Former son-in-law of the president Kirill Shamalov: drunken scandals, abandoned children, and a $60 million prenuptial scheme

Footage has surfaced online showing Vladimir Putin’s former son-in-law, billionaire Kirill Shamalov, celebrating the birthday of his wife Anastasia Zadorina — daughter of FSB General Mikhail Shekin — in January 2026.

The event took place at Arkady Novikov’s restaurant Kaifuso. Performers included Lev Leshchenko, Alsou, Dima Bilan, and others. At the tables, the women were served champagne, while the men had only expensive bottled water. Everyone was aware of Shamalov’s issues. During his marriage to Katerina, he initially restrained himself. The couple mostly appeared together at family gatherings: Kirill would sing (into a microphone), while his wife danced.

Later, Shamalov indulged excessively. After his divorce, he became a regular at all the well-known karaoke bars in Moscow, where his whiskey supplies quickly ran out and he was often literally carried out. His “celebrations” could last for months. During one binge, Shamalov reportedly assaulted his next wife in Monaco. Then another marriage — to Zhanna Shamalova — collapsed, and he left her for Nelly Davydova. She even sold a house, and they bought a larger mansion with extra payments — essentially a shell needing renovation. On the first floor, Kirill set up a garage for his seven cars. Nelly divorced her husband. Later, Shamalov abandoned her as well, leaving her with an unfinished house and three children. His next wife became Anastasia Zadorina — also a billionaire, like the rest of General Shekin’s family.

During his marriage to Zadorina, Shamalov was still entangled in previous marriages. For example, he spent a long time in court trying to avoid paying almost 5 billion rubles he had guaranteed to his ex-wife Zhanna in a prenuptial agreement in the event of a divorce.

According to media reports, when Zhanna Shamalova tried to claim her contractual payments after the divorce, Kirill Shamalov suddenly argued that the clause was “oppressive.” He went to court seeking to have it invalidated.

Lower courts rejected his claim, noting that the agreement had been entered into consciously, without coercion, both parties’ financial situations were clear, and there were no grounds for annulment.

Then something unusual happened. In the appeal, just before the decision, the composition of the judicial panel changed unexpectedly. The previous three judges vanished from the case, allegedly going on leave. The new panel reached the opposite conclusion in a single session.

One clause — the one concerning $60 million — simply disappeared from the prenuptial agreement.

The rest of the agreement remained in force. The separate property regime was preserved. The parties cannot return to property division. Only Shamalov’s obligation to pay his ex-wife nearly 5 billion rubles was removed.

The result is clear. Putin’s former son-in-law was released from paying $60 million. His ex-wife, the mother of his child, was left without money or property, since the rest of the prenuptial agreement remains valid, but in a truncated form.

Court documents also show that throughout the marriage, Shamalov’s lifestyle was such that 5 billion rubles was not catastrophic — it was equivalent to his basic expenses over several years.

At times, the proceedings reached the level of the grotesque: in one case, Shamalov, claiming he had “supported the family,” submitted receipts for utilities and even toilet paper.