Media Magnate Alexander Lebedev Punches Tycoon Sergei Polonsky on TV

Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “power struggle,” one Russian billionaire punched the lights out on another during a pre-taped talk show. The segment emerged online over the weekend and you can see it in full below, embedded at the end of the article.

Media magnate Alexander Lebedev, former KGB agent who now owns The Independent and The Evening Standard, among other major publications, was the one doing the punching.

His rival, though clearly unwillingly, was constructions tycoon Sergei Polonsky, who happened to be sitting down when he got punched repeatedly in the face.

Speaking with The Independent after the incident, Lebedev said that Polonsky, whom he didn’t know from before the show, on which they discussed the international financial crisis, had been insulting him for hours when he lashed out.

“I had to listen to his very aggressive behavior for an hour and a half. He insulted everyone in the room,” Lebedev is quoted as saying.

The footage shows him getting up at one point, while Polonsky is speaking and looming in a threatening manner over him, with his fists clenched.

When the camera zooms in on him next, he’s sitting down – but not for long. The next instant, he’s up on his feet and launching a fury of punches on his unaware opponent.

The Independent says that Lebedev claimed he had heard Polonsky say before the show that he felt like “punching someone in the face,” which is why he acted proactively.

“I’m not a fan of such behavior, but sometimes if you are threatened verbally and physically you have to neutralize the threat to the best of your ability, without harming the other person,” he said.

“That’s what I did,” Lebedev stressed.

Polonsky tweeted about the incident, saying he was in complete shock over the outburst. He made no mention of whether he planned legal action against Lebedev.