The Countess and the Russian Billionaire
The Countess and the Russian Billionaire is a story of unimaginable wealth and luxury. Alexandra Tolstoy an aristocratic English rose, appears to have it all: A hugely rich and powerful partner, three beautiful children, homes across the world, a beachfront Caribbean hideaway, a chateau on the French Riviera, not to mention the housemaids, nannies, personal doctor and a wardrobe to die for. But her fairy tale life is about to come crashing down. Filmed over five years, this documentary steps inside the usually secret world of Alexandra Tolstoy and her partner, Russian oligarch and billionaire, Sergei Pugachev, as he flees Britain in fear of losing his fortune : and his life. Sergei Pugachev had amassed his huge wealth in post-communist Russia. He had oil fields, coalmines and shipyards, he even owned one of the biggest private banks in Russia. With a personal fortune of $15 billion, Sergei cemented his power by becoming a senator in the Russian parliament. By then he'd become one of Putin's most trusted advisers and was widely known as "Putin's banker". Sergei's huge wealth bought him a life of enviable luxury. When, in 2008, he fell in love with Alexandra his life appeared complete. Alexandra had a proud Russian heritage herself. Her father is Count Nikolai Tolstoy, a distant relative of the author Leo Tolstoy. The family have inherited Russian titles. But, in the same year that Sergei and Alexandra became a couple, the global crash led to the collapse of Sergei's bank. The Russian government tried to bail it out with a loan of a billion dollars, but it wasn't enough to save it. Then, once the bank collapsed, it was time to repay the loan and yet there was no sign of the money. Sergei claimed he'd sold the bank many years earlier, but Russia disagreed and held him liable for the bank's losses. Sergei fled Russia and went to live with Alexandra the children in London. Embroiled in an extraordinary world of bodyguards, death threats and lawsuits, Countess Alexandra Tolstoy finds life and love with a man on the run extremely stressful, especially as she desperately wants to protect the couple's three young children. Both in Britain and around the world, enemies of the Russian state are finding it hard to survive. Assassinations and mysterious deaths are happening year on year, with no way of knowing who will be next. Confronted by the unrelenting Russian regime and accused of embezzling a billion dollars of Russian government money, Sergei is under pressure. His assets are frozen worldwide and his empire starts disappearing before his eyes. In fear of his life, he flees to a gilded cage: his heavily guarded French chateau. In London, Alexandra and the children have to fend for themselves and her relationship with Sergei descends into acrimony. Sergei claims Alexandra was only ever interested in his money, while Alexandra accuses him of bullying and brutality. And three small children become estranged from the father they love. As Putin enters his twentieth year in power, this epic film tells the story of a brutal political regime and its catastrophic effect on one family. It's a very modern Russian fairytale about power, money : and love. Filmed in multiple locations : London, Oxfordshire, France, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, the film tells the love story of Countess Alexandra Tolstoy and Date Created : 25-March-2020 11:44:25 SM : PAC FORM ID : 18921376 Page 2 Commissioned Series Title: The Oligarch, the Countess and Putin (w/t) Commissioned Episode Title: The Oligarch, the Countess and Putin (w/t), 1 (1) Billed Series Title: The Countess and The Russian Billionaire Billed Episode Title: The Countess and The Russian Billionaire (1) SM UID: 18921376
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