Originally posted by sjt19
...regardless of the fact that that contract would not be valid under US law.
I'm not sure why you guys think a contract written in one country can't be enforced in another. It's called international law and almost any well-written contract or letter of agreement includes some provision on what body of law or court will be used to settle disputes.
We're talking about somebody who runs a major bank, so I suspect Sergei knows how to write a contract. Whether or not he wants to go through the hassle of trying to enforce that contract is another matter.