Franz Sedelmayer German entrepreneur Country: Germany

Biography of Franz Sedelmayer

Franz Sedelmayer is a German entrepreneur and the president and sole owner of Sedelmayer Group of Companies International Inc., registered in the United States. He was born in approximately 1963. In the early 1990s, Sedelmayer conducted business in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was involved in supplying special equipment to the German army and police. He also had plans to equip Russian police officers and establish a private security company in Russia.

In 1992, Sedelmayer's company, Sedelmayer Group of Companies International Inc. (SGC International), was mentioned in the Russian press. It was reported that Sedelmayer collaborated with the St. Petersburg Police Department to supply imported special equipment to the police and commercial enterprises. The police department provided land and a mansion on Kamenny Island as part of the joint venture.

Sedelmayer claimed that Vladimir Putin, who was working in the Mayor's Office at the time, visited him on Kamenny Island. They supposedly collaborated on organizing a special unit called "Grad" for the Goodwill Games in 1994.

In 1993, Sedelmayer's company became one of the founders of the Regional Fund for Entrepreneurship and Personality Security. However, the police department withdrew from the project later due to a ban on state organizations engaging in commercial activities.

In 1995, Sedelmayer's mansion on Kamenny Island became the presidential residence after being transferred to the Administration of the President of Russia. Sedelmayer contested this decision in court. In 1996, he won the case in the International Arbitration Court in Stockholm, which ruled that Russia should pay him compensation of $2.5 million. The Berlin Higher Court then issued an enforcement order based on this verdict.

Despite the court's decision, Russia refused to pay the compensation, stating that the mansion and land were federal property and not under the jurisdiction of the city administration. Sedelmayer attempted to seize Russian assets in Germany, but these attempts were unsuccessful.

In 2006, Sedelmayer finally succeeded in seizing a building previously owned by the Russian Trade Representation in Cologne. The estimated value of the building was $40 million, while Russia's debts to Sedelmayer had reached around $5 million.

In 2009, Sedelmayer attempted to seize the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Berlin. However, the court ruled that the building was being used for sovereign purposes by the Russian Federation and canceled the confiscation order.

Sedelmayer also made attempts to seize Russian state-owned assets in Sweden, but these efforts did not result in success.

Throughout his legal battles, Sedelmayer has been determined to receive compensation from Russia for the property and funds owed to him.