Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hunter Biden & The Carlyle Group: Ukrainian Gasbags

Business Insider reported:

Hunter Biden, the youngest son of Vice President Joe Biden, has been appointed to the board of directors of Ukraine's largest private-gas producer. The company, Burisma Holdings, announced Biden's appointment on its website Tuesday.
Ex-lobbyist Hunter Biden has had many jobs, including a PEU position with Rosemont Capital's Real Estate arm.

Western energy companies want to turn Ukraine's energy business their way and Hunter Biden is in a unique position to facilitate such.

The Carlyle Group had the chops to get ethanol mandates dropped.  This came from another Pennsylvania Biden connection, Philadelphia Energy Systems.

Carlyle's European energy chief is extremely bullish and I can see why.  The EU could be one gigantic money funnel for Carlyle

Ukraine’s prime minister and European Union officials on Tuesday closed deals for a total of 1.3 billion euros ($1.78 billion) in EU assistance that Kiev could use to pay its energy bills, combat corruption and reform its institutions.

Carlyle just added a new member to its International Energy Partners team, one with UK oil and gas experience.  That's months after creating "a major new midstream energy business in North-West Europe."

CIEP is a key component of Carlyle’s global energy platform ($28 billion in AUM), which includes a strategic partnership with NGP Energy Capital Management (E&P investing in North America); Energy Mezzanine financing; energy infrastructure & power generation (Cogentrix); commodities (Vermillion); and the firm’s buyout capabilities in transactions such as Philadelphia Energy Solutions and Kinder Morgan.

CIEP would love to sell energy products to Ukraine and eventually own energy properties in a stable Ukraine.  Watch how Uncle Sam and the EU facilitate such a move.

Hunter Biden's appointment comes as the U.S. and much of the West has sought to help Ukraine wean off its dependence on Russia for oil and gas supplies. Last month during a trip to Kiev, the vice president pledged U.S. assistance in Ukraine's pursuit of energy independence from Russia. Ukraine and the West believe energy independence would serve as a major leverage point for Ukraine in its standoff with Russia.


The White House insults citizens who know opening up markets for American branded global corporations is the aim, not a strategic byproduct. It should be no surprise that PEU Biden and Carlyle stand to profit handsomely.  Their brazenness is shameless.

Update 5-14-14:  The U.S. taxpayer backstopped another $1 billion in loans to Ukraine.  Gazprom, Biden, Carlyle....

Update 6-22-14:  Carlyle's Claren Road hedge fund invested in Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, which has a huge LNG plant planned for Lousiana..

Update 10-17-14:  Hunter Biden tested positive for cocaine.  While crack cocaine users fill America's jail cells Hunter's punishment was discharge from his part time job with the Navy Reserves.

Update 11-30-14:  VP Joe Biden shared a Thanksgiving meal with Carlyle's Rubenstein. I'll venture Ukrainian gas was the subject of after dinner conversation.

Update 8-28-15:  Hunter Biden blames Russian agents for setting up a fake Ashley Madison account in his name.  How the Russians did this from Biden's office at Georgetown University is unclear.  Biden's people have no comment.

Update 6-29-19:  LNG is the latest weapon for U.S. imperialism and nobody does imperialism better than Carlyle. 

Update 9-28-19:  ZeroHedge reported Hunter Biden and his partner Devon Archer received $3 million from Burisma.  The story mentions opportunistic USAID funding.  

Update 12-18-20:  President Elect Joe Biden calls investigations into son Hunter "foul play." 

Update 7-13-21:  President Joe Biden's White House waded into Hunter's plan to sell his artwork for absurd prices by not revealing buyer's names and prices.  The White House ethics echo chamber is a volcanic crater.  It will set the Biden Presidency aflame.  Patience has never been Hunter's strong suit.

Update 9-23-21:  The Biden defense on Hunter's magic board member skills went into overdrive as father Biden ran for the Presidency.  NYPost raised concerns (previously shared by PEU Report) in 2020:

The New York Post, the nation's oldest newspaper, published two news reports on Joe Biden's activities in Ukraine and China that raised serious questions about his integrity and ethics: specifically whether he and his family were trading on his name and influence to generate profit for themselves.

Update 10-4-21:  Blue PEU Hunter Biden still owns 10% of a Chinese private equity firm through Skaneateles LLC.  Hunter is the sole owner of Skaneateles.  

Update 2-27-22:  Hunter's business dealings may go under the microscope.   

Update 3-1-22:  Biden partner Devon Archer was convicted of fraud for defrauding a Native American tribe.  Oddly, doing deals with Native Alaskans is how David Rubenstein got his Carlyle Group seed money.  

Update 1-24-23:  Rubenstein met with Hunter Biden, his dad and another PEU in February 2016.

During the first meeting — which took place on Feb. 12, 2016 — Jeff Zients, Hunter Biden, then-Vice President Biden met with David Rubenstein, a billionaire and founder of hundred-billion-dollar asset management firm The Carlye Group.

The other PEU is President Biden's next Chief of Staff. 

Update 2-17-23:  Hunter's art dealer suggested House Republicans ask the artist for information on the sale of his painting.  

Update 6-30-23:  A Senate subcommittee issued a September 2020 report on Hunter Biden's gorging at the insider money trough.  That boy can flat out eat.  It's PEU level greed.

Update 8-1-23:  ZeroHedge reported Hunter's partner Devon Archer shed light on Vice President Joe Biden's influence on the Burisma board appointment.  Archer said the family's "brand" had value at a time when the firm was facing corruption allegations. 

Update 12-8-23:  PEU cleanup on aisle 9.  Hunter Biden indicted on tax charges.

His gross income nevertheless totaled some $7 million between 2016 and 2020, prosecutors said, pointing to his roles on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma and a Chinese private equity fund as well as his position at a law firm.

Hunter did eventually file his taxes in 2020, while facing a child support case in Arkansas, and the back taxes were paid by a “third party,” prosecutors have said in court documents.