(AP) SOCHI, Russia — The ski jump sits shrouded in mist, its coat of snow undisturbed by any athletes hurtling down to take off into the air.
A year ago, the jump bustled with activity at the Sochi Olympics. But it made unwanted history as well, becoming a symbol of how some of the plans for President Vladimir Putin's $51 billion Winter Games went terribly wrong.
The cost of the facility soared from $40 million to nearly $300 million — an overrun that caused the businessman involved to flee a corruption investigation.
Russia had vowed to pay for what became the most expensive Olympics of all time by getting super-rich private investors to take the cost from the state. Instead, as the first anniversary of the games approaches, at least two of those oligarchs are quietly dumping their toxic assets on the state — forcing taxpayers to pick up the bill. […]
See the full article ("Oligarchs unload Sochi Olympics assets to recoup investment") © AP/Yahoo news
