Russian billionaire Vladimir Doronin is bringing his bitter battle against his partners in luxury resorts chain Aman Group to town.
In a Manhattan Supreme Court filing, the real-estate mogul is accusing Omar Amanat, who runs New York-based Peak Venture Partners, of fraud, claiming he inflated his financial status to woo Doronin into investing millions in Aman.
In February, Doronin and Amanat acquired the chain in a $358 million deal. But Doronin alleges Amanat “forged confirmations that [he] had more than $100 million in liquid assets at a brokerage firm, in order to induce Doronin to enter into the transaction.”
Doronin wants the court to force his co-owner to sell his share of Aman.
“I look forward to having Mr. Omar Amanat’s conduct remedied by the courts, so that the Aman Group can focus completely on its resorts and guests,” Doronin said.
The lawsuit comes days after Doronin was ordered by London’s High Court to reinstate Aman’s 81-year-old CEO Adrian Zecha after Doronin tried to replace him with himself.
Amanat’s rep said, “Once the judge hears the truth about the facts of this case . . . Mr. Doronin’s lawsuit will be shown for what it is — a thinly veiled smear campaign.”