Luxury cruise to the North Pole for Russian elites: scandal involving millions!

Luxury cruise to the North Pole for Russian elites: scandal involving millions!

A planned luxury cruise to the North Pole that was supposed to attract over 150 Russian-speaking elites was abruptly canceled. The reason for this unexpected news is the arrest of Russian crypto entrepreneur Iurii Gugnin, also known as George Goognin, by the FBI in New York. According to the indictments, Gugnin is accused of laundering more than $530 million and violating U.S. sanctions. This situation not only derailed the cruise project, but also triggered a political and financial scandal affecting the Russian elite.

The French shipping company Ponant, which owns the luxury icebreaker “Le Commandant Charcot”, was responsible for this extravagant voyage. Cabin prices ranged from $70,000 to $200,000, and guests could look forward to amenities like Michelin-star meals and Swarovski-studded telescopes. A celebration at the geographical North Pole was planned as the highlight. Loud Mercury The guest list included prominent Russian personalities, including a Gazprom executive and a reality TV star, adding additional glamor to the event.

Legal dispute and financial difficulties

After Gugnin's arrest, Ponant terminated the cruise charter agreement and refused to refund $5.8 million of the $8.5 million already paid to the travel agency TRVL. Ponant justified this refusal with a “serious compliance violation” that jeopardized the legal basis of the business relationship. The travel agency dismissed this claim as a pretext and sued Ponant in France for more than 7 million euros in damages.

TRVL, which used Gugnin as a payment processor for the planned cruise, argues that Gugnin was previously vetted by Ponant and accepted as a suitable partner. TRVL's lawyer described the financial consequences of the incident as "completely catastrophic." The cooperation between Ponant, which owns the luxury cruise, and Gugnin, whose company Evita Investments managed the transactions, is therefore in jeopardy. Loud CryptoTimes Gugnin was arrested in New York in June 2025, which provided the basis for the cruise's cancellation.

This situation is part of a larger scandal affecting both the Russian elite and the crypto world. In August, for example, the founder of a darknet marketplace was arrested over a $45 million Bitcoin scandal. Such incidents highlight the turbulent relationship between financial crime and the luxurious lifestyle of the Russian upper class.