Deripaska: Elementary error

Oleg Deripaska suggests he is not worried about Russia’s decision to scrap bailouts for oligarchs. Yet one of his companies is keen to get state aid from the UK government. The situation looks topsy-turvey. Deripaska’s biggest problem is Rusal, the aluminium producer that is the cornerstone of his Basic Element empire. It owes $14bn to domestic and foreign banks in roughly equal measure, and recently needed to borrow $4.5bn from the Russian government to avoid having its 25% stake in Norilsk Nic...