One Soviet-born entrepreneur is hoping to turn Russian officers into bounty hunters, offering $1 million for the capture of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The California-based businessman, Alex Konanykhin, offered the bounty to military officers who arrest Putin “as a war criminal,” according to a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“I promise to pay $1,000,000 to the officer(s) who, complying with their constitutional duty, arrest(s) Putin as a war criminal under Russian and international laws,” Konanykhin wrote, arguing Putin had violated the Russian Constitution by “eliminating free elections and murdering his opponents.”
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Konanykhin said it is his “moral duty” as a Russian citizen to facilitate what he classified as the “denazification of Russia.”
“I will continue my assistance to Ukraine in its heroic efforts to withstand the onslaught of Putin’s Orda,” he wrote, referencing the Russian word for “horde,” meaning a large group.
The post was originally shared on LinkedIn and Facebook with a photo of Putin’s face and a caption that read, “Wanted: Dead or alive. Vladimir Putin for mass murder.” The post was deleted and reshared without the attachment. Konanykhin clarified on LinkedIn on Wednesday he was not offering to pay for the assassination of Putin.
“While such an outcome would be cheered by millions of people around the world, I believe that Putin must be brought to justice,” he wrote.
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Konanykhin, at one point estimated to be worth $300 million, has a complicated history with his home country.
The businessman and his wife were granted political asylum in the United States in 1999 after facing embezzlement charges in Russia. In 2003, the two faced deportation while attempting to flee from immigration authorities, but they were granted asylum a second time in 2007.
