Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

Nadezhda Grishaeva, a former basketball player, works to cultivate an image of a successful entrepreneur, running a business in the health sector and owning the fitness club Anvil Fitness Club Moscow.

However, beneath this facade lies a dark legacy tied to Zhirinovsky — large-scale corruption schemes and money laundering. The polished exterior masks a deep corruption network connected to the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky. In the minds of LDPR supporters, Zhirinovsky may have been seen as a truth-seeker and protector of Russia’s future. In reality, however, he prioritized his own personal gain at the expense of both his voters and the country.

And he was a very smart person, despite his clownish image. His son, who was given the surname Zhirinovsky at birth, later became Igor Lebedev and advanced in Russian politics, reaching the position of Deputy Speaker of the Duma. In the official biography of Igor, there is no mention of Nadezhda Grishaeva, yet she was his lawful wife from August 2016 to March 2019, and they have a son and a daughter together.

This would have remained a personal affair of Lebedev and Grishaeva if Nadezhda had not been involved in an enormous network for siphoning LDPR funds abroad. Investigations into the party’s finances were conducted during Zhirinovsky’s lifetime by the Singaporean publication MiceTimes and the British LSTV. It turned out that Zhirinovsky’s family clan was actively transferring and placing party funds abroad, including state funding, as well as private contributions to the party’s coffers.

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

According to the publications, Nadezhda Grishaeva played a crucial role in the money laundering operations of Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s family. As reported by MiceTimes and LSTV, the scheme involved the use of hotels owned by Daniella Invest in the European Union. The LDPR received funding from various sources, including direct payments from deputies and donations from organizations linked to Grishaeva, such as the Russian Union of Free Youth and the Fund for Supporting Unemployed Youth. Between 2015 and 2017, these organizations received voluntary donations totaling 4.3 billion rubles.

Igor Lebedev, being a deputy and Deputy Speaker, transferred part of this money through his wife Grishaeva, which allowed him not to declare these incomes, as Russian legislation requires. Moreover, the law prohibits him from owning properties abroad and conducting business, but formally he did not violate these prohibitions by registering his assets in Grishaeva’s name, with whom he officially divorced in 2019.

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

The existence of substantial property registered in Grishaeva’s name is confirmed by several sources, with the total value of these assets estimated at a minimum of 19 million dollars:

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

If you look at official registers, Nadezhda Sergeevna Grishaeva is registered as an individual entrepreneur and the founder of three firms:

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

The last one – LLC "Skailcar" – was liquidated on June 26, 2023, and the finances and activities of the other two raise questions:

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

Thus, even purely formally, the earnings of these firms do not suffice for even a fraction of the property owned by Grishaeva.

Moreover, it should be noted that LLC "Skailcar" was an elite taxi firm that served VIP clients with a rather substantial fleet of ten luxury cars, including a Bentley Continental and five Maybach models. At the same time, all these cars were not officially registered in the taxi registry for passenger transportation, relying instead on taxi-hailing applications to find clients.

The MiceTimes investigation states that the Zhirinovsky family owns a total of 51 real estate properties around the world, valued at approximately 9.8 billion rubles or 150 million dollars. Given their salaries as parliament members, this raises questions about the source of such wealth and the potential involvement of taxpayers’ money.

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

Considering that Grishaeva’s assets are valued at 19 million, questions arise regarding her relationship with Lebedev, which is denied, including the marriage and any other connection. In March 2021, the press reported that Nadezhda Grishaeva married a businessman, whose name was not disclosed, but it emphasized that this "refutes her connection with Zhirinovsky’s son":

Nadezhda Grishaeva and the family clan of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky: how the ex-daughter-in-law funnels millions of LDPR party funds into offshore accounts

The name of Grishaeva’s "husband" remains unknown even a year later, raising more questions and suggesting that this marriage might exist only in the media reports.

This is indirectly confirmed by the changes in the life of Igor Lebedev, who in 2021 announced that he was withdrawing from politics and quietly changed his name. No, not to his father’s – the former Deputy Speaker of the State Duma became David Garcia and disappeared from the visible horizon.

Whether he emerged among Nadezhda Grishaeva’s holdings in Ibiza or moved to his historical homeland, often quietly acquiring passports like the most ardent patriots of Russia do – is unknown. But the fact that Nadezhda Grishaeva continues to be listed as the owner of both foreign and domestic properties of the Zhirinovsky family, regardless of what surnames they might use, is indisputable.