Don’t go breaking my bank! Elton’s Moscow payday
He also presented the new collection of Chopard luxury watches named after the singer. Some tabloid reports claim Sir Elton ditched a concert in the Finnish capital Helsinki in favour of his big Russian pay-day.
This was not the first visit by the British singer to Russia. In July last year he gave a concert in the city of Rostov-on-Don in the south of the country.
Not a single visitor paid for seeing the two-hour show – Sir Elton’s visit was sponsored by businessman Vadim Varshavsky.
While Elton John was dining after the concert, teenage fashion designer Kira Plastinina was waving goodbye to Nicole Richie. Paris Hilton’s best friend was in Moscow in Saturday to take part in the opening of yet another of Kira’s fashion shops and the party which followed. The visit was “purely private”, said a friend of the Plastinin family.
Inviting world-famous stars to entertain your guests is a fad among Russia’s rich. President Dmitry Medvedev’s favourite hard rock band - the legendary Deep Purple – travelled to Moscow in February when energy giant Gazprom was celebrating its 15th anniversary.
A barefooted Ian Gillan and Co rocked live for the man himself (although at the time Medvedev was a mere Vice President of Russia and Gazprom’s chairman of the board) and other powerbrokers, including with Vladimir Putin.
Another celebrity seduced by Gazprom’s money was Tina Turner, who arrived in Moscow right after taking part in the Grammy Awards ceremony. The long flight from LA didn’t seem to fatigue the star, judging from the Private Dancer star’s performance of a dozen hit songs. Gazprom didn’t disclose how much it paid to Deep Purple and Tina Turner. Tabloids mentioned the sum of $US 2.5 million in the case of Queen.
A real champion in inviting star singers to private parties is Telman Ismailov, whom the Financial Times called one of the most extravagant billionaires in the world. The owner of the AST publisher and a dozen other businesses on various occasions had Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams and Mariah Carey perform for his guests. And Jennifer Lopez sang him Happy Birthday in 2006 when the businessman turned 50. J Lo reportedly earned $US 1.5 million for gracing the party.
Making a flashy present for the 50th birthday is a popular theme. Metals tycoon Vladimir Lisin invited Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, to his party for a reported sum of $US 1 million. Both were apparently most satisfied with the event, with Lising hearing his favourite singer live and Sting receiving a $US 200,000 bonus for an extra song.
Christina Aguilera was the star attraction at the wedding party of banker and chemical business owner Andrey Melnichenko. Reports on how much lighter Melnichenko’s pocket was after inviting Aguilera range from $US 1m to $US 3.5m.
The singer didn’t even have to go to Russia to perform for the billionaire - the high profile party took place in France’s Cote d'Azur resort. And for his wife Aleksandra’s birthday Melnichenko brought Jennifer Lopez and all her crew from the U.S. to London.
Russia’s celebrity businessman Roman Abramovich also follows the trend. In June, when his art loving girlfriend Dasha Zhukova was opening a gallery in Moscow, controversial soul diva Amy Winehouse was there to entertain the guests. Both Abramovich and Zhukova thanked the Grammy winning singer for coming, with the BBC reporting that the gratitude amounted to $US 2m.
Singers are not the only celebrities that get a warm welcome from Russian billionaires. Paris Hilton was visiting Moscow in October last year on the invitation of Plastinina – or rather her father, the board member of Russian food giant Wimm-Bill-Dann, Sergey Plastinin. Hilton partied and took part in the opening of Kira’s clothes boutique, leaving with a tidy $US 2m in her pocket.
Troubled jazz diva Amy Winehouse flew to Moscow to sing at the opening of a trendy new arts centre. The project is the brainchild of Darya Zhukova, fashion designer and girlfriend of billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Zhukova has big ambitions for her new centre of comtemporary culture called ‘Garazh’. The daughter of oil and bank tycoon Aleksandr Zhukov, she plans to make the new venue one of the world’s most fashionable galleries.
To prove her point, singer Amy Winehouse provided the entertainment at the exclusive opening-night party. She flew to Moscow specially to entertain Dasha, Roman and their friends.
Garazh is located in a former bus station, which is also an iconic Soviet industrial building. It was designed in 1927 by Russian architect Konstantin Melnikov and engineer Vladimir Shukhov, who revolutionised the public transport system.
