Who is Yuri Shefler? The lurid life of Stoli vodka czar who sparked bitter war between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Russian vodka tycoon Yuri Shefler purchased a 50% stake in Brad Pitt's renowned Chateau Miraval in a 'secret' agreement with Angelina Jolie in 2021. He is reportedly accused by Brad Pitt of destabilizing the winery's operations and allegedly plotting a 'hostile takeover.'
The deal has triggered a feud between Pitt and Jolie and, as per Daily Mail, a source previously told them, "It is really sad and disappointing – but not at all surprising – that Angelina secretly negotiated to sell her interest in Miraval, the family home, to a complete stranger." The resentful Jolie made the deal which the actor learned from press releases in 2021 following the custody battle, to upset Pitt the most.
Who is Yuri Shefler?
Born in Russia Yuri Alexeyevich Yurasov is the father of seven children and has lived under three names. He had once been married to Victoria's Secret model and Miss World winner. He changed his name to Yuri Anatolyevich Shabalin and finally settled for Yuri Viktorovich Shefler. He served in the Red Army and became a father at a young age. The vodka tsar earned a degree in economics from the elite Plekhanov Institute in Moscow during the turbulent 1990s while also operating a prosperous retail and restaurant business.
'You have to kill Golembiovsky'
In the 1990s, Shefler claimed to have received a phone call from billionaire Boris Berezovsky who asked for his help in eliminating a critical journalist named Igor Golembiovsky. Shefler was shocked by the request but claimed to have brought the journalist and the killer together, resulting in Golembiovsky's death four years later. "You have to help me. You have to kill Golembiovsky."
Shefler became involved in the vodka business and was associated with the Berezovsky oligarchical clan in Moscow. He was also caused by making death threats to Vladimir Loginov, an Agriculture Ministry official. However, with Putin's rise to power, Shefler faced legal action and left Russia for Latvia before the authorities could detain him. He then moved to Britain and obtained a UK passport while also securing Israeli citizenship.
Yuri Shefler owned a superyacht, a hunting estate and numerous properties
He became a billionaire and owned luxurious properties, including a superyacht named Serene one of the longest and most expensive superyachts in the world, which was leased by Bill Gates for $5 million a week.
Yuri Shefler acquired Tulchan, a hunting estate in Scotland, in 2017, which is considered the most expensive estate of its kind in the country. It has been valued at around $32 million.
Additionally, he owns luxurious residences in various locations, including Surrey near London, St. Jean Cap Ferrat in the south of France, and Jurmala, a popular Baltic beach resort near Riga, the capital of Latvia.
According to reports, his Surrey property in Weybridge is a magnificent mansion boasting seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and other lavish amenities. It features a staff apartment, two kitchens, an orangery, a pool complex, a gym, a massive sauna, and a solarium. Parking is available for ten automobiles.
His long list of marriages and relationships
Shelfer married three times at least and has a daughter Lada, a lifestyle blogger, little is known about her mother. With Elena Litueva he shares a son Alexei, born in 2001. Later he moved in with Tatiana Kovylina who is the mother of his four children. She promoted the lingerie company Victoria's Secret and appeared in a Duran Duran video. She took part in his companies and owned three alcoholic beverage production facilities in Latvia. After dating her for 12 years, he popped the question, and they were wed the following year. The so Yuri Junior was born in May 2021 after their split as per reports.
Later, he was linked to 35-year-old Ksenia Sukhinova, Miss Russia 2007 and Miss World 2008. She is a model and TV host who graduated from Tyumen State Oil and Gas University. Sergei Govyadin, 52, the 52-year-old owner of the largest sausage factory in Russia, was her ex-partner. She gave birth to Artem, Shefler's youngest child, in Miami in August 2022, according to some reports.
'Stoli jeopardizes the reputation of the business that Pitt so carefully built'
Pitt's legal documents make it apparent that he is upset with the deal his ex-wife struck with Shefler. "Shefler's Russia-affiliated spirits conglomerate has been the subject of repeated boycotts in connection with Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and homophobic legislative agenda," Pitt's lawyers argued, as per Daily Mail. "While Shefler may be seeking to launder his reputation by forcing a partnership with one of the world's most well-known and popular actors, affiliation with Shefler and Stoli jeopardizes the reputation of the business that Pitt so carefully built."