The National Agency for Preventing Corruption (NAPC) has added Bacardi Limited, a Bermuda-based company that continues to do business in Russia, to the list of international war sponsors.
According to the NAPC website, Bacardi Limited is the world's largest private international alcohol company, with products sold in more than 170 countries. Among the company's well-known brands are Baron Otard, D'USSÉ; Bombay gin; Bacardi rum; Cazadores tequila; Grey Goose vodka, Eristoff; Dewar's, William Lawson's, Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Royal Brackla, Craigellachie, Angel's Envy whiskeys, and other drinks (Martini, St-Germain, Bénédictine).
In total, Bacardi owns more than 200 trademarks, including the company's eponymous rum, which is the world's best-selling rum brand.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company announced that it would stop exports to Russia and stop investing in advertising, but later this part of the message disappeared from its official statement. As a result, the company continued to supply millions of dollars worth of its products to Russia and to look for new employees by publishing job advertisements.
"The withdrawal of a number of leading international brand owners from the Russian alcohol market has reduced competition and created opportunities for those who remain. Thus, taking advantage of the situation, the Russian division of Bacardi Rus imported $169 million worth of goods during the year of war in Ukraine," the press release reads.
According to the website of the Federal Tax Service of Russia, Bacardi Rus's revenue in 2022 increased by 8.5% to RUB 32.6 billion and net profit to RUB 4.7 billion: this is 206.5% more than in 2021 (RUB 1.5 billion), and the company paid over USD 12 million in income tax to the Russian budget.