By Alex Gershteyn
The CEO of Integral Group is known for his high-profile public appearances and global business network. Behind the scenes, a complex web of lawsuits, nominee companies, and financial schemes emerges.
Murat Seitnepesov at Caspian Week in 2020
CEO of Integral Group: A High-Profile Businessman
Murat Seitnepesov, the CEO of Integral Group, is a familiar name in media reports. His company operates in commodity trading and logistics sectors, with a presence in several countries, including Switzerland, the UAE, and the UK.
Seitnepesov’s public persona is bolstered by his frequent participation in high-profile conferences related to trade, finance, and oil and gas transportation. His speaking engagements include appearances at prominent events such as the Future Investment Initiative Summit in Saudi Arabia and the Horasis Global Meeting in Turkey. He was also a speaker at the Saudi American Healthcare Forum, which has seen the likes of Henry Kissinger and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Connections to Influential Figures
Throughout his career, Seitnepesov has built connections with various prominent figures, including politicians, businessmen, and journalists. One of his most notable associates is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and CEO of DP World. Seitnepesov refers to Sulayem as a “good friend” who has assisted him with investments in the DMCC, including the launch of Integral Supply and Trading DMCC.
This Dubai-based venture, alongside Integral Commodities SA, claims to be the world’s first B2B online store that facilitates entirely online transactions. The project reportedly operates in partnership with DP World, one of the largest port operators in the world.
Seitnepesov has even suggested that the CEO of the World Trade Organization (WTO), possibly referring to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has shown interest in his B2B project.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Organizer of International Conferences
n addition to his business endeavors, Seitnepesov has played a role in organizing significant conferences. His Caspian Week conference has attracted influential speakers, such as Sardor Umurzakov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan; Blanca Anggela Zutta, Information Management Specialist at the WTO; and former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matthew Bryza.
Some of Seitnepesov’s business partners and supporters include key figures in the global business community, such as Frank-Jürgen Richter, chairman of Horasis, and Klaus Schwab, head of the World Economic Forum.
Family Ties and Swiss Connections
Seitnepesov’s wife, Shirin Seitnepesova, also maintains a public profile. She is involved in several Swiss commodity trading clubs, where she connects with figures like Jean-Paul Periat, President of Herculis Partners SA, and Mariam Almaszade, CEO of SOCAR Trading S.A. These networks in Switzerland appear to benefit both Seitnepesov and his business ventures.
Shirin Seitnepesova
Lawsuits and Allegations Behind the Success
Despite the glossy image presented through media appearances and conferences, a darker side to Murat Seitnepesov’s business dealings has surfaced. Behind the scenes, there are numerous lawsuits involving Seitnepesov and his companies, along with allegations of money laundering and deceiving business partners. While reports of these legal troubles are not widespread in the media, they represent a growing body of evidence against him.
Seitnepesov has reportedly tried to distance himself from these legal challenges by obscuring the ownership of the companies he controls. In many cases, nominees and relatives—such as his wife, Shirin, and brother, Bayram—are listed as the official managers or directors of his various entities. This approach minimizes the risk of his personal assets being targeted in court.
Shrouded Ownership: How Seitnepesov Hides Behind Nominees
Murat Seitnepesov has reportedly taken extensive measures to distance himself from legal challenges by concealing his direct involvement in the companies he controls. To shield his assets from potential court-ordered seizures, Seitnepesov has blurred the lines between himself and the various entities tied to legal proceedings. While his name appears only in a handful of legal registries in Switzerland and the UK, behind the scenes, Seitnepesov manages a vast web of businesses through nominees and family members, such as his wife, Shirin, and brother, Bayram. These individuals serve as figureheads, allowing Seitnepesov to avoid direct legal exposure while still reaping the benefits of his operations.
This strategy appears to be designed to minimize the risk of losing property in court battles. Despite his absence from public documentation, Seitnepesov is known to exercise de facto control over companies within Integral Group and beyond. His influence extends to an array of businesses in Switzerland, where his close associates, such as Bruno Bottone and Julia Marano, manage companies in sectors ranging from oil sales and transportation to logistics and finance.
A Network of Hidden Affiliations
One such example is Bottone’s management of Integral Services SA, a Swiss firm with no public affiliation to Integral Group on any official platforms, but which is, in practice, reportedly controlled by Seitnepesov. Bottone also holds board positions in six other Swiss companies, including Caspian Container Company SA, a logistics arm of Integral Group. Bottone’s involvement doesn’t stop there; he is also a key figure in Vinclass Oil Trading SA, which has business ties to Integral Group, particularly through shared clients in Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Vinclass Oil Trading also operates a branch in Uzbekistan, further evidence of Seitnepesov’s expanding influence in Central Asia.
Julia Marano, another close associate, has served Seitnepesov’s interests for years. Between 2012 and 2016, she was a key employee at Integral Petroleum SA. Though she officially stepped away from companies linked to Seitnepesov in 2024, her current role in a UAE-based oil trading firm suggests she continues to act as a proxy for his operations. Despite her attempts to distance herself, Marano remains active in the same industries and geographies where Seitnepesov’s businesses thrive, raising questions about her ongoing ties to his ventures.
Julia Marano
Nominees and the Global Cover-Up
Bottone and Marano are just two of the many nominees operating on behalf of Seitnepesov. His complex network spans multiple countries, making it difficult to trace the full extent of his business empire. In critical moments, these nominees not only manage companies but also strategically break up the web of interconnected firms. This ensures that in the event of scandals or legal issues, the trail does not lead directly back to Seitnepesov, protecting his public image and insulating him from the fallout of any criminal or civil investigations.
The intricate network of nominees, shell companies, and fragmented ownership structures paints a picture of a businessman keen to safeguard his assets while keeping his involvement in controversial ventures out of public view.
If you have any information about Murat Seitnepesov or the companies associated with him, please contact us at [email protected]. Your input could greatly assist our ongoing investigation, which is far from over.
Our thanks go to the team at https://AssetTracing.com for their assistance in preparing this investigation