Andrew’s £15m Mansion Sale Linked to Loan from Oligarch Amid Corruption Concerns

An investigation has revealed that former Prince Andrew received millions from a Kazakh oligarch through funds connected to a company implicated in a bribery scheme.

Timur Kulibayev, a billionaire and son-in-law of Kazakhstan’s former president, used a loan from Enviro Pacific Investments to help purchase Andrew’s former mansion, Sunninghill Park, for £15 million. Italian prosecutors had previously concluded that Enviro Pacific had received cash tied to a corruption case, although Kulibayev has denied any wrongdoing and stated that the funds were legitimate.

The mansion, a 12-bedroom property given to Andrew by the Queen in 1986, was sold in 2007 after several failed attempts to find a buyer. Kulibayev paid significantly above the asking price, reportedly £3 million over, and later demolished the property to build a new mansion, which remains unoccupied.

Experts have raised concerns over whether the former prince’s advisers conducted proper checks, noting red flags including the buyer’s high-profile position, use of complex offshore companies, and the unusually high purchase price. Money laundering specialist Tom Keatinge said the deal should have prompted careful scrutiny to avoid potential involvement with illicit funds.

At the time of the sale, the UK government was aware of widespread corruption in Kazakhstan. Parliamentary anti-corruption champion Margaret Hodge called for a thorough investigation, emphasizing that no individual is above the law.

Neither Andrew nor Buckingham Palace has commented, while Kulibayev’s lawyers maintain that all procedures were properly followed and the funds used to purchase Sunninghill were legal.

The revelations have renewed scrutiny of royal property dealings and the due diligence practices in transactions involving high-value offshore buyers.