When you’re standing at the altar with your soon-to-be spouse and hear the romantic words of “I do” tremble from your lips, you expect that oath to last forever. Love should never fade over time, or at least that’s everyone’s assumption on their wedding day.
When Alexandra Tolstoy first met Russian billionaire Sergei Pugachev, the electricity between them could light up a city for weeks. But, as Alexandra floated through her lavish life thinking all would end well that started well, she quickly realized tragedy was on the horizon — and approaching fast.
Hiding Fear
You’d never think someone with such a charming smile, like Alexandra Tolstoy, could possibly hide such hurt and terror behind her eyes. After all, how could someone with such a famous last name end up in trouble?
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A Famous Name
If you’re thinking, “Hmm, Tolstoy… like the famous author?” you’re absolutely correct. The British woman was a distant relative of the writer, but she didn’t pursue the same avenue that he did. After boarding school, she went to Russia and fell in love.
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Journeying Through Russia
All her life she dreamed of spending years exploring Russia’s culture. While there, she met — and fell hard for — a horse-riding Cossack. However, life was a struggle, as they had very little money.
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A New Opportunity
The couple eventually settled down in Uzbekistan with the little they had. The financial hardship strained their relationship, but it all changed for Alexandra when she was offered a tutoring gig.
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A New Man In Town
A Russian oligarch named Sergei Pugachev hired Alexandra as a private English tutor, and from day one the two clicked. They quickly became quite fond of each other’s company. It also didn’t hurt that Pugachev was a billionaire.
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The Savior She Needed
Alexandra said, “When I met Sergei, I wasn’t happy in my marriage. And I’d had a very, very stressful time. Sergei felt like this savior coming in. I’d talk to him for hours and hours on the phone.”
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Amassing Wealth
How did Pugachev amass such incredible wealth? It started with his co-founding of a private Russian bank called Mezhprombank, which was one of the largest in all of Russia. He also owned ample real estate and the world’s biggest coal mine. The man was a senator, too!
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The One For Her
In an interview with BBC news, Alexandra later said, “I just didn’t want to be with anyone else. And I don’t think in my life I’d ever felt like that before. It was electric. I fell so in love with him.”
A Life Of Luxury
The life that the billionaire provided her was something she never could have fathomed a few years earlier. She eventually had three children with Pugachev, and they too enjoyed the splendors of his riches.
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Glitz And Glamour?
The family’s wealth was beyond ridiculous. “He’d give me his credit card and I’d go shopping. I had a private jet, I just had to pack my suitcase and go.” However, trouble was brewing.
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Putin Problems
See, Pugachev was very close with Vladimir Putin, a man you did not want to frustrate. As soon as the Russian leader heard Pugachev got involved with an outsider, he expressed his disgust almost immediately.
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On The Wrong Side of Russia
Russian law stated that a senator was forbidden to marry anyone who wasn’t of Russian descent. Not only was Putin baffled at Pugachev’s decision, but he also referred to him as a “traitor.” Pugachev’s vital relationship with the leader was crumbling.
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Facing The Music
Not only was there a strain due to the fact Alexandra was English, but also because Pugachev was spending far less time around Putin’s inner circle. And, he paid a hefty price for his betrayal to the leader.
Dire Repercussions
Putin, clearly ruffled by Pugachev’s choice to spend time with Alexandra over him, deemed the oligarch an enemy of Russia. Pugachev soon lost his bank and nearly all of his finances. So, he fled Russia, leaving Alexandra behind.
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Government Interference
While Pugachev bounced back and forth between homes in London and France to avoid Russian detainment, Alexandra was living in her own prison of fear. She discovered trackers in all her vehicles placed by Russia’s Deposit Insurance Agency.
Punishment Was Inevitable
The Russian government clearly wasn’t going to let Pugachev off without punishment. In fact, Alexandra even recalled one time when the disgraced-billionaire was driving in London and “two cars tried to squash his car.” Pugachev miraculously escaped.
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Extreme Violence
The DIA even managed to track him down at a random restaurant and made grave demands. “You have to pay 350 million or we will kill you or your family,” they said. “Or, we can cut the finger off your son, and we’ll send it.”
BBC
Fleeing The Scene
Pugachev’s attitude was now one of complete fear and growing rage. This anger resulted in the complete disintegration of his relationship with Alexandra while she was in London and he was hiding away at their French getaway.
Financial Times
The Last Straw
He wanted her and the kids to flee to France, but she couldn’t face the extreme isolation they’d face. Pugachev, in an act of disgust, cut off all forms of financial help and communication. The romance was over.
A New Beginning
To this day, Pugachev and Alexandra still don’t have any communication. Once he pulled everything out from under her, her kids became her prime concern. It’s a shame Pugachev didn’t know his wealth and influence could be used against him. His downfall was reminiscent of the tale of Asia’s greatest cheat.
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