Gazprom members, such as Chernomyrdin and the Gazprom Chief Executive Officer, Rem Viakhirev, engaged in asset-stripping. Gazprom assets were shared amongst their relatives. Itera, a gas trading company also received Gazprom assets. In March 1998, for reasons unrelated to his activities at Gazprom, Chernomyrdin was fired by Yeltsin. On 30 June 1998, Chernomyrdin was made Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom. When, in June 2000, Vladimir Putin became the President of Russia, he acted to gain control over Russia's oligarchs, and increase the Government of Russia's control in important companies through a program of national champions. Putin fired Chernomyrdin
Gazprom Neft not represent the sale price of Mr. Berezovsky’s and Mr. Patarkatsishvili’s alleged Sibneft interest, but rather was a final lump sum payment in order to discharge what Mr. Abramovich regarded as his "krysha" obligations." The principal owner of Gazprom Neft is OAO Gazprom, which controls 95.68% of the company's shares, while the remaining 4.32% are publicly traded. 20% of Gazprom Neft's shares were originally owned by the Italian oil and gas company Eni before being purchased by Gazprom for $4.1 billion in April 2009. Alexander Dyukov is CEO and Chairman of the management Board. Alexey Miller is Chairman of the