Sources from the Austrian publication Der Standard claim that among the potential buyers of Raiffeisenbank is millionaire Istvan Tiborcz, one of Hungary's wealthiest and most influential businessmen, who is the son-in-law of the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
For many years, Raiffeisenbank has been trying to sell its highly profitable Russian «daughter» valued at a billion euros — JSC «Raiffeisenbank», but in September last year, a Russian court, in the course of proceedings between Raiffeisenbank and a company close to Oleg Deripaska, prohibited the sale of the Russian subsidiary.
According to sources from the Austrian publication, serious negotiations are underway between Raiffeisenbank and Tiborcz, which also involve representatives of the Russian Central Bank and the Russian presidential administration. To make the deal possible, the court ban on sales from September needs to be lifted.
It is also reported that the possible sale to Tiborcz was already discussed in the Supervisory Board of RBI in Vienna, chaired by Erwin Hameseder, chairman of Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich Wien. The largest bank in Hungary, OTP Bank, which also continues to operate in Russia, may also participate in the deal. Representatives of the bank deny their involvement in the negotiations. Tiborcz responded to Der Standard's inquiry, stating that he is not interested in purchasing Raiffeisenbank and that Russia has never been a priority for his business.
Meanwhile, Raiffeisenbank neither confirmed nor denied the information from Der Standard. The group's CEO, Johann Strobl, has repeatedly stated that Raiffeisen Bank is actively seeking options to sell its «daughter» in Russia.
Istvan Tiborcz is often referred to as the «son-in-law of the nation» in Hungary. In 2013, the 38-year-old owner of an investment company married Orban's daughter, Rachael. Subsequently, Tiborcz became one of the richest people in Hungary. Among other things, he owns the Hungarian online financial institution Gránit Bank and, through the so-called BDPST Group, hotels and real estate in several countries. Recently, Tiborcz also acquired shares in the logistics company Waberer's; in Austria, he is rumored to be interested in purchasing part of the private railway company Raaberbahn in Burgenland, as reported by Kronen Zeitung.
At the same time, Tiborcz repeatedly faces accusations of corruption in Hungary. In 2018, the EU's anti-fraud body Olaf recommended that the Hungarian prosecutor's office initiate an investigation. The case concerned one of Tiborcz's companies, which won tenders for street lighting in Hungarian cities, subject to reconstruction with EU funds. According to the investigative network OCCRP, Tiborcz's company's prices were much higher than those of competitors, yet he still won the tender.
Photo: Reuters