Once punched on TV, fugitive property developer Sergei Polonsky has been arrested in Cambodia and faces extradition to Russia on fraud charges. Before his latest drama, he spoke exclusively to the Guardian about his mounting financial and legal problems
Polonsky is one of the more colourful characters in the Russian oligarch milieu, frequently posting semi-literate rants on his Facebook page that usually end with the words "Abracadabra Boom!" He was known for his unorthodox business style and for declaring, at the peak of the Russian property boom, that anyone who did not have a billion dollars should go to hell. He once fulfilled a promise that he would eat his tie if real-estate prices did not go up, seasoning a square of tie fabric with salt and pepper, and gobbling it up on live television.
In late 2011, Polonsky was assaulted on television by Alexander Lebedev, owner of the Independent and London Evening Standard newspapers. The pair were taking part in a studio discussion on the global financial crisis, and Polonsky became increasingly agitated with his fellow guests, eventually saying he wanted to "punch someone in the chops". At this point, Lebedev himself jumped up and dealt a right hook to Polonsky, knocking him off his chair.
Lebedev's trial, on the bizarre charge of "hooliganism motivated by the hatred of businessmen as a political class", took place this summer, and was complicated by Polonsky's arrest in Cambodia on New Year's Eve, when he and several friends were accused of assaulting local sailors. He was released from jail in Cambodia in April on bail, under agreement that he would not leave the country. Almost immediately, he fled to Israel, where he applied for citizenship.
