Russia arrests ex-wife of tech investor on extortion charges Photo

Aliya Galitskaya, the former wife of billionaire technology investor Alexander Galitsky, has been arrested in the town of Istra, near Moscow, Russian investigators said. She is suspected of attempting to extort $150 million from her ex-husband.

According to investigators, Galitskaya repeatedly demanded money during in-person meetings and phone calls, allegedly threatening to release compromising information if her demands were not met. A court has ordered her to remain in pretrial detention for two months as a preventive measure, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

The arrest follows an ongoing legal dispute between the former spouses. 

Earlier, Galitskaya filed a lawsuit seeking the division of jointly acquired property, including Galitsky’s investment accounts. As part of those proceedings, assets belonging to Galitsky worth approximately 435 million rubles (about $5.6 million) were seized. The seized property reportedly includes an apartment in Moscow’s Patriarch’s Ponds district, two parking spaces, a country house, and apartments in the Turgenev Club residential complex.

Alexander Galitsky is a former space software developer and prominent venture capitalist. He holds both Russian and Dutch citizenship but has previously described himself as Ukrainian. Born in the village of Zarechany in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, Galitsky built several software companies following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In 2007, he founded the venture capital firm Almaz Capital. Its first fund achieved significant returns, including early investments in Russian internet company Yandex and the video service Qik, which was later acquired by Skype for $150 million.

By Sabina Mammadli