Episode 1 McMafia

This programme contains some violent scenes

Good God, Mr Vadim,

I finally managed to drag you away from Moscow.

Come.

My enemies have made it harder for me

to transport my heroin from the north.

I'm looking at alternatives,

but if I continue moving my product through Mumbai,

I need to be sure that the route is really secure, Mr Chopra.

Nothing's changed, I own the port authorities, I own the police.

In Mumbai...I'm God.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Philips Children's Charity

would like to thank you for your generosity and urge you to be

even more generous in bidding for our charity auction prize tonight -

a dinner date at Harry's Bar with supermodel Natalia Balakin.

APPLAUSE

Let's start the bidding at £5,000.

Where's my brother?

5,500.

6,000.

6,500, thank you very much, sir.

-Godman.

-£7,000...

-Yes, that's table seven.

£7,500.

-£7,500. £7,500.

-Don't be embarrassed, like your brother.

Come on, Katya, I need a wife. 8,000!

-£8,000...

-Eight. Yes!

-The gentleman over there.

-What?

It's a good, it's, it's a good...no?

It's a good price.

Besides, if a Russian gives to charity, they call him

an oligarch instead of a crook.

-Hi, Mother.

-Hi, dear. How are you doing?

She's flirting with me.

How are you, Papa?

-Hi, Uncle Boris.

-Hello, hello.

Hi. Yes.

When will you start to speak with me in Russian?

When your son teaches me.

-I will teach you.

-Oh!

My son and his sister speak Russian like children.

14,000.

£14,000.

-See my new wife there?

-I thought business was bad, Uncle Boris.

Business is lousy. Well, 15,000.

-£15,000 to the man in the white suit.

-Mwah!

Papa, you're in England, you can't talk like that.

-Hey.

-Hi.

What did Papa say?

Don't ask.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

You should check on Papa.

No. One more dance.

Go and sit with him.

No. Only if you'll dance with me.

Come on.

You should buy Becky a new dress.

Mama, it's Rebecca.

You should buy your girlfriend a new dress.

She works for one of the richest men in the world

and still dresses like a student.

Come on.

No, I told Alex he was crazy, that he should have stayed at Goldman.

-Well, it's a good thing he doesn't listen to you.

-Yeah.

Well, I cannot help it, you know, I am his Yiddisher Mama.

Of course, now he's an English gentleman,

so he wants nothing to do with me.

He doesn't realise his fund is doing great

because he has all your contacts to invest.

Oh, he turned in all my contacts too.

Oh. I have a friend in Israel, he's very interested in investing.

We're too small for your friends.

You ever know what he's thinking?

He's got this beautiful smile, but underneath maybe he's thinking,

"Screw you and your friends, Uncle Boris. I don't need your money."

I know.

I appreciate it.

"I appreciate it." He's like a wall.

I should practise tennis against him, huh?

Bjorn Borg, huh?

PHONE RINGS

Excuse me.

-Da.

-Vadim is still alive.

They've flown him home.

Papa?

Think that's going to be me.

-Oh, it better not be.

-Oh!

Hey, I'm the one who's drunk and you can't find your keys.

I can't find them, I can hear them.

Oh, God.

Phew!

I think there's something up with my uncle.

Mm, like a bottle of vodka.

Sorry.

I'm worried he's having money problems again.

Well, he's always having money problems.

Bjorn Borg.

SHE GIGGLES

SWEDISH ACCENT: You want me to be Bjorn?

My Swedish is worse than your Russian.

Oh, get off me.

-PHONE BUZZES

-Oh.

Mama, hm?

Mama, it's one o'clock.

How did he get up there again?

I didn't see, I was watching TV.

Hi, Papa.

No, thanks.

No.

Come on, Papa, please.

Mama's worried.

Come on.

COMPUTER PINGS

ANIMATED CHATTER

According to sources, the funds under investigation include

Drake, Klatyaman, Warchus Naylor, Godman Capital.

Well, that's crazy, we've never invested in Russia.

I've already had three investors asking to redeem their capital.

Have the FCA been in contact?

No, not yet.

Well, then, where the hell is this coming from?

Tell your investors that the story is completely untrue

and that the FCA is going to vindicate us.

Karin, don't you know some guy at Bloomberg?

-We don't speak any more.

-Ask him who is spreading these rumours.

Hi, Uncle Boris, can I call you back?

