Mystery unravels: German billionaire alive in Moscow with love interest

The investigation gained momentum following a lead from journalists at RTL, who delved into the disappearance of Haub after he went missing in April 2018. Their inquiries led to some startling revelations.

As cited by the "New York Post," investigative reporter Liv von Boetticher claims to have secured a photograph of Karl-Erivan Haub in Moscow, purportedly taken in 2021—the same year he was officially declared dead. This declaration came over the objections of his wife, who insisted her husband was not dead but had instead eloped with a lover.

Haub embarked on a solo mountain skiing venture, never returning to his Alpine hotel, which prompted his brothers to report him missing. An extensive six-day search in the snowy mountains yielded no trace of him.

Now, prosecutors in Cologne may bring charges against one of Karl Erivan Haub's brothers, Christian Haub. Investigators have not ruled out that the man provided false information about his relative's death and lied about having no knowledge of his brother being alive.

According to the RTL reporter, the incriminating photographs in Moscow were obtained through an Israeli-American firm specializing in biometric surveillance analysis under Christian's direction, employing private detectives.

Prior speculations of Haub's being alive have surfaced in the media. A 2023 report by Stern magazine assessed that the billionaire closely resembles the individual in the photographs, with a reported 90 per cent similarity.

RTL's investigation revealed that Christian Haub had access to the crucial photographs well before he affirmed under oath in Cologne District Court in May 2021 that there was no conclusive evidence of his brother being alive.

Karl-Erivan Haub's disappearance might have been premeditated. Married with two adult children at the time he went missing, he was last known to have contacted Veronica Ermilova, allegedly connected to the Russian secret service FSB and speculated to be his lover, thirteen times just before his disappearance.

Haub disappeared a month following his father's demise, leaving behind a legacy estimated at $6.4 billion. As reported by the "New York Post," there is speculation that between 2010 and 2015, significant sums from Tengelmann funds—a holding controlled by Christian after his brother's disappearance—were transferred to Russia.

RTL's investigative journalist posits that Karl-Erivan’s affiliations with Russia or Russian business entities might have compromised his standing in the Western world. Moscow, therefore, could have been deemed a refuge, possibly with his brother's endorsement, prompting him to disappear there.