New York – The eccentric Russian head of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) on Thursday announced a $10 million bid to buy the site of a controversial mosque project near Ground Zero in New York.
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Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said he sent a letter on FIDE’s behalf to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg “with an offer to buy this land for $10 million,” the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The land near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks would be used for an international chess center and academy, Ilyumzhinov said.
“We named the sum of $10 million because last week billionaire Donald Trump gave an offer of $7.5 million and we decided to outdo him,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Property developer Trump last week offered to buy the site two blocks from Ground Zero where a Muslim group wants to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center, but the offer was turned down.
Ilyumzhinov last week stood down as president of Russia’s Buddhist region of Kalmykia, where he built an ambitious complex devoted to chess called “Chess City” in the capital Elista.
He is standing for another term as president of FIDE in a fierce battle with former world champion and Soviet chess legend Anatoly Karpov. Ilyumzhinov has headed the organization since 1995.
He is famous for claiming in interviews that he has met aliens on several occasions.
Ilyumzhinov last week “stood down”
what does THAT mean?
Let’s hear it for alien chess players!
make it into a kgb headquarters…
#1 – same as stepped down, resigned, etc. In our country, if he was a Democrat, we would say was indicted, impeached, etc.
All those colorful characters that outbid each other will build something that suits their public lifestyle. Trump would build a casino and business apprenticeship center. Madoff would build an International Ponzi scheme learning center. Only Mayor Bloomberg would build a mosque.
that would be a much better than a mosque
Ahhh, that’s the life! To be very wealthy and be able to play chess for your entire life…all day long!