I just saw the article. Is everything OK?

-I'm not sure yet.

-Someone in Moscow planned this to hurt the family.

I don't think so.

Listen, you don't have to take everything on your shoulders.

-I'm here for you, too.

-I know.

-I love you.

I love you, too.

I started the fund from scratch, I never took a penny from my family

or their friends, and I've made it a policy not to invest in Russia.

It's because of my family background

I've been careful to be completely transparent

and have always maintained the highest ethical standards.

Well, forgive me, but perhaps if you'd chosen a different name,

you wouldn't have had this problem.

Alan, a competitor started a false rumour.

If you invested, even in the short-run,

it would restore confidence.

And I'd obviously give you better terms than in normal circumstances.

What does your boss think?

You know Sydney doesn't invest in emerging market funds.

I know Sydney's usually right about everything.

We've given our clients excellent returns.

I know, Alex, I've done my research. You're very good at what you do.

But here's my problem.

When you say you haven't broken any sanctions, I believe you, 100%,

but I'm not sure that anyone else will.

If you were American, or German, or Spanish,

then you would issue a denial and that would be the end of it,

but because of where you come from, these rumours tend to stick.

And that's why I'm asking someone with your reputation to invest.

Well, if you're asking me for a favour, then the answer is no.

But if you're offering me a share of your business,

then that is something I'm willing to consider.

As long as we change the company name.

Uncle Boris. Good to see you again.

-How you doing?

-I'm good, how are you?

Are you sure you don't want any?

This gives you stamina, you know,

-it's like Russian Viagra.

-I'm sure.

Geena!

With this red soup, you bring sour cream, not fresh cream, please.

You got it right last time, you can do it again.

-Pardon, sir.

-It's all right, don't be so sad, I'm not angry.

And get me a fresh bowl, too, please? Thank you, Geena.

Well, I think the Daronis could be interested.

They're Russian.

Well, they haven't been home in 15 years.

I need an investor with no links to Russia.

I, er...I could ask my friend in Israel, that I told you about,

Semiyon Kleiman, but I already told him

that you're not looking for any new investors.

And what does he do?

He made his money in shipping and in entertainment - nightclubs.

What kind of nightclubs?

What kind of question...? The ones you dance in, OK?

And he's not Russian any more, he's...he's Israeli now,

he's a member of the Knesset.

If that's good enough for Mr Godman, huh?

Thank you, Geena.

OK.

So serious. How do you get her to smile?

Do you remember when I used to pick you up at boarding school,

when your papa was busy, how much I embarrassed you?

-You never embarrassed me.

-Oh, yes, I did.

..in front of your friends and I kissed you on both cheeks.

You answered to me in English and you tried to shake my hand.

You got to go back to London in your Bentley.

-Yeah.

-I had to stay there for the rest of term, get called a Yid.

I know, I mean, you did what you had to do to survive -

you always have - and I understand it.

It is embarrassing to be Russian these days,

but don't ever be ashamed of who you are.

Da?

Da.

So what does this friend of your uncle's do?

He's a politician...

..made his money in shipping.

That's pretty broad.

My uncle trusts him.

That's why I'm asking.

My fund's in trouble, Rebecca, I don't have much choice.

There must be someone else you can go to.

You don't think I've tried? I've asked everyone.

Look, I'm nervous about this, too, but I've checked this guy out.

So far, everything seems legitimate.

You're lovely.

Yes, you're lovely.

-I wish you could be my air hostess every day.

-Thank you.

-Join me... Join me for a glass.

-Oh, no, I can't.

-Well, yes, you can.

-I can't.

Come on, I don't want to drink by myself.

-Oh.

-Go get yourself a glass, I'm paying.

How many times a week do you go to the gym?

Once or twice, yeah?

I go every day, huh?

And look at me.

Come on. Ahhh!

Don't you just love this city?

We should have moved here when those thieves,

-they threw us out of Russia.

-Why didn't you?

Well, I wanted to, but your father, he decided on London and he's

my big brother, he's the head of the family, so I follow him everywhere.

He'll go home soon.

That's bullshit. It's been years.

People lie to him, you know, they tell him to pay big money,

apologise to the Kremlin and then he can go home.

But that's bullshit. You don't go home like a beggar,

you go home like a king,

and I am going to take him home to Russia like a king.

You want to know how?

That's your business.

Always that smile, huh?

