Russian billionaire Usmanov challenged several passages in the book Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West, written by former Financial Times journalist Catherine Belton.

"We welcome the changes made by Harper Collins with respect to the books," Farhad Moshiri, Usmanov’s business partner and co-founder of the USM Group, said.

"The book originally contained a number of incorrect claims or statements about Alisher Usmanov.

"These statements were challenged by Mr Usmanov and additional information and evidence were provided.

"As a result, the publisher and author agreed with the position of Mr Usmanov and a number of changes have been made, as well as certain statements were removed in the e-book and audiobook and will be changed in the next and any subsequent print editions.

"These changes were achieved without the requirement of formal proceedings."

A similar outcome was reached with Russian oligarchs Pyotr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, who own the Alfa Group and the UK-based LetterOne Group.

Usmanov, whose personal fortune is estimated by Forbes to be $12 billion (£9 billion/€10.6 billion). was last month re-elected for a fourth term as President of the FIE.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was on hand at the FIE Elective Congress in Lausanne to personally congratulate Usmanov.

insidethegames had previously calculated that Usmanov had donated around CHF80 million (£65 million/$87 million/€77 million) to the FIE over the course of three Olympic cycles to 2020 since being elected President of the world governing body. 

HarperCollins had marketed Putin’s People, which centred on the rise of President Vladimir Putin and his relationship with wealthy oligarchs, as "authoritative, important and conscientiously sourced work".

Last month, London’s High Court ruled the book, which claimed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought Premier League Chelsea Football Club at the Kremlin's behest, contained defamatory information after he sued for defamation.

Judge Amanda Tipples issued a ruling after Abramovich and Russian oil company Rosneft sued publisher HarperCollins and Belton personally for defamation, with their claims being heard together.

The judge said she agreed with Abramovich that several allegations in the book by Belton were "defamatory of the claimant" and presented as statements of fact, not opinion.