The 8,500 square metrer space has been completely renovated.
But Zhukova paid tribute to the original design with an exhibition of work by Melnikov and Shukhov.
In the coming months and years she intends to show more work from leading Russian and European trendsetters.
There are also plans to open an art library, book store, lecture theatre and maybe a permanent exhibition, which will be free of charge.
But if anyone can afford to run an arts project along non-commercial lines, Zhukova can.
Paris Hilton struts her stuff in Moscow
World-famous socialite Paris Hilton has set this year's Moscow Fashion Week alight. She came to a fashion boutique of teenage designer Kira Plastinina and spoke to the press.Moscow fever over Paris
The hotel-chain heiress attracted more attention to herself than to the clothes she flew in to promote.
The huge crowd at 15-year-old Plastinina's show applauded Hilton's every move, clapping enthusiastically as she smiled and pointed out the most interesting designs on the catwalk.
When it was all over, the A-list celebrity presented the whiz kid fashion maestro with a huge bouquet of flowers.Paris Hilton struts her stuff in Moscow
Moscow fever over Paris
The hotel-chain heiress attracted more attention to herself than to the clothes she flew in to promote.
The huge crowd at 15-year-old Plastinina's show applauded Hilton's every move, clapping enthusiastically as she smiled and pointed out the most interesting designs on the catwalk.
When it was all over, the A-list celebrity presented the whiz kid fashion maestro with a huge bouquet of flowers.
Money Talks
According to reports, she's getting about $US 2 million for her two or three days' work.
Surprisingly perhaps, The American socialite is not staying at the Hilton in Moscow. She's booked in at the Hyatt, considered to be the finest hotel in the Russian capital.
Family affair
Teenage designer Kira is still a schoolgirl. Her career is largely funded by her wealthy father, Sergey Plastinin - one of Russia’s biggest dairy magnates. His fortune at the beginning of the year was reported to be in the region of $US 350 million.
It's said that when Kira Plastinina comes up with her new designs, she imagines Paris Hilton wearing them.
Bob Van Ronkel, President of the ‘Doors to Hollywood’ company, says Paris’ visit to Moscow is a brilliant PR move for both her and Kira Plastinina.
“Kira is a talented young designer, her father is a phenomenal marketing person. Sergey Plastinin understands marketing like no one I’ve ever seen and for all of them it is very good,” he said.
Cultural exchange
Van Ronkel has been bringing stars to Moscow for the last five years and says many come simply out of curiosity. Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and Laura Flynn Boyle are among forty other celebrities on his list.
He says many Americans, like himself, grew up with a great fear of Russia.
“To come here, to meet so many fantastic people, to see how warm people are in Russia – they just love it. They love the food, the nightlife, the caviar – just the country in itself and the culture,” Mr Van Ronkel said. Money Talks
According to reports, she's getting about $US 2 million for her two or three days' work.
Surprisingly perhaps, The American socialite is not staying at the Hilton in Moscow. She's booked in at the Hyatt, considered to be the finest hotel in the Russian capital.
Family affair
Teenage designer Kira is still a schoolgirl. Her career is largely funded by her wealthy father, Sergey Plastinin - one of Russia’s biggest dairy magnates. His fortune at the beginning of the year was reported to be in the region of $US 350 million.
It's said that when Kira Plastinina comes up with her new designs, she imagines Paris Hilton wearing them.
Bob Van Ronkel, President of the ‘Doors to Hollywood’ company, says Paris’ visit to Moscow is a brilliant PR move for both her and Kira Plastinina.
“Kira is a talented young designer, her father is a phenomenal marketing person. Sergey Plastinin understands marketing like no one I’ve ever seen and for all of them it is very good,” he said.
Cultural exchange
Van Ronkel has been bringing stars to Moscow for the last five years and says many come simply out of curiosity. Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and Laura Flynn Boyle are among forty other celebrities on his list.
He says many Americans, like himself, grew up with a great fear of Russia.
“To come here, to meet so many fantastic people, to see how warm people are in Russia – they just love it. They love the food, the nightlife, the caviar – just the country in itself and the culture,” Mr Van Ronkel said.
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