What you don't know cannot hurt you.

Shalom!

I'm going to go for a swim. Will you save me if I drown?

THUMPING MUSIC

Are you here for business?

I don't know why I'm here.

Maybe you're here to meet me.

You have soft hands.

Let me guess, you're a gangster.

Close.

Banker?

Married?

Close again.

American girl?

British.

British women are tough, huh?

Tougher than Israeli women?

God, what does it take to corrupt you?

Let me get you a drink.

SIREN WAILS

What? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, come on!

Follow me, please.

TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

Semiyon.

SPEAKS HEBREW

-Alex, Semiyon.

-Ah!

SPEAKS HEBREW

I'm afraid I don't speak Hebrew.

Ah, your uncle tells me you are very good with money.

He's my uncle.

I don't hear so great.

Are you afraid?

-Of what?

-Bombs?

I feel pretty safe down here.

Let's go up on the roof, we can hear better.

Don't worry about the bombs,

it's a practice drill, my friends at the IDF warned me.

We're more likely to be hit by lightning.

So, I want to invest 100 million in your fund,

but your uncle says I need to convince you first.

I have to be able to tell the financial authorities in London

where the money comes from.

Well, my understanding is that funds like yours

aren't subject to the usual level of scrutiny.

Within the confines of the law.

He also tells me your business is in trouble

and you need me more than I need you.

I took a look at your profit margins.

It doesn't seem to me like you need any help.

And if I come to you with an interesting investment opportunity?

For example?

For example, I have a friend in Mumbai with shipping interests -

huge potential.

But he is getting blocked by a bigger rival,

who is paying off the port authorities.

With a small investment, my friend outbids his rival

and triples his profit.

How would you facilitate that?

That's not what we do.

I'm just trying to get an idea of your expertise.

We would set up a special purpose vehicle

in a low-intervention jurisdiction - like the Caymans.

The SPV would lend money to similar funds in the Bahamas, Panama,

until it becomes impossible to trace and reaches your friend in Mumbai.

Would his rival know where the money is coming from?

We would structure it

-so that your name wouldn't appear on the share register.

-Hmm.

But, like I said, that's not what we do.

He made you an offer, go away and think about it.

-I don't see the problem.

-The problem is that I'm not a money launderer.

So then say no. You've never done anything you don't want to.

You could have gone to someone else, but you came to me.

I thought maybe you were tired of being the English gentleman.

When I met your father, I was a market girl

and he made me a princess.

I had everything I wanted -

I had you, I had your sister, I had Chanel and Dior.

It didn't matter what he did for a living?

You know, in Russia, they call everyone a gangster. So what?

Papa was a businessman and in his business there was

a lot of money, so it was very dangerous.

And then, when they kicked him out,

I didn't care that he wasn't a boss any more.

I still loved him.

Is your fund in trouble?

Then say yes to the Israeli.

What he wants is illegal.

-How illegal?

-Mama!

Look at him, he's like a lion who's lost his hair.

His mane.

Papa.

Mm.

What you up to?

And he thinks Harrods is boring.

The way he wants to structure the deal is to take a large stake

in the managing company, plus the return on his funds, obviously.

You don't look convinced.

I'm never going to be convinced by an offer from Alan Raynott.

At least he hasn't asked to change the company name.

Alex.

Excuse me.

I spoke to my friend at Bloomberg.

Look, I think I know who started the rumours.

-Alex, what are you doing here?

-I need to talk to you.

Well, do you want to sit down and join us?

You spread the rumours about my fund?

Why, to force me to take Kleiman's money?

No, listen, I will explain this.

Wait, wait, wait.

Please, don't embarrass me in front of these people, OK?

Sit, sit down. Geena.

Take your jacket off.

Remember how to do with the caviar?

You split it in two and then you serve it with the vodka.

-Take his jacket.

-Yes, sir.

Mm-hm.

Oh, shit.

What is...Geena doing with the caviar?

Alex...

Alex, would you mind, see what she's up to?

Don't worry, I go, I help, OK?

Oh! Argh! Argh!

Argh!

Argh!

DOORBELL BUZZES

PHONE RINGS

Hi, darling. There's someone at the door.

-I'll call you...

-Don't answer it. Get away from the door, Mama.

DOORBELL BUZZES

Go to the panic button in the bedroom, Mama.

-OK, have you found it?

-Yes.

-It's not working.

