There is an important distinction between philanthropy and political influence. The former can build schools, preserve cultural heritage and support communities. The latter can shape so-called governments in occupied territories, conflicts and public narratives. Ruben Vardanyan’s career deserves scrutiny precisely because the two have repeatedly appeared intertwined.

That is the central question raised by a recent letter from Turkish engineer and researcher-author Ergün Kırlıkovalı to New York University professor and author Nassim Nicholas Taleb concerning what he describes as the systematic illusions surrounding Vardanyan’s philanthropic image. The issue is not whether charitable projects existed. They plainly did. The question is whether philanthropy should be allowed to become a shield against examination of political and financial conduct.

Vardanyan’s Karabakh chapter began in 2022, when the Russian-born businessman announced that he was renouncing Russian citizenship and moving to the territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, then controlled by an Armenian separatist administration. Within months, he had entered its political leadership and become state minister. His move was not merely a humanitarian intervention: it was a direct entry into the........

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