Netflix's fascinating foray into the manipulative minds and criminal dealings of con artist Simon Leviev in the documentary The Tinder Swindler, and the miniseries Inventing Anna about fake heiress Anna Sorokin (aka Anna Delvey), have proved to be huge hits.
While audiences gasp from the comfort of their sofas at the audaciousness of the pair's crimes, which left trails of broken hearts, destroyed trust and mountains of debt in their chaotic wake, the criminals themselves are not only revelling in their newfound fame, but also profiting from it.
New docuseries for Sorokin from ‘KUWTK’ team
Sorokin, 31, is the subject of Netflix's limited series Inventing Anna, itself based on the New York magazine article about the fake heiress. However, she is now set to star in her own docuseries.
Bunim/Murray Productions, the company behind reality TV shows Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Project Runway, as well as the acclaimed documentary Surviving R Kelly, is in talks with the Russian-German con artist to star in her own show, purportedly about her post-prison life.
Having been released from jail in 2021 after serving three years, Sorokin is currently being detained by US immigration for matters pertaining to having overstayed her visa.
“Anna’s story is very much alive and still unfolding as we speak,” said Michael Driscoll, Bunim/Murray’s director of development. “We’ve been developing this project with her for months now — and spent countless hours on phone and video calls with her. She is a complicated and fascinating character, and we are looking forward to telling the next chapter of her ever-evolving tale.”
How the fake heiress profited off her crimes
According to Insider, Sorokin was paid $320,000 by Netflix for the rights to adapt her story into Inventing Anna.
Sorokin’s assets had previously been frozen in May 2019, two years after her arrest, owing to the US “Son of Sam” law which prohibits criminals from profiting from their crimes.
Of the $320,000, Sorokin paid $199,000 in court-ordered restitution to her victims, $75,000 in lawyers' fees and $24,000 in state fines. Her remaining funds were unfrozen for her to keep for herself.
'The Tinder Swindler': book, dating show and podcast plans
For Leviev, 31, his brush with notoriety in The Tinder Swindler was not enough. In the documentary, he claimed to be the son of billionaire diamond dealer Lev Leviev, and manipulated numerous women over the years into handing over money to fund his jet-set lifestyle.
In 2015, Leviev served two years of a three-year sentence in a Finnish prison for fraud. Upon his release in 2017, he returned to Israel where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $43,289 for previous crimes relating to fraud. He served only five months and was released early for good behaviour.
Estimated to have conned people out of more than $10 million, three of Leviev's victims, Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm and Ayleen Charlotte, who shared their stories in the Netflix documentary, are still paying back bank loans and credit card debt they accrued on his behalf.
Sjoholm recently told GQ that she is bankrupt and back living with her mother. Setting up a GoFundMe account accepting donations they will put towards their debts, the trio wrote: "All we want are our lives back."
However, for Leviev, Hollywood, rather than atonement, beckons.
Talent manager Gina Rodriguez at entertainment company Gitoni Inc, which has the likes of Blac Chyna, Amber Rose and Tori Spelling among their clients, has signed on Leviev. The pair have revealed plans to capitalise on his infamy with ideas for a book, a dating show in which women compete for his love, as well as a dating podcast.
"I was intrigued with the Netflix story. I saw the world’s greatest salesman," Rodriguez told Entertainment Tonight. "It left me with a lot of unanswered questions and was very biased. I believe there are two sides to every story and everyone should have the chance to tell their side of the story."
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
