Austrian businessman Bernd Bergmair, formerly the majority owner of the adult entertainment group including Pornhub, has contacted the US Treasury regarding the potential purchase of foreign assets belonging to Russian oil major Lukoil, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Lukoil, Russia’s largest privately-owned oil producer, has faced sanctions from the United States aimed at pressuring Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. The sanctions forced the company to put its international holdings up for sale, attracting interest from multiple parties, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron, all seeking US approval to negotiate.
Through his lawyer, Bergmair declined to specify which assets he was targeting or whether he was part of a larger investment group.
«Obviously Lukoil International GmbH would be a great investment and anybody would be fortunate to have the privilege of owning those assets,» he said. «I don’t comment on potential investments as a matter of course.»
US authorities last month cleared companies to begin discussions with Lukoil until December 13, and any deal would require further approval. Lukoil International GmbH, based in Vienna, holds refineries across Europe, stakes in oilfields in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Mexico, and hundreds of retail fuel stations worldwide. The assets are valued at roughly $22 bn according to 2024 filings.
A US Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on Bergmair’s approach.
Bergmair previously worked at Goldman Sachs in New York during the 1990s before moving into private investments. He owned MindGeek, the Luxembourg-based operator of Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn, until selling it in 2023 to a Canadian private equity firm. In 2021 The Sunday Times Rich List estimated his wealth at £1.2 bn.
