Angelina Jolie’s very close friendship with Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler – the man accused of conspiring with the starlet against her ex-husband Brad Pitt – was revealed in an email from the vodka baron in which he A-list actress invites actress to spend the night at his Scottish castle.
Shefler, 56, told the Maleficent alum, 48, to visit him at his lavish home on the Tulchan estate in the Speyside region of Scotland – months after she gave him her half of the vineyard she previously owned with Pitt. for $8.5 million, a move that sparked a major war between the former couple that is still ongoing.
After Jolie sold her share of her French winery Chateau Miraval to Shefler in October 2021, Pitt sued her for breach of contract and has since accused Shefler’s company of “attempting a hostile takeover of the wine business.”
Now an email exchange between Shefler and Jolie, part of a series of new court documents filed by lawyers for the 59-year-old Fight Club star, shows just how strong their bond is – with the vodka baron accusing Pitt of trying to “sabotage” their business relationship.
Angelina Jolie’s close friendship with Yuri Shefler (left) – the man accused of conspiring with the starlet against her ex-husband Brad Pitt (right) – has been revealed
The vodka baron invited the actress and her children to spend the night at his Scottish castle, months after she signed over half of the vineyard she previously owned with Pitt to him
After Jolie sold her share of her Chateau Miraval winery to Shefler in 2021, Pitt sued her for breach of contract and accused Shefler’s company of “attempting a hostile takeover.”
In an email Shefler sent to Jolie in May 2022 (see), the vodka baron accused Pitt of trying to “sabotage” her deal before inviting the actress and her children to his Scottish castle
In the May 25, 2022 message, the business mogul told Jolie that she and her six children were welcome to visit him at his apartment and encouraged the star to reach out to him if she ever needed his help.
It is unknown whether Jolie ever vacationed at the castle.
“This letter is to thank you for the deal we made,” the businessman, who bought his Scottish estate for $30.3 million in 2017, wrote in the email.
“I am satisfied with the deal, despite the current disagreements with Mr. Pitt regarding his attempts at sabotage and preventing the signing of the shareholders’ agreement.”
“However, I am confident that we will eventually become trustworthy partners and do business together.”
“If at any time you need assistance from me, please reach out [number redacted].
“My invitation to visit my Tulchan estate in Scotland is open to you and your children at any time.” Warmest regards.’
Jolie’s office did not respond to ‘s request for comment.
“With this letter I would like to thank you for the deal we made,” Shefler wrote to Jolie. “My invitation to visit my estate in Scotland is open to you and your children at any time.”
Shefler bought the property in 2017 for $30.3 million – at the time it was considered the most expensive sports lodge in Scotland
Pitt and Jolie bought the winery in the south of France together in 2008 for $27 million and became 50/50 owners of the property and the winery
Jolie sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo – the wine division of the Stoli Group, owned by Russian businessman Shefler – in October 2021 for $67 million
Pitt and Jolie, who separated in 2016, bought the winery in the south of France together in 2008 for around $27 million and became 50/50 owners of the property and the winery.
Jolie sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo – the wine division of the Stoli Group, owned by Russian businessman Shefler – in October 2021 for $67 million.
Afterward, Pitt claimed his ex made the move without informing him, accusing her of trying to “deliberately damage” the company’s reputation, “undermine” its investment, and at the same time “unjustly enrich himself.”
Shefler added in the email: “I am pleased with the deal, despite current disagreements with Mr. Pitt regarding his attempts at sabotage and avoiding signing the shareholders’ agreement.”
“Brad has built – through significant financial investments and years of hard equity – a highly successful family business,” his lawyers wrote in documents at the time.
“Miraval has increased enormously in value since 2008 and is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”
“Angelina prosecuted the alleged sale in secret and then consummated it by intentionally keeping Brad in the dark and knowingly violating his contractual rights.”
However, in a leaked email obtained by Vanity Fair, Jolie reportedly told Pitt on January 21, 2021 that she had plans to sell her shares in the company because she did not want to participate in “a business in which is about alcohol.” ‘ or revisit the place that “marked the beginning of the end of her family.”
The outlet reported that Pitt planned to buy Jolie’s shares from her, but after she refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement that would prevent her from speaking publicly about their infamous plane dispute, negotiations fell through.
A source told the publication that Pitt wanted to put the NDA into effect “to ensure that it does not harm the value of.” [the winery] after paying for it.’
However, in his lawsuit, Pitt claimed that she resigned from her business because she was upset about the custody decision for her children and that he found out through the media that she had sold her shares to the Stoli Group.
He said they had a “mutual and binding commitment” to the $160 million deal and agreed not to sell without each other’s permission, but Jolie said that “such an agreement never existed.”
Pitt claimed his ex made the move without informing him and accused her of trying to “intentionally damage” the company’s reputation and “undermine” his investment.
