Software czar's son kidnapped, 3 million euro ransom sought
The 20-year-old son of Russia's one of the richest software moguls has been abducted and his abductors are demanding a ransom of three million euro.
Ivan Kaspersky, 20, son of computer security software giant Kaspersky Lab owner Yevgeny Kaspersky was kidnapped on April 19, according to web-based Life.ru news portal.
It said Kaspersky senior was in London, where he received a phone call from abductors, who asked for 3 million euro ransom. The business tycoon flew to Moscow soon after and the matter has been kept top secret to protect the security of Ivan Kaspersky.
"Russian Interior Ministry and Moscow police personnel are checking information that unidentified persons abducted son of well-known entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky," RIA Novosti quoted an interior ministry source.
Yevgeny Kaspersky, who set up the globally known Kaspersky Labs anti-virus software, ranks 125th among Russia's 200 richest and according to Forbes has a personal fortune of USD 800 million. He founded the company along with his wife Natalya Kasperskaya, whom he has divorced now.
In a statement issued today on behalf its mentor Kaspersky Lab has urged the media to stop speculations. "Kaspersky Lab calls on the media to stop spreading rumours and speculation about the events related to the family members of Yevgeny Kaspersky.
Yevgeny Kaspersky is working normally, but he commented that the information being circulated is harmful for his company," the statement said. Ivan Kaspersky a mathematics student at Moscow State University, was abducted close to the office where he works as a programmer.
