Ramzan Kadyrov, the long-time head of Russia's Chechen Republic, loves to post snapshots of his life on Instagram, where he has more than 2.5 million followers. This is the platform he uses to show his people how hard he works, whether it’s meeting with constituents and officials, exercising at the gym, or rubbing elbows with celebrities.
But Kadyrov likes to maintain the appearance that he lives modestly, and he doesn’t like sharing photos that betray his apparently lavish wealth.
Sometimes, though, the public gets a sneak peek, which is what happened on Tuesday, when hip hop artist Timur Yunusov (better known as “Timati”) shared a photograph of himself lounging on a bed inside what appeared to be a very fancy private jet. We’re talking upholstered walls, wood paneling, and tiled floors.
The caption on the Instagram post read, “When you’re kicked out of the house the day before March 8 [International Women’s Day], Ramzan Kadyrov always has a spare room for you.”
Anna Vellikok, a volunteer with Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, was one of the first observers to notice the Instagram post.
Translation: “[That feeling] when you’re [Ramzan] Kadyrov and you try not to advertise all your belongings, and Timati goes and shares photos of the interior of your private jet.”
Shortly after Vellikok drew attention to Timati’s post, it disappeared from Instagram. Vellikok found another photo showing Timati in the same plane, however, and it’s still published on the pop star’s Instagram account, shared 108 weeks ago in September 2013, geotagged in Harrods Aviation's terminal at Luton airport, in London — a luxury terminal for the super rich.
If you browse through the other Instagram posts tagged at Harrods Aviation Luton Airport, you’ll find photos of American actor Johnny Depp and Russian comedian Aleksandr Revva.
Those wondering where Timati was headed this week got their answer on Wednesday, when he uploaded a new video from a resort in Dubai, where he stood by a pool and invited local women to come to “Billionaire Mansion” for a concert, where he’ll celebrate International Women’s Day tonight.
