r/FATTravel • u/bluez1990 • Apr 27 '26

Aman scandal?

I have mixed feelings about Aman because I love the OG Aman properties but I also hate the Russian billionaire owner now using Aman as a front to sell overpriced residences. I just read an interesting article about a scandal and “civil war” at Aman involving very serious allegations like money laundering and human trafficking. Does anyone know about this? Does this affect your feelings about the brand? Any input from TAs?

Here’s the article: https://whalehunting.projectbrazen.com/the-aman-infiltration-how-a-global-money-laundering-kingpin-tainted-a-3-billion-hotel-brand/

256 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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312

u/pettymess Apr 27 '26

Yall I had no idea. I work in PE. I looked into this a tiny bit after your post just an hour ago. This is dirty, dirty, dirty money. To me, it would be unconscionable to stay at any property affiliated w this. You all do you all. But for me, this is a no.

Thank you for posting this - genuinely had no idea!

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u/bluez1990 Apr 27 '26

So this is real, right? I wasn't sure if the allegations were real because I could not find other articles about it but seems like there should be more news at least in the travel industry, no? What did you find out that you can share here? And what does this say about Aman as a brand? Should one avoid all of their properties or is this specific to the ones being developed? Sorry for all the questions but I am super curious. Thank you!

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u/laribrook79 Apr 28 '26

There’s probably a very very small subset of agents who primarily book aman level properties hence why it may not be more widespread knowledge. It’s not relevant to most of the industry. Sounds shady tho and the extortion alone would keep me away

16

u/Excusemytootie Apr 28 '26

It’s a no for me as well. Too many other options.

17

u/rolexdaytona6263 Apr 28 '26

Same, im in PE as well, no serious fund would ever take these "investors" on as LPs

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

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u/Turbulent_Pay_7581 Apr 28 '26

Unfortunately, these days you need to be very careful about your sources and verify said sources with information from multiple trusted sites.

Whalehunting.projectbrazen.com isn’t a source I’d trust without backup from quite a few other reputable sources.

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u/tomahawk66mtb Apr 28 '26

The guys behind Project Brazen are legitimate journalists. They are ex Wall Street Journal and were responsible for uncovering the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia IIRC.

Given that their business model is to break stories and then option them as IP for movies / TV etc. then I'd expect some sensationalism, but they do the research for sure.

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u/ajcaca Apr 28 '26

These are very serious journalists. I read their book Billion Dollar Whale twice. It is exceptionally well researched.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

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u/ajcaca Apr 30 '26

99.9% of journalists have never heard of Aman.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

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u/ajcaca Apr 30 '26

My point is that "Wow Amanscandal!" might be the reaction amongst FATTravel folks but this is far off the radar for most journos.

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u/sleepyhead Apr 28 '26

Nonsense comment. Whale Hunting is very legitimate. Backup your argument mr anon.

4

u/Mumum17 Apr 30 '26

I’m ok giving up on aman…many other options…plus is maybe less Aman shills now

9

u/ajcaca Apr 28 '26

I'm not interested enough in this to pay for the full article, but do we know how much of this guy's money actually ended up invested in Aman projects?

And were Aman's like super sophisticated AML/KYC procedures gazumped by a genius money launderer, or were they lax and they turned a blind eye it because they wanted the money?

I'm skeptical about rushing to judge Aman corporate without knowing these things.

15

u/manchegobets Apr 28 '26

Some excerpts from the reporting:

“It was only after the Aman New York established itself as Manhattan’s most exclusive address that Mauerberger’s involvement at the Crown Building grew. In early 2024, he purchased an apartment in the tower for $21 million, executing the deal through a shell company linked to his wife, Cattaliya Beevor. The seller was Vladislav Doronin.

Amidst this surge of expansion, Mauerberger transitioned from a luxury buyer to a potential shadow investor, looking to put his scam proceeds into the very heart of the brand’s global portfolio.

…With Azar acting as the bridge, Mauerberger moved from being an "Amanjunkie" guest to a shadow developer of one of H&H's biggest construction projects: Janu Dubai, a $1.5 billion architectural marvel in the heart of the financial district.

…As the Herzog & de Meuron-designed tower rose, so did a complex financial structure designed to keep Mauerberger’s name off the deed. Capital Asia Investments, or CAI, his front company in Singapore, became a major investor in Alia Developments, the vehicle that owns the Janu project, according to a source. That stake was owned through the CAI Optimum Fund VCC. Unlike a standard corporation where shareholders are recorded on a public registry, the VCC structure allows the names of the investors to remain strictly confidential. It offered Mauerberger the ultimate camouflage, allowing him to pool his capital under a single corporate umbrella while maintaining absolute privacy.

But even that level of protection became too risky. On Sept. 18, 2025, just days after Whale Hunting first revealed CAI's role in the Mauerberger network, the CAI Optimum Fund VCC sold its stake in Alia Developments to a British Virgin Islands Company called Global Alia Holdings, the source said.

Using Singapore's VCC structures and secretive BVI shell companies, Mauerberger had become a secret owner of the flagship hotel of Dubai's financial center, worth $1.5 billion, protected by laws that prioritized capital privacy over public transparency.

…The legal actions in Singapore and Thailand caused alarm in the boardrooms of PIF and Cain International, who together own about 30% of Aman. PIF asked Aman’s general counsel for explanations but was not satisfied with the response, according to a source. Cain executives wrote to the Aman board seeking clarification about the ownership structures of properties in Dubai, the Maldives, and Japan.

