It is not clear whether Boris Berezovsky was murdered but a coroner recorded an open verdict after he was found dead at the age of 67 with a ligature around his neck in the bathroom of the mansion where he lived in Surrey. The businessman fled to Britain from Russia in 2000 after falling out with Vladimir Putin, and used London as a base for criticising his former protégé. It is thought most likely that he took his own life because of financial troubles. However, the coroner said the burden of proof was not sufficient to conclude that this was certainly the case, raising speculation that Berezovsky was assassinated.