A German-US supermarket billionaire who disappeared hiking years ago is reportedly living with a Russian mistress in Moscow, an investigator has gathered.

How He Vanished

The tycoon Karl-Erivan Haub, then 58, who would now be aged 64, was training for a ski mountaineering race when he disappeared in April 2018 in Zermatt, Switzerland not knowing it was a decoy to stage his death.

He was last seen heading up the mountain in a lift one morning alone and never returned to his hotel. Back then, his trainer found it strange for a man who was typically very safety and well-prepared.

All efforts to find him failed as he could not be found, despite a six-day search which saw five helicopters and teams of alpine rescuers canvassed the area.

How Court Declared Him Dead

Three years later, Cologne court declared him dead, leaving behind a wife, two children and a company of some 75,000 employees.

The decoy was so perfect that his younger brother Christian swore in a courtroom in 2021 there was no indication the Alpinist, whose net worth was estimated at £5.2 billion, remained alive.

Now, the twist! A major investigation led by German broadcaster RTL claims to have identified Haub in Moscow – and believes the Alpinist is there with a much younger mistress named Veronika Ermilova.

Now his brother Christian is subject to an investigation by the Cologne prosecutor’s office on suspicion of making false statements under oath, according to RTL.

Christian assumed control of the Tengelmann Group after his brother’s disappearance, and claimed to have commissioned a security service to investigate the ‘rumours’ he was still alive.

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What Investigations Revealed

Investigation so far revealed Haub called Ermilova’s phone 13 times in the three days before he disappeared in 2018.

The calls were substantial ones – one lasting more than an hour – leading to suspicions he was plotting to fake his death with help from Moscow and Ermilova.

Who is Haub Mistress, Ermilova?

The investigation found that Ermilova, 44, ran an ‘inconspicuous’ event agency in St. Petersburg, which organised skiing, hiking and climbing excursions for outdoor enthusiasts – but she is also suspected of being involved with Russia‘s FSB security service. 

She is now listed on LinkedIn as a Marketing Director at Russian Event, which is styled as a travel experience company. 

An investigation by Tengelmann later revealed that Haub’s life was closely intertwined with the enigmatic Ermilova, who is believed to be some twenty years Haub’s junior and was described as ‘a slim, athletic woman with shoulder-length brown hair, dark eyes, and open smile’.

Investigators suggested that she ‘may work for the Russian domestic secret service FSB’, although stressed this ‘cannot be proven’.

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Pattern Shows They’re Always Together

‘What can be proven, however, is that she is always in the same places at the same time as Karl-Erivan Haub,’ said the report.

‘In July 2008, both were in Moscow and Sochi within a few days… In May 2009, both travelled on the same night train from Moscow to St Petersburg, in separate compartments. The trips were booked at the same time and by the same person.

‘Strange too: [Ermilova] came to Moscow the day before just to take the train back home,’ the intelligence gathered.

‘Further overlaps of short trips by Haub and [Ermilova] can be found for stays in Omsk (2010), Sochi (2011), Baku (2014) and Moscow (2015, 2017).’

Haub was the former managing director and part owner of German supermarket and retail giant Tengelmann Group.