Russian billionaire Vladimir Antonov, forced out of Dutch carmaker Spyker before it bought Saab from General Motors, said in comments published Saturday that he wants to help finance the new company.
“There is unfortunately widespread economic crime in Russia but we don’t take part in that, and are rather victims of it,” Antonov told Swedish business daily Dagens Industri.
“If GM gives me that possibility, I will gladly invest (in Saab) both as an owner and as a lender,” Antonov added, arguing GM was behind his exclusion from the Saab deal.
When Spyker announced its 400-million-dollar purchase of Saab from GM on January 26, it said its CEO Victor Muller would be taking up the whole of Antonov’s 30 percent stake in Spyker, without giving a reason.
But on Friday, Antonov said he was taking part in financing the Saab deal despite no longer holding a stake in Spyker, through a loan from his Convers Group company to Muller’s Tenaci holding.
“I can definitely confirm that I paid the first part (of the loan), that 25 million dollars were made available to Tenaci by Convers Group. That is totally true,” he told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.
On Saturday, the same newspaper quoted Antonov as saying he was open to offering more financing to Saab Spyker, which he said could enter the Russian market with his help.
He also said he wanted a Saab plant in Russia.
“It depends on GM changing its mind and letting me in. If so, we will plan on opening a plant in Russia and starting production.”
General Motors announced on January 26 a “binding agreement” to sell its Saab division to Dutch luxury sports car maker Spyker as part of a restructuring of its business to cope with the impact of the global slump on the industry.
