The last time Donald Trump made an appearance in Moscow was November 2013 for the Miss Universe contest he famously owned. It was a glittering event filled with carefully choreographed photographs and parties. Then another, more private, invitation arrived: Come to Nobu [restaurant] to meet more than a dozen of Russia\u2019s top businessmen, including Herman Gref, the chief executive officer of state-controlled Sberbank PJSC, Russia\u2019s biggest bank.<\/p>\n
Gref, who was President Vladimir Putin\u2019s economy minister from 2000 to 2007, organized the meeting together with Aras Agalarov, the founder of Crocus Group, one of the country\u2019s largest real-estate companies, which was hosting the beauty pageant at one of its concert halls.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Russian market is attracted to me,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI have a great relationship with many Russians, and almost all of the oligarchs were in the room,\u201d<\/p>\n