A Latvian-American businessman who made his money in Russia before becoming a critic of Putin has been found dead in the US, Russian media has claimed.

Dan Rapoport, an investment banker, is said to have killed himself in Washington DC in recent days - with the former editor of Russian Tatler magazine claiming Tuesday that his dog was found in a nearby park with money and a suicide note.

But widow Alena, a Ukrainian virologist, has denied he killed himself - saying 'there was no note, no suicide'. 

She claimed that an investigation has been launched into his death, but there does not appear to have been an announcement in America that one is underway.

Mr Rapoport lived in DC between 2012 - when he arrived from Russia amid protests again Putin - and 2016, when he moved to Kyiv and sold his house to Ivanka and Jared Trump following Donald Trump's election win.

It was in Kyiv that Mr Rapoport met and married Alena - his second wife - and had a daughter with her. 

He appears to have left Kyiv earlier this year after the war with Russia broke out and was spending some time in the US, though it is unclear where he was based.

News of Mr Rapoport's passing first broke Tuesday on the Telegram channel of Yuniya Pugacheva, the former editor of Russian Tatler.

Pugacheva said the financial executive had 'committed suicide in Washington DC' before giving details about the dog and the suicide note.

She also claimed to have seen Mr Rapoport back in May at London's swanky Connaught Bar, alleging that he was there 'in the company of young girls'.

'They say that his wife left him,' she added.

But, speaking to Russian newswire RBC, Alena disputed the majority of that account.

She did confirm his death, telling the site: 'To our great regret, the husband and father of our daughter is no more.'