct his alleged escape is not known.
Some believe the German billionaire skied through the Alps and descended into Italy, but there is no trace of his whereabouts after he set out on his solo ski mission.
