The Most Hated Woman You’ve Never Heard About

Intro (00:00:00)

• The YouTuber introduces the story of a cunning, ruthless, and brutal woman from a country that most people may not be familiar with.
• The woman is referred to as the "princess of Uzbekistan" and her name is Natalia.
• The YouTuber expresses curiosity about the woman and her story.
• Natalia, the "princess of Uzbekistan," sends a Twitter message to the YouTuber, requesting that she not be referred to as a "dictator's daughter" and asserting that she has a name just like everyone else.
• The YouTuber is intrigued by Natalia and the situation in Uzbekistan.
• The YouTuber mentions that she spent months researching Natalia and Uzbekistan.

Who is She? (00:03:31)

• Gulnara Karimova is the eldest daughter of Islam Karimov, the first autocratic president of Uzbekistan.
• She was born in the 1970s and studied in Western Europe and North America.
• She holds multiple degrees, including a PhD in telecommunications from Harvard.
• She served as the permanent representative for Uzbekistan at the United Nations and later as the ambassador to Spain.
• She is described as driven, ambitious, and ruthless, with visions of grandeur.
• She hinted at the possibility of succeeding her father as president of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan? (00:06:51)

• Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia.
• It is a very closed and secretive regime with a history of horrendous human rights violations.
• The government has been known to use violence, torture, and suppression of free speech and assembly.
• Gulnara Karimova launched a jewelry line and became a regular at fashion shows.
• She had access to powerful and important people, including the Clintons.
• She pursued a music career under the stage name "Gusa" and released music videos.
• She wrote a screenplay and produced a movie premiere.
• She created numerous non-profit organizations in Uzbekistan.
• She owned properties around the world and was seen as a potential successor to her father as the leader of Uzbekistan.
• Wikileaks documents reveal that Gulnara Karimova was involved in various activities beyond her public persona.
• She was allegedly engaged in corruption, money laundering, and other illicit activities.
• She used her influence and connections to amass wealth and power.
• Her actions contributed to the suffering of the Uzbek people and hindered the country's development.

Who is She Really? (00:10:36)

• Gulnara Karimova is a beautiful and glamorous woman who is seen as a symbol of injustice in Uzbekistan.
• American diplomats in Uzbekistan see through the propaganda campaign that portrays Gulnara as a selfless, hardworking, and honest individual.
• Gulnara is actually a greedy and power-hungry individual who uses her father's influence to crush business people and anyone else who stands in her way.
• Gulnara has a history of using her personal bodyguards to beat up her ex-husband and using her power within the government to shut down or take over his family's businesses.
• Gulnara is known for using the courts as her personal legal scissors to cut up businesses, and she could write court decisions and give them to judges who would deliver them out of fear.
• People were frightened of Gulnara because she was the daughter of the president.
• Gulnara Karimova was born in 1972 in Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan.
• She studied at Harvard University and returned to Uzbekistan in the late 1990s.
• Gulnara quickly rose to power in Uzbekistan, becoming involved in politics, business, and the arts.
• She was appointed to various high-level positions, including Deputy Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Spain.
• Gulnara also became involved in the business world, establishing her own companies and acquiring stakes in various industries.

She’s Gone Too Far (00:14:15)

• Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan, was involved in a large-scale corruption scheme involving telecommunication licenses.
• Karimova laundered the bribe money through bank accounts in the United States and used it to acquire luxury properties and build a business empire.
• Karimova's right-hand man, Bek Akav, an expert in telecommunications, managed her interests but later fled to Russia with her secrets due to fear.
• Akav's secrets were potentially given to the FSB in Russia or someone connected to the SNB in Uzbekistan, leading to an investigation by a Swedish news outlet that uncovered witnesses within the involved companies.
• Karimova faced prosecution for a corrupt telecom deal, and the company involved paid $220 million to an offshore company secretly controlled by her.

Downfall (00:23:25)

• Gunara's social media shifted from promoting her fashion career to erratic and paranoid posts targeting her enemies.
• She accused her father of being controlled, her mother and sister of turning on her, and used the hashtag #SMBthieves to call out the head of the SMB.
• Her actions were seen as a threat and provided ammunition for her enemies in the security services.
• A detailed portfolio of evidence was presented to President Kov, leading to his approval for action against her.

House Arrest (00:25:55)

• Gunara sent a handwritten letter to the journalist describing her house arrest, inability to access her father, and poor living conditions.
• She sought publicity and used the journalist to fight for her survival in a power struggle.
• Her story resembles the rapid downfall depicted in the movie Good Fellas.

Conclusion (00:29:02)

• The journalist emphasizes the importance of paying attention to seemingly unrelated events and systems, as they can have far-reaching consequences.
• Corruption, oligarchy, and authoritarian systems can spread and affect communities beyond their immediate locations.
• The journalist encourages awareness of how tools meant to improve lives can be misused and turned against individuals and societies.