He said they had a “mutual and binding commitment” to the $160 million business and agreed not to sell it without each other’s permission, but Angelina said that “it didn’t exist.”
He also claimed that the Stoli Group had since then “attempted to take over the wine business in a hostile manner.”
In response, her lawyers said: “To this day and in the seven years since that fateful plane ride, Brad has personally never publicly denied that it happened.”
“The reality is that Pitt refused to complete the Miraval sale with Angelina unless she agreed to be silenced about the abuse.”
Back in July, Jolie’s investment company Nouvel filed a $350 million lawsuit against Brad, claiming he had “wasted the company’s assets” and spent “millions of dollars” on “vanity projects” like renovating swimming pools and building a recording studio issued to the property.
They accused him of “looting” the wine store and using it as his “personal cash box.”
“Infuriated that Angelina sold Nouvel to Stoli rather than him, Brad acted like a petulant child and refused to treat Nouvel as an equal partner in the business,” court documents state.
Weeks later there was hope for peace when it was announced that Pitt and Jolie had agreed to mediate.
However, Shefler shows no signs of wanting to give up the fight, and since then there have been numerous bitter disputes between the Pitt-Shefler legal teams.
There are disputes over matters including how documents were served on Shefler, and there have been several jurisdictional requests.
Shefler said the transaction to sell Miraval, a French winery, took place in Europe and is therefore subject to different discovery rules.
Team Pitt, meanwhile, complained that the tycoon was “seeking the court’s blessing for his obstructionism.”
They add that the Stoli parties “hid critical evidence that is highly relevant to the court’s jurisdiction over them.”
The latest filings allege that Shefler was “evasive,” and Pitt’s lawyers added, “He may be a Russian oligarch, but he must abide by the same ground rules as any other litigant in California.”
The current documents include a message from Shefler to Pitt dated December 11, 2021 – just weeks after it was revealed that his Stoli Group had bought Jolie’s stake.
Shefler once faced charges in absentia of organizing a gang, illegal use of trademarks and smuggling
He was married to Victoria’s Secret model Tatiana Kovylina (left), but the two separated in 2021 and he has since been linked to Miss World 2008 Ksenia Sukhinova (right).
In it he said he was sorry for surprising you when you entered your Miraval realm.
The Russian then asked Pitt to concentrate on his “artistic projects” while I pursued my passion – business.
Shefler’s side, in turn, accuses Mondo Bongo (the Pitt-controlled company that owns half of Miraval) of “faking” a desire to resolve the dispute.
They say that a proposal about who should run the holding company would allow Brad Pitt and his followers to continue to gut Château Miraval, which your court cannot allow, while it is your court’s duty to continue to do so to those who do to provide maximum protection suffer the most.’
Shefler was born Yuri Alexeyevich Jurasov into a Russian Jewish family in Oryol, 230 miles south of Moscow, later changed his name to Yuri Anatolyevich Schabalin and eventually settled with Yuri Viktorovich Schefler.
At the end of the Soviet era he served as a conscript in the Red Army and became a father at the age of 20.
The vodka tsar graduated from the prestigious Plekhanov Institute in Moscow, studying economics during the rollercoaster years of the 1990s while running a successful retail and restaurant business.
From 1995 to 1997 he was chairman of Vnukovo Airlines, a spin-off of the old Soviet mega-airline Aeroflot.
In 1997 he moved to Soyuzplodoimport (SPI), which produces the legendary Stolichnaya vodka and 380 other brands.
In the 2000s, Shefler was accused of making death threats against Vladimir Loginov, an Agriculture Ministry official who had been entrusted with the vodka trademarks.
Shefler left Russia for Latvia before Vladimir Putin’s security forces had time to arrest him, initially operating his business from the Baltic state where he had production facilities.
While he left Russia safely – one of the first to escape Putin’s crackdown on business enemies – he faced legal action in his absence for organizing a gang, illegally using trademarks and smuggling.
He was also accused of threatening to kill Loginov and was charged with using the Stolichnaya trademark and other foreign trademarks.
Shefler then moved to the United Kingdom, where he obtained a British passport while also securing Israeli citizenship.
He prospered, became a billionaire and became the owner of the Serene, one of the world’s longest and most expensive superyachts, leased by Bill Gates for $5 million a week.
In 2017, he bought Scotland’s most expensive hunting ground – Tulchan – worth $32 million and invited Jolie to visit.
He also maintains luxury properties in Surrey, near London, in St. Jean Cap Ferrat in southern France and in Jurmala, the Baltic Sea resort near the Latvian capital Riga and a popular refuge for Russians.
Shefler was married at least three times and fathered seven children.
He was most recently married to Victoria’s Secret model Tatiana Kovylina, 41. However, the two reportedly split in 2021 and he has since been linked to Ksenia Sukhinova, 35, who was Miss Russia 2007 and Miss World 2008.