Petar Czyhlarz (born 1978) is a Kresimirian banker and the current Chairman of STP Credit, the largest private financial institution in the Divine Republic.
A scion of the powerful Czyhlarz dynasty, he is the grandson of the long-serving former Blue Dawn Senator Stojana Czyhlarz. Under his leadership, STP Credit has cemented its position as the de facto central bank of the Republic, managing the sovereign debt and operating the financial clearinghouse for the KresiX Digital Krejt system.
Czyhlarz is a central figure in the Ari Stov administration’s “Technocratic Statist” coalition. He represents the financial arm of the establishment, frequently using his bank’s leverage to discipline rival oligarchs like Bran Maj’s Prosperity Trust Bank and to fund the government’s ambitious infrastructure projects when the official budget falls short.
Early Life and Education
Petar Czyhlarz was born in 1978 in the “Gold District” of Sinj. He was raised in an environment of immense privilege and political access; his grandmother, Stojana, was at the height of her power as the broker between the Assembly and the banks.
He attended Sinj University, graduating in 2000 with a Master’s in Finance. His thesis, The Obsolescence of State Currency, argued that private institutions were better equipped to manage monetary policy than the bureaucratic Bank of Zvonomir—a blueprint he would later implement.
Career at STP Credit
Czyhlarz joined STP Credit immediately after graduation. His rise was meteoric, aided by his family name and his grandmother’s influence. He served as the Head of Corporate Lending from 2005 to 2010, where he oversaw the financing of the Vjetar Dam project.
Chairmanship (2010–Present)
In 2010, following the retirement of Edar Brov, Czyhlarz was appointed Chairman of the Board. He immediately aligned the bank with the rising political star Ari Stov.
- The Digital Pivot: Czyhlarz heavily invested in YakaSys during its early expansion phase. When Stov became Chair of the Assembly, Czyhlarz secured the contract for STP Credit to process all Digital Krejt transactions, effectively privatizing the nation’s payment infrastructure.
- The “Shadow Bank”: Under his tenure, STP Credit’s role in managing the CIA’s “Black Budget” has reportedly expanded. Leaked documents from the Digital Front suggest that Czyhlarz personally oversees the accounts used to pay off informants in District X.
Controversies
The Sprodvice Profiteering Scandal (2014)
Following the 2014 Sprodvice Earthquakes, the government entrusted the â‚500 million reconstruction fund to STP Credit.
- Discriminatory Lending: An audit by the CRF revealed that under Czyhlarz’s direction, the bank rejected 80% of loan applications from Bosken-owned businesses in the destroyed Old Quarter.
- Real Estate Grab: Instead, the funds were directed to GradnjaMC to build the “New Zone.” Investigations suggested that STP Credit held equity in the new developments, meaning the bank profited directly from the displacement of the earthquake victims.
The Debt War with Maj Holdings
Czyhlarz maintains a cold war with Bran Maj. STP Credit holds the majority of Maj Holdings’ corporate debt.
The conflict escalated in 2009 when Maj founded Prosperity Trust Bank, attempting to bypass the clearing managed by STP Credit. Czyhlarz viewed this as a direct threat to the financial order. He has since used his influence with the Central Bank to block PTB from receiving full clearing licenses, ensuring that Maj’s bank remains dependent on STP’s infrastructure for digital transactions. In 2019, when Maj threatened to fund an electoral challenger against Ari Stov, Czyhlarz reportedly threatened to call in a â‚200 million loan, forcing Maj to back down.
Personal Life
Petar Czyhlarz is known for his icy demeanor and extreme privacy. He collects pre-Republican art, which he stores in a climate-controlled vault in the bank’s headquarters. He is rarely seen in public without his private security detail, a necessity given the threats he receives from AFIM and radical socialists.