
Beauty and the Beasts: How a $51-million State-Built Beauty Clinic in Turkmenistan Ended Up in the Hands of the President’s Family at a Massive Discount
18.12.2023
Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov awarded Ibabekir Bekdurdiyev, son-in-law of Berdimuhamedov’s almighty sister Gulnabat Dovletova, a medal “For the Love of the Fatherland.”
Guga, as Bekdurdiyev’s friends call him, grabbed the attention of the press in February, after Alternative Turkmenistan News (ATN) published a report on his expensive watch collection, meticulously studying his social media activity. Among his $1 million collection, Bekdurdiyev favors watches by Richard Mille, the cheapest of which sells for $110,000.
While his contribution as an engineer to “loving the Fatherland” could hardly be assessed, his lifestyle outside of work was publicly known: he sips expensive alcoholic drinks in Las Vegas casinos, strolls among the yachts in Monaco, and drives expensive cars around the streets of the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, Turkey, and other countries.
As soon as ATN made his profile public, Guga immediately removed photos showcasing his luxurious lifestyle and turned his social media profiles private.
In 2017, Bekdurdiyev won a billiards competition at the Asian Games hosted in Ashgabat. For the victory, he received the title of “Honored Master of Sports of Turkmenistan”. Critics have questioned his achievement, given that he won two matches against teammates from the national squad and beat his own coach in the final.


18.12.2023

26.06.2023

30.12.2022

Foreign Truck Drivers Dump Turkmen Diesel to Avoid Paying Nearly $6 Per Liter
13.04.2026

Firm Controlled by President’s Uncle Hands Over Sports Complex in Arkadag With Defects
17.03.2026

Turkmenistan — A Hidden Leader in Teen Suicides in Central Asia
04.03.2026

Turkmenistan’s Interior Ministry Finds No Grounds for Early Release of Activist Mansur Mingelov
11.12.2025

Buried Hill Files Arbitration Claim Against Turkmenistan
11.12.2025
Tell us!
Add comment
your e-mail will not be published