A CHEF cooks his breakfast each morning, a meal made of the finest meat, fresh vegetables and rice. Sometimes he enjoys caviar and at night he dines on steak done exactly to his liking. Between meals he plays catch with his personal trainer and travels the world in a private plane.
Welcome to the fabulous life of Gunther VI, the world's richest dog. The pampered German Shepherd comes from a long line of purebred hounds who inherited a jaw-dropping fortune from a mysterious German countess.
Or does he?
As the story goes, Karlotta Leibenstein lost her beloved son, Gunther, to suicide. When she died in 1992 without an heir, she left her R240 million fortune to her dog, Gunther III, and placed him in the care of her late son's close Italian friend Maurizio Mian. Her instructions were that the dog and his descendants – all to be called Gunther - were to live their lives in luxury.
When Gunther III passed away, Gunther IV inherited his wealth and Maurizio appointed trustees who invested the money in all the right places. Over the past 30 years, Maurizio built an empire on behalf of his canine boss - and today it's worth a whopping €370m (R7 billion) and Gunther VI is enjoying all the benefits. But the story isn't what it appears to be. A new Netflix documentary series, Gunther's Millions, delves into the bizarre story of the world's richest dog, exposing disturbing revelations about the man behind the money.
From setting up controversial social experiments and tax-evasion schemes to tragic tales of animal abuse, the saga has more twists and turns than a snake with an itch. Even Emilie Dumay and Aurelien Leturgie, the French filmmakers behind the documentary, admit they had difficulty peeling back the layers. "Everyone had their own intentions and their own agenda, Emilie says.
"It's definitely a story of deception to some degree."
A MAN WITH A PLAN
この記事は YOU South Africa の 16 February 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は YOU South Africa の 16 February 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life