Official U.S. and UK Documents Link Sanctioned Oligarch Guryev to London's Witanhurst Palace
A series of official government documents from both sides of the Atlantic have definitively linked sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev to Witanhurst, London's second-largest private residence after Buckingham Palace.
The connection emerges from two powerful cross-border sources: a 2022 U.S. Treasury designation that explicitly names Guryev as the owner of the Witanhurst estate, and a recent UK High Court judgment that reveals crucial details about his control over the property through what the court describes as the "Witanhurst renovation project."
According to the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Guryev is "a known close associate of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin" who previously served in the Russian government from 2001 to 2013 as a member of the Federation Council. The Treasury designation, issued as part of sanctions targeting "Kremlin-connected elites," states unequivocally that "A.G. Guryev owns the Witanhurst estate, which is the second-largest estate in London after Buckingham Palace." [1]
This official U.S. government finding gains additional weight from a 312-page UK High Court judgment delivered in September 2024 in the case of Gorbachev v. Guriev. The court document provides detailed evidence of Guryev's hands-on management of the property, referencing his direct involvement in the "Witanhurst renovation project" and his role in overseeing the estate's development. [2]
The High Court case, which involved a financial dispute between Guryev and a former business associate, offers unprecedented insight into the oligarch's London operations. During testimony heard in Dubai due to Guryev's sanctioned status preventing UK travel, the court examined extensive evidence about his business dealings and property holdings.
Guryev, who founded the Russian chemical company PhosAgro, was designated for sanctions by the U.S. Treasury "for operating or having operated in the accounting sector and the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy." The designation notes that he "has also been sanctioned by the United Kingdom." [1]
The Witanhurst estate, located in North London's Highgate area, spans 25 acres and contains 90 rooms. The property has been the subject of extensive renovation work costing tens of millions of pounds. Planning documents show the mansion underwent major structural changes and luxury upgrades during Guryev's ownership.
The Treasury also identified Guryev's ownership of the Alfa Nero yacht, reportedly purchased for $120 million in 2014, which "has reportedly shut off its location tracking hardware in order to avoid seizure." This pattern of asset concealment appears consistent with the complex ownership structures used for high-value London properties.
The cross-border nature of these revelations demonstrates how U.S. sanctions enforcement and UK judicial proceedings can combine to pierce the corporate veils often used to obscure oligarch property ownership. The official designations contrast sharply with the opacity that typically surrounds beneficial ownership of London's most expensive real estate.
Neither Guryev nor representatives of the Witanhurst estate responded to requests for comment. The property remains subject to UK sanctions measures targeting Russian oligarchs and their assets.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges facing authorities attempting to track and freeze oligarch assets, particularly high-value real estate holdings that may have been acquired through complex offshore structures designed to obscure true ownership.
Sources:
[1] U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Sanctions Elites and Companies in Economic Sectors that Generate Substantial Revenue for the Russian Regime," August 2, 2022
[2] UK High Court of Justice, Gorbachev v. Guriev, [2024] EWHC 2174 (Comm), September 26, 2024
