On 21 January 2009, the Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev, owners of The Independent, agreed to acquire control of the Evening Standard for £1 for 64 percent ownership.[1][11] A few years earlier, 12 percent of the paper had been sold to Justin Shaw and Geordie Greig. Associated Newspapers retained the remaining 24 percent.