LONDON: A book about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle written by a British journalist has topped the UK bestseller list, its publisher said Wednesday, after the author was sued by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Catherine Belton’s “Putin’s People,” first published in 2020, “is the number one bestselling NF (non-fiction) paperback in the UK,” William Collins Books publishing director Arabella Pike said in a tweet.
It was at number seven on The Sunday Times bestsellers list last week.
The critically acclaimed book by a former Financial Times Moscow correspondent faced an onslaught of law suits from Russian oligarchs including Abramovich, three of whom have now been targeted by UK sanctions.
The book was a Sunday Times bestseller when it first came out and sales have spiked again as the war in Ukraine focuses interest on Russia’s leader.
“I wish the circumstances were different. But I’m very grateful for all the attention to Putin’s People,” Belton tweeted.
She thanked publisher Harper Collins “for making sure that it remained on the bookshelves despite an unprecedented barrage of lawsuits last year.”
The publisher eventually settled out of court in December last year with the main claimant Abramovich.
It agreed to alter some passages in future editions of the book about him, including over the Kremlin’s role in his acquisition of Chelsea football club.
Belton spoke to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday at a discussion on the use of such lawsuits to hinder public participation in politics.
“No matter how good the sourcing is on some of these claims, and how great the public interest is, the cases are just too expensive to defend, the system is stacked in favor of deep-pocketed litigants from the outset,” she told the committee.
“Quite frankly when we were facing it at the beginning, I didn’t know whether the publisher would be able to withstand the barrage of claims,” she said.
“I mean this is five big cases from some of the world’s richest men all at the same time, and I didn’t know whether we would have to withdraw the book.”
Abramovich, who bought Chelsea in 2003, was placed under UK sanctions on March 10, including an asset freeze, a travel ban and a ban on transactions with UK individuals and businesses.
These sanctions mean he would now not be able to launch such legal action at the High Court using a British law firm.
The UK has altered legislation to make it easier to impose sanctions on oligarchs who have already been placed under sanctions by ally countries.
Putin book tops UK bestsellers after Abramovich sued author
https://arab.news/jx6je
Putin book tops UK bestsellers after Abramovich sued author
- Catherine Belton's "Putin's People", first published in 2020, "is the number one bestselling NF (non-fiction) paperback in the UK"
- The book was a Sunday Times bestseller when it first came out and sales have spiked again as the war in Ukraine focuses interest on Russia's leader
Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Nasdaq to bring real-time US equities data to MENA
- Nasdaq to deliver exclusive real-time US equities market data
- Real-time updates fully integrated into Asharq Business’ data infrastructure and available across all platforms
RIYADH: Asharq Business with Bloomberg, the region’s leading business and financial news multi-platform channel, announced Tuesday a strategic three-year collaboration with Nasdaq, to deliver exclusive real-time US equities market data and updates to investors and decision-makers across the Middle East.
Through access to Nasdaq’s official data product, Nasdaq Last Sale (NLS), Asharq Business with Bloomberg will receive real-time last-sale trade updates and calculated insights across major US exchanges directly from the Nasdaq Market Center. The collaboration strengthens market transparency, enhances data-driven storytelling, and provides audiences and partners with deeper insight into global financial activity.
With a rapidly growing investor base in the region — and with Nasdaq serving as a primary destination for many Arab and regional investors — Asharq Business with Bloomberg reinforces its mission to deliver timely, accurate, and exclusive financial updates by integrating NLS data into its digital platforms, live markets coverage, and broader data ecosystem.
Leveraging its partnership with Bloomberg Media — which grants access to reporting from over 2,700 journalists and analysts worldwide — Asharq Business with Bloomberg continues to build on its reputation as the region’s most trusted and credible multi-platform business news source. The collaboration with Nasdaq underscores its commitment to providing reliable, data-backed content across social, digital, and streaming platforms, available for audiences anytime and anywhere.
Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, General Manager of Asharq News Network, commented: “It has been five years since the inception of Asharq Business with Bloomberg, and our audience has always been at the center of everything we do. We invest time and effort to understand what matters to them, ensuring we deliver data and stories that genuinely support informed decision-making. With growing regional interest in global markets, our collaboration with Nasdaq marks a strategic step toward offering a clearer, more comprehensive view of international financial activity. Through Nasdaq Last Sale, we aim to further empower our audience with transparent, real-time insights, strengthening their ability to navigate an increasingly interconnected global investment landscape.”
The Nasdaq leadership team added: “We are pleased to collaborate with Asharq Business with Bloomberg to broaden access to high-quality US market data in the Middle East. Through Nasdaq Last Sale, we aim to enhance transparency, support informed decision-making, and contribute to a more connected global investor community.”
