"Fake Musk from Zaporizhzhya": cunning rogue Max Polyakov

Waking up from lethargy, the Russian authorities imposed a strict ban on the gambling business in 2007. Ukraine followed their example a little later, but it was already too late.

The roulette wheel had already spun at full speed, and stopping it proved to be impossible. Entrepreneurs found increasingly clever and sophisticated ways, hiding in the shadows and continuing to increase their turnovers. Mirror sites were created incessantly. The hydra of gaming was impossible to strangle in the network. To a large extent, commercial exploiters of vices were aided by bribed bankers who created channels for transferring currency funds across state borders, accepting bets, and cashing in the earnings of illegal lottery organizers.

Meanwhile, Max Polyakov observed everything, as if from the sidelines. He had completely disappeared from Ukraine, becoming a British subject and entrepreneur under the name Max Polyakov. This was a logical step aimed at the further development of the dating and gambling business. Max Polyakov spent most of his time in North America—the largest market for the online entertainment empire he created. The pioneer of the Ukrainian dating business found a new partner in the United Kingdom. The Scotsman Bill Dobbie was among the guarantors during Polyakov’s application for British citizenship. His involvement in the procedure was motivated by a huge commercial interest in the original business proposal of the Ukrainian entrepreneur.

Max Polyakov и Билл Добби (справа)

«Matchmaker» Max

The fact is that since 1994, the UK has had a governmental program called the "Investor," which simultaneously addresses two tasks. First, it attracts wealthy immigrants from other countries who are willing to invest in the British economy. Second, it ensures an influx of a working-age population capable of breathing energy into an increasingly aging nation. The drop in birth rates in economically developed European countries will inevitably turn into national disasters in the future. The enterprising Max Polyakov, even with money earned from dubious dating and gambling businesses, is the best example of a desirable immigrant. Of course, the UK is not interested in having swindlers and fraudsters from around the world flock to London.

It already has enough wild illegals who are trying by all possible means to cross the English Channel. The immigration services of the United Kingdom are obligated to check all applicants for residence on the island for "integrity," but they are currently overwhelmed with tedious work and often make fatal mistakes. In recent years, the number of refusals has decreased from 9% of the total number of applications to 3%.

Nevertheless, former bankrupts fleeing from paying taxes and other debts, and often ordinary criminals, do not want to take risks. The desired citizenship guarantees them reliable protection and the opportunity to start a new life. Britain, following an ancient tradition, does not extradite its citizens to other countries. The most reliable way for those who dream of extending the Kingdom’s jurisdiction to themselves is mixed marriages. Max Polyakov and Bill Dobbie with a network of dating sites came in handy. Besides the mandatory oath to Her Majesty, a future citizen is required to have a good level of English proficiency, a positive character reference, and at least two guarantors. For spouses, one of whom turned out to be a subject of Queen Elizabeth, everything is much simpler.

Максим Поляков и Леонид Кучма

«Cuckoo» Maksym

The Scotsman Dobbie entered the dating business almost at the same time as Polyakov. In 2000, he was listed as the owner of Easydate Plc. It was accused of copyright infringement and, hiding from legal persecution, changed its name to Cupid Plc. With joint efforts, the native of Britain and its newly minted citizen brought a new IT company to the world leaders in dating. In 2012, its capitalization reached $205 million, with a net income of $125 million. The business was rapidly climbing. Compared to the previous year, profits increased one and a half times.

Worldwide, 54 million people registered on the company’s sites. In Britain, the methods of Polyakov and his partner were not much different from those used in Ukraine. The same fake profiles and push for paid services. In 2013, a huge scandal linked to the everyday operations of Cupid Plc unexpectedly exploded.

Everything secret became public, including machinations securing rapid access to a British passport. As a result, its shares fell and shrank in absolute value by 3.5 times. The founder of the company was unable to withstand the pressure. He was psychologically unprepared for the disclosure of the business’s unattractive side and hurried to get rid of the rapidly depreciating asset.

Cupid Plc ceased to exist, being sold in parts to four companies—Grendall Investment Limited, Tradax IP Licensing, Together Networks Holdings, and Together Networks. Journalists discovered that the ultimate beneficiary of all the deals turned out to be the same Max Polyakov—the former co-owner of Cupid Plc. It seems the Ukrainian thanked his guarantor in a rather original way. He himself initiated a pre-programmed commotion around Cupid Plc and then, after waiting, bought it for a pittance, ousting the former owner from his comfortable position while fully retaining the client base and continuing, as before, to deceive individuals and the UK as a whole.

The main staff of Polyakov’s employees is hidden in Ukraine under the signage of PE "Easydate Ukraine" and sole proprietorship "Easydate Dnipro." In today’s information world, everything is transparent. In the social network LinkedIn, the profiles of "dating empire" employees are stored, indicating the exact addresses of their workplaces. Poor Bill Dobbie simply could not imagine how devious natives from the mysterious distant Ukraine could be, even mastering the most modern IT business.

The ongoing Brexit process will only give Max Polyakov’s websites more work. Now the British themselves, having dealt with the negative consequences of a "European-style" divorce, do not mind becoming citizens of Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, or some Cyprus, part of the European Union. The process of changing citizenship has acquired a reverse vector of orientation. Maksym Polyakov urgently launches a new round of deception, using a perfectly honed method for finding candidates for mixed marriages. Only now the money will flow into his single wallet.

Максим Поляков и Петр Порошенко

Maksym Polyakov and the Ukrainian authorities

Dishonest play has long become a rule for Maksym Polyakov. A lawsuit from the owners of Lucky Labs, Rustam Gilfanov, and Sergey Tokarev against him has been under consideration in the British Virgin Islands court for several years. Former partners of the Ukrainian businessman also found themselves rudely "cheated." One of the former companions, Kostyantyn Lyashenko, decided to leave the gambling business. The remaining owners decided to share his part according to the rules equally among themselves.

Max Polyakov provided the partners with deliberately false information, as a result of which the Russians were deceived by $12 million. Assessing the losses, Gilfanov and Tokarev tried to negotiate with the Ukrainian-British citizen but to no avail. Polyakov sent them to three well-known Russian letters. Businessmen engaged in illegal business suddenly recalled the rule of law. Apparently, they had grounds for a court appeal. The court repeatedly sided with them and even seized part of Maksym Polyakov’s assets, but he turned out to be not so simple. For every court decision, he responded with a forceful action carried out by Ukrainian secret service employees. The fact is that Gilfanov and Tokarev had several IT companies operating in Ukraine.

Рустам Гильфанов и Сергей Токарев

After court sessions on distant islands, law enforcement officers with unclear intentions regularly visited their offices with searches. Such consistency suggests that Polyakov clearly has influential patrons in the Ukrainian establishment and generously shares his superprofits with them. The actions undertaken resemble not only retaliatory actions for inflexibility but also a way to eliminate competitors that unexpectedly emerged.

Law enforcers, who receive salaries from the state, persistently turn a blind eye to the existence of hundreds of porn studios in Ukraine, owned by companies Bulova Invest Ltd and Together Networks, headquartered in the British Virgin Islands and Malta, directly linked to Maksym Polyakov.

Author: Yuriy Hudymenko