Comedians Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov, also known as Vovan and Lexus, claim credit for the stunt.
TWC – The head of the US central bank, Jerome Powell, was pranked by Russian comedians Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus. The duo, who have previously targeted high-profile figures such as Prince Harry and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, shared a video call with Powell on Russian television. The Federal Reserve stated that Powell believed he was speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in January. The Fed referred the matter to law enforcement, adding that the call was a friendly conversation with no confidential or sensitive information discussed. The Russian comedians claimed credit for the stunt, and their last pranks include Elton John, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Christine Lagarde, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Fed said it could not confirm the accuracy of the edited video with Powell, who praised Russia’s central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina for managing the Russian economy amid Western sanctions. Social media was abuzz with reactions from the business world, with economist Mohamed A El-Erian calling it an “embarrassing moment for the Fed” and global markets analyst Jesse Cohen chiming in.