Vladislav Klyushin amassed a fortune using illicitly obtained financial data, with earnings at one point exceeding $3 million in cash, neatly stacked in a high-security safe. In just under three years, Klyushin and his operation successfully stole more than $93 million.
Operating through M-13, a company ostensibly focused on cybersecurity, Klyushin and his team of Russian hackers used their position to steal confidential corporate reports from U.S. companies before they were made public. Using this stolen information, they executed timely trades in stocks of major companies like Skechers, Snapchat, and Roku, reaping huge profits.
Vladislav Klyushin now faces a nine-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison, following his conviction for his role in this elaborate hacking-to-trade scheme.
M-13’s activities were not limited to stock trading; they also manipulated information from companies like Tesla. By gaining advance access to Tesla’s earnings details, they capitalized on the market’s reactions once these numbers were officially released, further lining their pockets.
Federal prosecutor Steven Frank emphasized the methodical nature of the theft, highlighting the ongoing and systematic breach of American corporate security to facilitate insider trading.
While Klyushin enjoyed the luxuries of wealth, including private jets and connections to Russian elites, the FBI closely monitored his operations. This covert surveillance aimed to understand and potentially dismantle the sophisticated financial scam.
M-13’s website hid its true activities by posing as a legitimate cybersecurity company, but in reality it was secretly involved in financial espionage against American companies.
Despite high-profile arrests like Klyushin’s, experts like Javers warn that the threat to American companies is far from over. Ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West continue to play out in a variety of arenas, including financial markets.
In the documentary “Putin’s Trader,” Javers explores the threats being made to U.S. companies and the broader financial system. The documentary is complemented by a podcast series, “The Crimes of Putin’s Trader,” which delves into these issues, both intended to raise awareness of the ongoing financial warfare impacting global markets.
