Fact-Checking Claims About Olena Zelenska’s Alleged Luxury Car Purchase
Recently, social
media has been buzzing with claims that Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, purchased a luxury car. This has added fuel to
ongoing corruption allegations against the couple. However, similar past claims
about Ukraine's first family have been debunked by reputable sources like
Newsweek.
The
Latest Allegation
The most recent
accusation originated from a French website, which posted an invoice suggesting
that Zelenska bought a Bugatti Tourbillon. However, fact-checkers have
determined that the video supporting this claim is a deepfake, linked to known
Kremlin propagandists.
🚨🤣🇺🇦Zelesnky's wife Olena just spent 4.5 million euros of your tax payer money on a brand new Bugatti Turbillon (1 out of 250) in France.
— Aussie Cossack (@aussiecossack) July 1, 2024
💰An employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris by the name of Jacques Bertin revealed that the Zelensky's made this purchase whilst… pic.twitter.com/irrbeRgcAw
🚨🤣🇺🇦Zelesnky's wife Olena just spent 4.5 million euros of your tax payer money on a brand new Bugatti Turbillon (1 out of 250) in France.
— Aussie Cossack (@aussiecossack) July 1, 2024
💰An employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris by the name of Jacques Bertin revealed that the Zelensky's made this purchase whilst… pic.twitter.com/irrbeRgcAw
Previous
Debunked Claims
In December 2022,
social media was rife with reports alleging that Zelenska spent $42,500 on an
extravagant shopping spree during a visit to Paris. Newsweek later debunked
these reports. Additionally, President Zelenskyy has faced accusations of
owning a vast property portfolio across the U.S., Italy, the U.K., and France,
and even of buying a private island—claims that have also been debunked.
The
Bugatti Allegation
A French-language website, Verité Cachée ("Hidden Truth"), published an article claiming that Olena Zelenska became the first owner of the new Bugatti Tourbillon. According to the article, during their recent visit to France for the 75th-anniversary commemorations of the D-Day Normandy landings, the Zelenskyys received a private presentation of the vehicle from Bugatti.
The report claimed that Zelenska was "impressed" and placed an order for one of the first 250 cars, priced at 4.5 million euros ($4.8 million). The publication even posted what it claimed was a copy of the invoice, with the car expected to be available in 2026.