Kremlin’s nominee in Trump’s deal: fraudster Anton Postolnikov and his secret patrons

The name of Postolnikov surfaced in a case that the U.S. Federal Court considered at the end of 2023 regarding securities fraud. Charges were brought against three U.S. citizens suspected of sharing information about the upcoming merger of Trump Media with Digital World Acquisition with friends, allowing everyone who knew about it before a public announcement of the deal to make a lot of money.

Among those who received this information and profited from it was Anton Postolnikov, a dual Russian-American citizen, who is referred to in court documents as “a Russian-American businessman from Miami.” Court documents indicate that Anton Postolnikov, having used information about the upcoming deal, made numerous investments in Digital World in September and October 2021, before the merger was announced. Within a week after the announcement, he sold his assets for a profit of approximately $22.8 million. At the time The Miami Herald published an article about the deal and the role of Anton Postolnikov in this fraudulent transaction, it was known that he had testified but no charges were brought against him.

Soon after, Donald Trump became the President of the United States, naturally leading the case and public interest to wane. However, the interest here lies not in the deal itself, whose participants earned tens of millions of dollars, but in the person of Anton Postolnikov. The Miami Herald reported, “Anton Postolnikov is the owner of the Dominican Paxum Bank, from which Trump Media received 8 million dollars in 2021, which saved it from bankruptcy.”

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The article also mentions that Anton Postolnikov is the nephew of Alexander Smirnov, a former Deputy Minister of Justice of Russia, who worked for five years in the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is further known that Postolnikov is the CEO and majority shareholder of the British fintech company Dek-Co, which manages the payment company Paydek. Companies associated with Postolnikov and his wife, Olga, have owned real estate in Miami for decades.

However, no further details about Anton Postolnikov’s personality are provided. It seems American journalists were not keen to dig deeper into his ties with Alexander Smirnov. However, exploring Russian sources raises more questions than it provides answers. This is because the information from these sources contradicts that obtained from well-respected sources like The Miami Herald and The Washington Post.

American sources suggest that although Anton Postolnikov is questionable, he is nonetheless a significant businessman connected to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Russian sources corroborate the connection to Putin’s circle but offer a completely opposite view regarding Postolnikov’s business talents, labeling him as a small-time con artist who failed and fled to America under the threat of a legal prosecution.

As reported by the Russian press, Anton Postolnikov fled to the U.S. in 2017 following the opening of a criminal case in St. Petersburg concerning fraud and tax evasion against the owners of “Media Group Express Service” and “PB Technology,” which had inflicted damages worth tens of millions of rubles to the state. The owner of the first company is Elena Smirnova, the wife of that very Alexander Smirnov mentioned in American media. The latter is a co-owner in her company “PB Technology.” According to the Russian press, Anton Postolnikov is the son of Elena Smirnova’s sister.

Regarding Anton Postolnikov’s independent business in Russia, it concerns LLC “Street Car,” which Postolnikov promoted as a “startup for 24-hour car rentals in St. Petersburg.” The firm had a fleet of 70 cars that Anton Postolnikov did not purchase but received as settlements from one of his partners in another business at LLC "BaltAvtoTrade." However, LLC “Street Car” did not survive for more than three years, going bankrupt in 2017.

After this, Postolnikov’s name appeared in the aforementioned criminal case, and he hid in the U.S.  However, his initial years in this country are puzzling in the context of financing Trump’s business with eight million dollars and the subsequent insider trading involving another Trump company, which came under investigation by the U.S. Federal Court. The earliest steps in his American business gave no indication that he would be a future banker and millionaire — he was involved in ordinary crypto scamming and information peddling, selling common scams associated with cryptocurrencies. Anton Postolnikov mainly targeted the Russian-speaking diaspora, although he wasn’t above targeting compatriots back in his distant homeland.

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Such information is widespread across the internet, still appearing in search results for “Anton Postolnikov.” However, when comparing the dates Anton Postolnikov was engaged in “crypto guru” activities, with the dates of money transfers to Trump Media and using insider information on the upcoming Trump Media and Digital World Acquisition merger, on which Anton Postolnikov earned nearly 23 million dollars, new questions arise.

This is because these events were happening simultaneously. That is to say, at the same time, Anton Postolnikov was involved in straightforward info peddling and scam sales and was the owner of Paxum Bank, transferring eight million dollars to Trump, as well as purchasing shares in Digital World Acquisition, from selling which he earned enormous sums. And he didn’t buy them blindly but had precise information from Trump’s close circle.

These two facts don’t align: on one side, Anton Postolnikov appears as a small and fairly primitive scam artist, fleeing from legal proceedings in his homeland to the U.S.; on the other side, this same person emerges as a truly significant and shrewd businessman with considerable resources at his disposal. Moreover, these resources have an overt connection to the ruling elite of Russia and its special services.

From this, it can be inferred that the information about Anton Postolnikov the "crypto guru" was deliberately disseminated and served as a cover operation for his actual activities. Although the reverse scenario is possible — Anton Postolnikov might actually be a small-time scammer whom the Russian special services use as a mere facade.

Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Anton Postolnikov is truly a major businessman as depicted in the American press investigating the fraudulent merger deal between Trump Media and Digital World Acquisition, in which information about Postolnikov and his 8 million dollar investment in Trump’s company emerged. Especially since the bank in question, allegedly owned by Anton Postolnikov, is implicated in a history involving the receipt of payments for adult content traffic.

Most likely, Anton Postolnikov is merely a nominal figure, a front in the public sphere for enterprises owned by Russian elites steeped in crime and special services. Who exactly maintained connections with Trump’s circle and with whom specifically — is unknown. Like who made the decisions to provide Trump’s company with the crucial 8 million dollars that saved it from bankruptcy. It’s also unknown whether Anton Postolnikov himself initiated the acquisition of Digital World Acquisition shares, on which he made 23 million dollars. And to whom these millions actually went is unknown as well.

Other operations conducted through the Dominican Paxum Bank, which allegedly belongs to Anton Postolnikov, also remain unknown. Questions also arise regarding the property in the U.S. registered under Postolnikov’s name. Since his entire “big business” story in the U.S. reeks terribly and is evidently tangled in the finances of Russian elites long intertwined with power, special services, and crime to the point of convolutedness.

In any case, the figure of Anton Postolnikov, perceived at home as a small-time scammer and in the U.S. as a banker and major businessman, raises more questions than there are answers.