A German billionaire who disappeared in mysterious circumstances beneath Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn peak six years ago is suspected of living with a Russian mistress in Moscow, an investigation has heard.
German-American retail magnate Karl-Erivan Haub, then 58, was training for a ski mountaineering race when he disappeared in April 2018 in Zermatt, Switzerland.
The billionaire businessman was last seen climbing the mountain in a lift one morning alone – which his coach found strange for a man who is usually very safety-conscious and well-prepared – and did not never returned to his hotel.
Authorities launched a six-day search during which five helicopters and teams of alpine rescuers combed the area, but his body was never found.
Haub – the former chief executive and co-owner of German supermarket and retail giant Tengelmann Group – was declared dead by a Cologne court three years later, leaving behind a wife, two children and a business of some 75,000 employees.
His younger brother Christian swore in court in 2021 that there was no indication the mountaineer, whose net worth was estimated at £5.2 billion, remained alive.
But a major investigation by German broadcaster RTL claims to have identified Haub in Moscow and believes the tycoon is there with a much younger mistress, Veronika Ermilova.
German-American tycoon Karl-Erivan Haub, then 58, was training for a ski mountaineering race when he disappeared in April 2018.
The billionaire businessman was seen one morning alone ascending the mountain in a lift – something his coach found strange for a man who was usually very safety-conscious and well-prepared – and never returned at his hotel.
Haub allegedly dialed the phone of mysterious Russian woman Veronika Ermilova – suspected of being a Russian agent – 13 times in the three days before her disappearance.
Haub called Ermilova 13 times before her disappearance, raising suspicions he was plotting to fake her death with Moscow’s help
Ermilova ran a “low-key” events agency in St. Petersburg with hobbies like hiking, climbing and ski touring.
German-American tycoon Karl-Erivan Haub was training for a ski mountaineering race when he disappeared in April 2018 in Zermatt, Switzerland.
Christian is now under investigation by the Cologne public prosecutor’s office on suspicion of making false statements under oath, RTL reported.
Christian took control of the Tengelmann Group after his brother’s disappearance and claimed to have commissioned a security service to investigate “rumors” that he was still alive.
His lawyer, Mark Binz, told German newspaper Die Zeit: “Of course there is nothing to the accusation.”
Retail magnate Haub, now believed to be 64, called Ermilova’s phone 13 times in the three days before her disappearance in 2018, according to the investigation by RTL and media outlet Stern.
The calls were numerous – one of them lasted more than an hour – which raised suspicions that he was plotting to fake his death with the help of Moscow and Ermilova.
The investigation revealed that Ermilova, 44, ran a “low-key” events agency in St. Petersburg, which organized skiing, hiking and climbing excursions for outdoor enthusiasts – but she is also suspected of being involved in the Russian security services of the FSB.
She is now listed on LinkedIn as the marketing director at Russian Event, a company designed as a travel experiences company.
An investigation by Tengelmann later revealed that Haub’s life was closely intertwined with that of the enigmatic Ermilova, said to be around 20 years his junior and who was described as “a slim, athletic woman with short hair brown to the shoulders, dark eyes and an open smile. ‘.
Investigators suggested she “could be working for the Russian secret service FSB,” while stressing that this “cannot be proven.”
“What can be proven, however, is that she is still in the same places and times as Karl-Erivan Haub,” the report said.
“In July 2008, both were in Moscow and Sochi within a few days… In May 2009, both traveled on the same night train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, in separate compartments. The trips were booked at the same time and by the same person.
“It’s also strange: (Ermilova) came to Moscow the day before just to take the train home.
“Further overlapping short trips by Haub and (Ermilova) can be found for stays in Omsk (2010), Sochi (2011), Baku (2014) and Moscow (2015, 2017).”
The report states: “It is unclear why these alleged meetings took place. This doesn’t sound like a love vacation.
RTL journalist Liv von Boetticher speculated that Haub’s disappearance in Switzerland and his alleged appearances in Russia could be the result of questionable business dealings.
“Karl-Erivan Haub is known for doing business with questionable people in the Russian economy,” she said.
“Our hypothesis is that business with Russia or with Russian business partners could have caused Karl-Erivan trouble in the West.”
In addition to calling Ermilova, Haub also allegedly called Russian banker Andrey Suzdaltsev in Russia and Geneva shortly before his death, according to the RTL and Stern investigation.
Among Haub’s other Russian business partners was the notorious self-confessed fraudster Sergey Grishin, known as the “scarf-faced oligarch.”
Grishin made headlines in the UK and US after selling his $14.7 million home in Montecito, California to none other than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2020.
Haub was officially declared dead in 2021 with a net wealth of £5.2 billion – even though his body was missing
Veronika Ermilova is photographed at the Pacman bar, St. Petersburg, in 2016
Haub also reportedly called Russian tycoon Andrey Suzdaltsev shortly before his death.
Sergey Grishin reportedly died after a long illness in March, although no evidence of his funeral has ever been revealed.
Investigation links Haub’s suspicious disappearance to Veronika Ermilova, a possible Russian spy
Another co-owner of RosEvroBank, the Russian oligarch purchased the property, with seven acres of land, a swimming pool, tennis court, guest accommodation and a stunning main house, in 2009.
His nickname Scarface derives from his ownership of another California mansion where the 1983 Al Pacino film of the same name was filmed.
Grishin reportedly died after a long illness last year, although no evidence of his funeral has ever been revealed.
RTL journalist Boetticher also speculated in an interview with Die Welt that Haub could have worked for the Russians.
“He could have acted as a kind of agent of influence of Russia in Germany… This is not an agent with a floppy hat and a trench coat or a James Bond, but a influence on politics and the economy.
“(His disappearance occurred) at a time when Tengelmann was doing rather poorly… and was expanding in Russia with the DIY chain Obi, for example.”
The journalist said: “I am sure it was not a skiing accident, but an organized escape.”
The exact method Haub used to carry out his alleged escape is not known.
Some believe he crossed the Alps on skis and came down to Italy, but there is no record of him after he left on a solo ski tour in April 2018.
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