Охота на банкира

Короче, зная лебедевский нрав, я многим бы желал такого нрава. Я думаю, что он отчасти прав, ответивши на хамство хуком справа. И если что-то значит голос мой среди всеобщей умственной разрухи – то я за то, чтоб он пошел домой и продолжал бы дальше в том же духе.

Друзья за рубежом тоже откликнулись. Свои «характеристики» прислали мировые звезды Элтон Джон и Стинг, актеры Кевин Спейси, Джон Малкович, Хью Грант, «Гэндальф» Иэн Маккеллен, Кира Найтли, режиссер Том Стоппард, скульптор Энтони Гормли и многие другие. Вотчтонаписал, например, мудрыйСтивенФрай:

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr Alexander Lebedev for some years now, through an introduction by my friend, his son Evgeny.

Alexander Lebedev has always struck me as a man who combines authority, integrity, decency and intelligence with the greatest charm and self-deprecation. That he, like all human beings, is capable of losing his temper is beyond question. But then, which of us isn’t? What I believe is utterly inconsistent with Alexander Lebedev’s character is hooliganism or the idea of him inciting anyone to hatred. He is a man who, more than most, can listen to arguments with which he disagrees and indeed which go against his most deeply held tenets. I have met many men of great wealth and achievement in the financial and corporate field, but none with so small a sense of self-importance and so great an intellectual curiosity and openness to new ideas.

The kind of outburst the world saw from Mr Lebedev happens thousands of times an hour around the world in bars, salons, boardrooms and bedrooms, and is generally followed by an apologies, a slap on the back, a drink and a handshake. It would be a sad, strange and unjust day if this one ill-judged moment should be singled out for special and unusual punishment.

We have all seen the incident on YouTube and we have all seen much, much worse. I hope the good offices of the court and its instincts for natural justice will come to the view that this molehill does not have to be seen as a mountain.

With very many thanks

Stephen Fry

(Я имею удовольствие быть знакомым с Александром Лебедевым уже на протяжении нескольких лет. Мой друг, его сын Евгений, представил меня Александру.