Lomachenko has invested in a business linked to a trusted associate of Putin, according to reports.

Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko has invested in a Russian company whose owner was a trusted associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin during the elections. This is reported by the publication "Champion."

The investment relates to the Novikov Beverly Hills restaurant located in Los Angeles, which operates under the franchise of Russian restaurateur and businessman Arkadiy Novikov.

Who is Arkadiy Novikov

Arkadiy Novikov is one of the first restaurateurs in Russia, having begun to build his business empire back in the early 1990s. At one point, the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, was known to frequent one of his establishments, "Tsarskaya Okhota."

Novikov is personally acquainted with Putin and was a member of the Supreme Council of the "United Russia" party, often recounting how a high-ranking KGB official protected his first restaurants from racketeers in the 90s.

He was a trusted person for Vladimir Putin during the 2012 and 2018 elections. His company has repeatedly catered to government and presidential events.

The restaurateur has a shared business venture with the family of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

Novikov's company, Novikov Group, operates a network of restaurants worldwide, including in the UAE, USA, Saudi Arabia, UK, Spain, and others.

According to the publication, Vasyl Lomachenko likely purchased a franchise or became a co-investor in one of the restaurants.

American registries from 04/10/2024 indicate that Novikov LA LLC, which owns and operates the Novikov Beverly Hills restaurant, lists Loma Power Holding among its co-owners, with Vasyl Lomachenko serving as the CEO. The secretary and CFO of the company is Egidiyus Klimas, an American of Lithuanian descent.

As reported by "Champion," Klimas, who became acquainted with Novikov in 2021, became a co-owner of Novikov Beverly Hills and brought Vasyl Lomachenko's company into the project.

What is known about Lomachenko's new business, the Novikov Beverly Hills restaurant

The establishment is located in Beverly Hills, California 90210, and has a capacity of 250 seats. Locals say that the restaurant has a somewhat negative reputation as a place for "elite" girls from the post-Soviet space.

Recall that on December 18, it was reported that Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko decided to end his sports career at the age of 36.

Lomachenko's last fight was against Australian George Kambosos. As a result, the Ukrainian earned the title of IBF World Lightweight Champion, knocking his opponent down three times in 11 rounds.