According to Boris Nemtsov, a former Russian deputy prime-minister-turned-Kremlin critic, and an associate who said in a report released Thursday that up to $30 billion was stolen in the run-up to the games in the southern Russian city [Sochi].
Russia had originally said in 2007 that the 2014 Olympics would cost around $12 billion, but within six years, the figure jumped to $51 billion, making the 2014 Sochi Olympics the most expensive Olympics in history, summer or winter.
The 2012 London Olympics cost $14.3 billion.
Nemtsov calculated the figure of $30 billion from comparing the initial cost estimate of the games with the final $51 billion price tag and with typical cost overruns at previous Olympics. He also compared the pre-seat cost of Sochi Olympic stadium with stadiums at previous Olympics.
However, Nemtsov didn't provide any specific breakdown that would have formed the foundation of his claims of $30 billion estimated to be stolen as part of a corruption.
"It's up to investigators to do so," Nemtsov explained.
State auditors at Russia's Audit Chamber have repeatedly voiced concerns about the skyrocketing overruns at Sochi and have issued recommendations that prosecutors look into some of them.
Russian officials have filed numerous charges against officials at the state contractor Olympstroi and their sub-contractors. None of them has ever yet resulted in charges or a trail.
The Sochi Olympics will run from Feb. 7th through the 23rd
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