 As a result, Michael was paid $US400 million "just to go away" while his brother Lev remained with the company.In August 2001 a "Fortune" article notes, "the prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf notified the Reuben brothers that it had terminated its probe into alleged money laundering, saying 'I hereby confirm expressly that there is no remaining suspicion of money laundering or any other criminal actions.