The owner of Britain's Independent and Evening Standard newspapers, Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev attacked his opponent, businessman Sergei Polonsky, and struck him several times during pre-recording of a talk show at one of Russian leading channels NTV on Friday.
During the talk-show named 'Crisis - Russian response' , which NTV partly aired on Saturday (September 17), the studio guests were discussing the threat of the new global economic crisis and the ways for Russia to overcome it.
Lebedev's opponent Sergei Polonsky, once one of the richest Russian businessmen who ranked 962 on The World's Billionaires 2008 according to Forbes but got knocked out of the ranks after the world economic crisis, said during the show he was sick and tired of useless discussion on economic issues with tycoons adding that he would rather beat somebody instead.
Lebedev looked like he took his opponent's words quite seriously. After a short argument with Polonsky who was about to add some critical words about him, Lebedev got suddenly outraged and hit the extreme-sports lover, 6-foot-4-inch Polonsky in the face throwing him down from stage in studio.
NTV security and talk show anchors prevented both Lebedev and Polonsky from fighting any more.