Hollywood actor Steven Seagal has cut ties with one of his last remaining business ventures in Russia, the business newspaper Kommersant reported Tuesday.
Seagal, 73, who became a Russian citizen in 2016, resigned as CEO of Five Elements LLC on July 17, according to a corporate database cited by Kommersant. The holding company, founded in 2023, was co-owned in equal shares by Seagal and his son, Dominic Seagal.
Control of the company has been transferred to Vladislav Kazak, a board member at the construction firm Vodstroy JSC.
Kommmersant noted that Seagal had already divested from most of his other Russian ventures, including Russian Fairs LLC, Steven Seagal Group LLC and Gorki Investment Company LLC.
However, he still holds a 26% stake in Gorki Holding Company LLC, which plans to develop an International Center of Eastern Martial Arts.
Legal experts cited by Kommersant pointed out that U.S. citizens are barred from making new investments in Russia under current sanctions, and violations can carry significant penalties.
Seagal has been an outspoken supporter of President Vladimir Putin and was awarded the Order of Friendship in 2023 for his efforts to strengthen ties between Russia and the United States.
In 2022, Seagal drew criticism after visiting a prison in occupied eastern Ukraine where at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed. The visit was part of a planned documentary project and was widely praised by pro-Kremlin figures.
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