The Telegraph reports:
Billionaire Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev has physically attacked a fellow tycoon on national TV after the other man told him he would like to “punch someone’s lights out.”
Mr Lebedev, who owns The Independent and The London Evening Standard, said he felt the threat was directed at him and that he was left with no choice but to strike first, delivering two swift right hooks to fellow Russian tycoon Sergei Polonsky knocking him backwards off his chair and off the studio podium.
“I neutralised him,” the 51-year-old tycoon said.
“He said he wanted to punch someone’s lights out. I asked if he was referring to me. He aggressively said he was and made a certain movement in my direction. You cannot choose in a critical situation: I see no reason to be hit first so I freshened him up a little.”
Dressed in tight grey jeans, his trademark rectangular spectacles, and a cropped jacket, Mr Lebedev, a KGB agent in the Soviet era, appeared ready to have a fully-fledged fist fight with the other man before security guards intervened.
The incident occurred last Friday during the filming of a televised debate on Russia’s NTV channel on the financial crisis.
No account yet in The Independent of the dustup.
Anyway I kind of like the idea of billionaires slugging it out with each other. I hope it catches on elsewhere.
As a change from wealthy people paying to watch mostly poor and working-class people fight, how about a battle of the billionaires for an audience of poor and working-class people?
Update: Cipriano adds in the comments:
Yes. Loser’s assets to be expropriated for the purpose of building a health, education and transport infrastructure.
