Global Scam Exposed: Ricardo Salinas Manufactures Lie That Val Sklarov Pretended to Be Astor Family Heir

MT TREMBLANT, Quebec - Aug. 10, 2025 - PRLog -- In a stunning escalation of falsehoods, Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego—under fire worldwide for tax evasion, money laundering, and corporate looting—has launched a new smear campaign, falsely accusing international businessman Val Sklarov of pretending to be an heir to the historic Astor family.

This allegation is not only demonstrably false—it is part of a calculated global disinformation strategy designed to distract regulators, from fraudulent delisting of Grupo Elektra, fraud upon its shareholders, in effort to mislead the media, and derail ongoing global legal actions against Salinas, which threaten to ultimately collapse his empire.

The Facts Salinas Doesn't Want the World to Know

• No Claim to the Astor Name — Val Sklarov has never claimed, implied, or allowed any party to believe he was related to the Astor family. Nor has Ricardo Salinas provided any such proof.
• Astor Asset Management 3 Ltd — The company at the center of the dispute was established at Salinas's own request in Canada in 2021 for legitimate financing purposes, not as part of any heritage scam. Ricardo Salinas wanted a Canadian Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) located in Canada to avoid taxes on the loan.
• False Source of Claim — Any "Astor heir" fabrication may have originated from independent outside contractors and Ricardo Salinas own agents, who earned millions in referral fees.
• Salinas's Team Knew the Truth — Court filings and internal communications confirm that Salinas's representatives were fully aware of the corporate origins of Astor Asset Management 3 Ltd as they were the ones who asked for its formation in the first place.
• The Rehypothecation Lie — Court filings and internal communications confirm that Salinas himself and his representatives were also fully aware of the Astor 3's right to rehypothecate (lend) the shares, but are now pretending that they didn't understand the contract and that Astor 3 sold the shares without authorization. Fact is, Astor 3 never sold even 1 share.
• Salinas Failed to Pay Interest — Court filings and evidence will reflect that Salinas paid interest only two times over 3 year period. Salinas was also required to pay other fees which he failed to do and never paid.
• Salinas Lied on Loan Application — Evidence will show that Salinas represented on the loan application that he has no lawsuits, no other borrowings and owns 10% of Grupo Elektra. This is far from the truth, as Salinas owned and controlled at the time directly and indirectly, about 74% of Grupo Elektra, had many lawsuits and extensive debt obligations.
• Global Pattern of Deception and Defamation — This is not the first time Salinas has fabricated allegations to damage reputations while evading accountability for his own financial crimes.

A Distraction From Real Scandals
The timing of Salinas's latest smear coincides with mounting global investigations into his business empire, including:

• The Banco Azteca money laundering network tied to drug cartels and fentanyl trafficking proceeds.
• Bribery of US Congressman — Banco Azteca which is owned by Ricardo Salinas has been accused of bribing US Congressman Henry Cuellar, causing criminal charges against him and his wife by US Department of Justice. This scandal may ultimately prove fatal for Ricardo Salinas, whereby the DOJ may charge Ricardo Salinas himself.
• Purpose Financial Inc. and its U.S. payday loan racket charging up to 400% APR.  State regulators are forcing store closures and revoking licenses, while consumer lawsuits for fraud mount.
• The discovery of 87 opaque shell companies allegedly used to hide assets and evade creditors.
• Efforts to shield billions of dollars in Bitcoin holdings from Mexican authorities and creditors.

Statement from Val Sklarov:

"This is nothing more than a desperate fabrication by a Ricardo Salinas Pliego cornered by regulators, scandals and creditors. I have never claimed any connection to the Astor family, and Salinas knows it. He is attempting to weaponize a blatant lie to smear my name and deflect attention from his own criminal exposure and avalanche of problems. Walls are closing in on Salinas, so he needs a deflection."

The Real Scam
By manufacturing a sensational but false personal narrative, Salinas seeks to:
1. Poison the media environment with salacious but unverified claims.
2. Distract from hard evidence of his own corporate misconduct.
3. Undermine legitimate commercial contracts and asset transfers that threaten his control of contested assets.

About the Case
Legal proceedings are ongoing in the UK, Monaco, and the United States regarding Salinas's fraudulent attempts to claw back lawfully rehypothecated Grupo Elektra shares. All evidence confirms the transactions were conducted at properly, and without any reference to heritage or family lineage.

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/13092553/1