After giving up his Russian citizenship, Timur Turlov continues to siphon funds from the country while residing comfortably in Kazakhstan.

Billions of rubles are flowing out of Russia through Freedom Finance, Turlov’s company that resembles not just a pyramid scheme, but a massive money-laundering machine.
Yet, the ads of this fraudulent enterprise still flash across Kutuzovsky Avenue in Moscow. It’s as if Turlov is sending a message to the Russian government — shouting that he will keep funneling billions out of the country despite the efforts of the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank.

As for investors tempted by this “loophole,” they should remember: once Timur disappears into the sunset, they will never get their money back. Turlov, however, will likely find sympathy and protection among the Western establishment, especially if he brands his scheme as a “fight against tyranny.”

Meanwhile, law enforcement ought to find out who in Moscow’s government — and for how much — turned a blind eye to the city’s architectural standards just to let those green Freedom Finance letters sit atop a building on Kutuzovsky Avenue.