Londongrad - 9780007356379

The amazing true story of how London became home to the Russian super-rich, this explosive book tells the tale of a group of buccaneering Russian oligarchs who made colossal fortunes after the collapse of communism?and then came to London to enjoy their newfound wealth. From the origin of their journeys in Moscow and St. Petersburg to mansions in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and Surrey, the book plunges into a shimmering world of audacious multibillion-pound deals, outrageous spending, and rancorous feuds. While London's flashiest restaurants echoed with Russian laughter and Bond Street shop-owners totted up their profits, however, darker events were also playing themselves out. The killing of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko in London and the death?in a helicopter crash he all but predicted?of Stephen Curtis, the lawyer to many of Britain's richest Russians, chilled London's Russians and many who know them. This story of how Russia's wealth was harvested and brought to London is a must-read for anyone interested in how vast wealth is created, the luxury it can buy, and the power and intrigue it produces.