Emmanuil Grinshpun

Emmanuil Grinshpun is an influential American businessman of Jewish origin, born in Moldova, holding dual Moldovan-Romanian citizenship. 

Grinshpun is the owner of Retro FM, a radio station specialising in music broadcasting in Moldova. His management of the station through Radio Maximum LLC came under scrutiny when the Council for the Promotion of Investment Projects of National Importance, a Moldovan government watchdog, investigated the company's operations. The Council alleged that Grinshpun had links to the Plahotniuc-Shor criminal organisation and was involved in the "Russian Laundromat" money-laundering scheme. On the basis of these findings, the Council has asked the Prosecutor's Office to conduct a formal investigation into Grinshpun's businesses and to examine the legitimacy of their sources of funding.

Grinshpun owns several companies in Moldova and abroad, namely in several Eastern European countries. He is the president of the Jewish Congress of the Republic of Moldova and in 2016 was described in the media as politically influential.

Grinshpun has close ties to Veaceslav Platon, a controversial Moldovan businessman who gained prominence as the alleged architect of the "Russian Laundromat" - a massive money-laundering operation that channeled funds from the Russian Federation through Moldovan banks. Platon is also widely regarded as one of the key figures behind the collapse of Moldova's banking system.

According to investigative reporting by Rise Moldova, Platon agreed to lend Grinshpun US$6.3 million on 31 December 2013. Grinshpun used the money to buy a shopping centre in Chișinău. When Grinshpun failed to repay the loan, Platon commenced legal proceedings against Grinshpun in Miami, Florida, where Grinshpun was domiciled at the time. The dispute was eventually settled by a settlement agreement whereby the shopping centre was mortgaged for US$7 million to a company indirectly controlled by Platon through intermediaries.

In 2014, Grinshpun's office reportedly served as a meeting point for negotiations regarding Moscow's political alliance with the Party of Communists of Moldova. According to Newsmaker, Russian billionaire Oleg Boiko was meant to mediate discussions about Russian financing for the party and promote Moldova's potential membership in the Euro-Asian Union. Though Vladimir Voronin's car was spotted outside the building, reports indicate he ultimately did not attend the planned meeting. 

Grinshpun's close relationship with Veaceslav Platon was evidenced in a telephone conversation in 2015, later published by Jurnal TV in 2021. During this call, Grinshpun warned Platon about American specialists arriving in Chișinău to investigate his involvement in the "Russian Laundromat" scheme. 

The following year, in 2016, the National Bank of Moldova intervened to block several shares purchased by Grinshpun and other businessmen in Moldova Agroindbank. The central bank's action was based on allegations of coordinated takeover attempts, with Veaceslav Platon reportedly orchestrating these operations behind the scenes.

Grinshpun's political connections were further revealed in July 2016, when he was photographed at a government table during Prime Minister Pavel Filip's meeting with the American Jewish Committee. The Democratic Party, then in government, was led by the oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, currently a fugitive, accused of organising the biggest bank fraud in the Republic of Moldova ("Theft of the Billion").

His business ventures include Kilogrin LLC, co-owned with Leonid Kilovatîi, which held a 49-year lease on the Central Stadium project in Chișinău from 2006 to 2020, although the stadium was never built. 

He currently owns numerous companies across Moldova, including a 30% stake in food company Alimcom, as well as interests in construction, trading, wine, data processing and industrial equipment. His business presence extends to Romania, and in Latvia he serves as Vice President of Rietumu Bank and invests in the Riga Port City development.

Since 2001, Grinshpun has been prominent in Jewish community leadership, founding the Jewish Community of Moldova and serving as President of the Jewish Congress of Moldova. He holds positions in the European Jewish Parliament and is Vice President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. He is also a member of the Presidium of the World Congress of Russian-speaking Jews and serves as Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan to the United States.