PHUKET: A billionaire Russian is attempting to control Amanresorts, the business that began with Phuket's Amanpuri Resort, which gave boutique luxury new meaning.
Vlad Doronin is the boyfriend of Naomi Campbell, the British model. The couple have been photographed on Phuket and now it appears that Mr Doronin definitely liked what he saw at Amanpuri.
According to the New York Post, the 44-year-old is making such a strong bid to be CEO of Amanresorts that he was ordered on Monday to stop laying claim to the role after a second investor sought a temporary restraining order.
On Monday, London Judge Catherine Newman ruled that Doronin appears to have breached his contract when he replaced Adrian Zecha, the 81-year-old founder of Amanresorts, back in May.
''Mr Doronin has no proper basis for calling himself CEO as matters stand,'' the judge said. She ordered Zecha be reinstated and for Doronin to make no more announcements that Zecha has resigned or that the rich Russian is in charge.
Amanpuri on Phuket was the first Aman resort, created 26 years ago. ''Experts'' in the hospitality business figured a brand that sought to be secretive and pitch only at the world's richest people was doomed to fail.
How wrong they were. Amanresorts now have properties in 15 countries.
The Post reports that trouble between Doronin and his warring investor, Omar Amanat, who sought the injunction, began before the ink was dry on a deal to buy the luxury hotel chain for $358 million earlier this year, court documents show.
Soon after, Doronin told Amanat, ''If I feel that you tried to screw me, I will hunt you down and shoot you,'' Amanat told the court, documents reveal.
Zecha, the resort's founder, meanwhile, admitted that he promised on April 21 he would resign if the two didn't stop fighting.
Zecha said Doronin also tried to boot him from his home of 15 years - claiming it was provided to him by the company and that as he was no longer employed by the company, he was not entitled to the house.
In a statement, Doronin said he will ''respect the court's decision.''
But he continues ''to strongly challenge the underlying facts of this matter.''
A full hearing is scheduled for September.
Vlad Doronin is the boyfriend of Naomi Campbell, the British model. The couple have been photographed on Phuket and now it appears that Mr Doronin definitely liked what he saw at Amanpuri.
According to the New York Post, the 44-year-old is making such a strong bid to be CEO of Amanresorts that he was ordered on Monday to stop laying claim to the role after a second investor sought a temporary restraining order.
On Monday, London Judge Catherine Newman ruled that Doronin appears to have breached his contract when he replaced Adrian Zecha, the 81-year-old founder of Amanresorts, back in May.
''Mr Doronin has no proper basis for calling himself CEO as matters stand,'' the judge said. She ordered Zecha be reinstated and for Doronin to make no more announcements that Zecha has resigned or that the rich Russian is in charge.
Amanpuri on Phuket was the first Aman resort, created 26 years ago. ''Experts'' in the hospitality business figured a brand that sought to be secretive and pitch only at the world's richest people was doomed to fail.
How wrong they were. Amanresorts now have properties in 15 countries.
The Post reports that trouble between Doronin and his warring investor, Omar Amanat, who sought the injunction, began before the ink was dry on a deal to buy the luxury hotel chain for $358 million earlier this year, court documents show.
Soon after, Doronin told Amanat, ''If I feel that you tried to screw me, I will hunt you down and shoot you,'' Amanat told the court, documents reveal.
Zecha, the resort's founder, meanwhile, admitted that he promised on April 21 he would resign if the two didn't stop fighting.
Zecha said Doronin also tried to boot him from his home of 15 years - claiming it was provided to him by the company and that as he was no longer employed by the company, he was not entitled to the house.
In a statement, Doronin said he will ''respect the court's decision.''
But he continues ''to strongly challenge the underlying facts of this matter.''
A full hearing is scheduled for September.
I'll bet he's not going to have to deal with the likes of JJ and the jet ski crooks it must be nice to be rich
Posted by Scunner on July 15, 2014 16:15