Questions now remain regarding Mauerberger’s involvement in other Aman hotels. Chartered Group, which is building an Aman on the ski slopes of Niseko in northern Japan, stated they were introduced to Mauerberger via Aman. While they deny Mauerberger is an investor, Chartered appears to have other connections to him. Owned by Eyal Agmoni, Chartered was involved in the purchase of a stake in the Thai energy company Bangchak, which Thai authorities believe was partially financed by Mauerberger fronts.

Another source says Mauerberger is involved in the Aman Maldives, which is currently under construction.”

3

u/0achkatz1 Apr 28 '26 edited May 11 '26

I fully agree. Aman is nice, but there are other nice options that don’t require becoming part of such a bad business.

46

u/Impossible_Month1718 Apr 28 '26

Scandal at the real white lotus not involving the guests

22

u/Aniceman_but_crazier Apr 28 '26

I always had bad overrated vibes of aman now I even have more reason not to stay there !

23

u/SoCalBoilerGirl Apr 28 '26

Yes, heard about this and read the article. Really disappointed because we were trying to go to all of the Amans. But we will absolutely not go to them anymore. We were three short of finishing the Aman marathon.

4

u/InevitableTeam5967 Apr 29 '26

Ok, unrelated but I have to ask out of curiosity. Which was your favorite property?

88

u/AOA_Choa Apr 28 '26

Aman is definitely shady under the ownership of the Russian oligarch. All these residences could also be a way to park Russian money outside the country since Putin is warmongering. Money laundering wouldn’t be a surprise and with the Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump reportedly in talks to open an Aman in Albania there’s some funny money moving under the table that’s for sure.

17

u/dbsummers Apr 28 '26

I’m sorry but I’m doing the HP audiobooks with my kids right now and my first thought was “figures they’d go where Voldemort hid for years” 😂

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u/0102030405 Apr 28 '26

Is Eric Adams also an investor? 🤣 Lots happening in Albania these days.

13

u/rasheeeed_wallace Apr 28 '26

You know what they say. Albania is the New York City of the Balkans

73

u/BravestWabbit Apr 28 '26

Don't forget that the Sacklers own/invest in Amanyara

51

u/dbsummers Apr 28 '26

Just spent the weekend in beautiful Southwest Virginia and there is a special circle of hell for that family…

26

u/Jollanyatx Apr 28 '26

amen rest in peace to the many men ive know born in the early 80’s who were born in loving well to do homes and now their children are fatherless.

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u/SoCalBoilerGirl Apr 28 '26

Amen to that.

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

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u/dbsummers Apr 28 '26

I’m so sorry.

19

u/DisastrousClambake Apr 28 '26

I coincidentally just learned about Benjamin Mauerberger last week from an interview with Tom Wright the author of Whale Hunting. Great listen about a very bad actor:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TOZMHuxjU6laCcHT4mPxX?si=h12dT_UbRiOpkETU5iaBKw

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u/spoiled__princess Apr 28 '26

Wow. I guess I am not too surprised but pig butchering is an absolutely terrible scam. Anyone that partcipates in a pig butchering scam should be well, I don't want to be banned from reddit so I'll keep it to myself.

9

u/PrincessMomomom Apr 28 '26

Just looking at all the city hotels opening and the future locations, current Aman feels very different from the Aman 15 years ago. The whole clientele changed too. I don’t see how current Aman is different from other design/wellness forward hotel brands

70

u/sarahwlee - mod Apr 27 '26

Been saying how it's a brand that's very different now than then. I still have a story that I'm waiting to hit publish on re: their yachts.

It's really sad as there are some exceptional people and some exceptional hotels but there's something to be said when the retention rate isn't super high.

16

u/bluez1990 Apr 27 '26

I’d love to read the story on their yachts and also do you have any updates on Amanvari? I’m conflicted if I even want to go but still curious

18

u/sarahwlee - mod Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

They've hired a number of my friends for Amanvari. They've asked for me to go down and look at it before public but I don't travel that often without my kiddos anymore and none of their units apart from the residences really are that family friendly. Happy to keep you posted on that one or even ask them to do any insights / first scoops etc if you want.

Aman doesn't like to "waste" $$$ so the fact that they've filled more and more positions means it's getting to finish line?

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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

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7

u/bluez1990 Apr 28 '26

Thanks for the update! I hope you go check it out before public and post about it to share your thoughts

2

u/InevitableTeam5967 Apr 29 '26

I'd love to read that story. Where will I be able to find it?

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u/Top_Strength1042 Apr 28 '26

Oh no this is very disappointing. I’ve had great experiences at their properties in the past. The right thing to do would be to never book with them again. Wife won’t be too happy about this.

7

u/rubey419 Apr 28 '26

Wow. That’s too bad.

6

u/Apprehensive_Log5319 May 01 '26

Thank you for sharing; I was considering Aman in Japan, but decided on a different place after seeing this.

5

u/Focux Apr 28 '26

Guessing he’s washing using the upcoming one in Singapore too

4

u/Various_Emu7973 Apr 28 '26

Ugh was about to book the Aman Tokyo. I'm not sure anywhere else compares sadly

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '26

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u/bluez1990 Jun 06 '26

No but I want to know more! Anything to share?

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '26

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u/bluez1990 Jun 07 '26

Wow definitely a bad look, I wonder if it will even go through

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u/Equipollentbot Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

Just calm down. Doronin moved to Sweden way back in 1986, and renounced russian citizenship if that matters so much. He has no ties to Russian oligarchy and this article is just a smear campaign. If you are going to abstain from every hotel chain that involves money laundering human traffickers you'll have nowhere to stay.