-Press both buttons, Mama.

It's not working!

Go to the alarm panel by the front door.

But they are still there.

It's OK, don't worry. Don't worry, Mama. It's OK.

OK, are you there?

-Alex, they're still there.

-Press any number.

-What number?

-Any number, Mama. The year I was born.

Nothing's happening.

Right, now press zero.

ALARM BLARES

Are you OK, Mama?

Fine.

What's going on?

HE SOBS

HE RETCHES

MAN SPEAKS IN HEBREW

ALL SHOUT

I wish you long life.

Mr Kleiman is sorry he couldn't be here.

-It's a good turnout.

-Thank you very much.

Lots of people stayed away.

-Well, Masha's certainly dressed for the occasion.

-Hmm.

Do you know her?

She's a friend of my uncle's.

Alex, you remember Joseph.

Yes, of course.

This is my girlfriend, Rebecca Harper.

Tanya. It's so nice to meet you at last, Rebecca.

You work for Sydney Bloom, right?

Yes, that's right.

How exciting.

He seems to be the only honest banker left in the world.

Alex and I have known each other since we were kids.

My Father was best friends with his uncle,

but we haven't seen each other in years.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Thank you.

How have you been?

Still running your fund?

Mr Kleiman would like to offer you and your parents any help he can.

He prays for their safety

and hopes something like this won't happen again.

37.3. You're fine.

No, she doesn't.

Papa, you looked after him all your life.

Hey...

Come on.

What did the police have to say?

What are they going to say?

It's just bloody Russians.

How about your father?

He has no idea.

He wasn't involved in Boris's business affairs.

Breathe, Alex.

Ugh!

Breathe out your tension, push him away, go to work.

This exercise actually cleanses your psyche.

When the body is deprived of oxygen, it feels it's approaching death.

All the other stress that you're facing, all the other problems

you're dealing with, they're nothing in comparison to dying.

Your body's handling this and solving other problems, too.

Someone will meet you outside Ravenscourt Park Station in an hour.

Mr Alex?

-Yes.

-This way, sir.

Please forgive my absence at the funeral.

Your uncle was a dear friend.

I'm sure you had your reasons.

The natural caution of an old man.

I heard you were with him when it happened.

I'd gone to tell him I didn't want any part of your business.

Please.

Thank you, Joseph.

Your uncle promised me I could use your fund to move my money around.

He didn't tell me how he'd get you to agree.

The man who had him killed, his named is Vadim Kalyagin.

He kicked your family out of Russia

and took over their business interests, mine too.

Boris and I were simply trying to take back what was ours.

Only you're still alive.

He was impatient, always so impatient.

He tried to assassinate Vadim without my knowledge.

I prefer a long-term approach.

Tell me, when you were in business school...

..what model did they teach you for creating a franchise?

McDonald's.

Why is McDonald's more successful than Burger King?

Many reasons.

One reason, there are more of them.

I want to expand my franchise in Europe, Asia, Africa.

Everywhere there is a McDonald's,

I want to build two Burger Kings.

I want to build so many that people stop going to my competitor

and his backers lose faith in him and pull out.

That's how you destroy a person like Vadim.

I loved my uncle more than anyone else...

..but I was ready to say no to him.

Why would I say yes to you?

Vadim assumes your father tried to kill him, too.

Neither you, your family, nor your father are safe.

And you're the only one who can save us?

Not yet.

McDonald's is still bigger than Burger King.

So, how do I protect my family in the meantime?

Go to Vadim, kiss his hand and beg for your father's life.

He's attending a function in Versailles in a few days.

I have friends who can arrange a meeting.

It may buy you some breathing space until we are ready.

Ready for what?

My daughter serves in the Mossad, Mr Godman.

Do you know what their motto is?

HE SPEAKS HEBREW

By deception, we will do war.

I'm a banker, not a gangster.

All I need is a banker.

These wars are fought in boardrooms, not on the street.

Money - moving money is your weapon.

You can sit behind your desk anywhere in the world

and still bring down the man who killed your uncle...

..if that's what you want.

Can't you postpone the trip?

Ah, I've already got a job on my hands convincing them to invest.

Your uncle's just been murdered.

I'm sure they'll understand.

They don't care - it's business.

If I don't show up, they'll invest their money somewhere else.

What about Boris's investor?

He pulled out.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Sydney Bloom

and I'd like to say welcome to you all.

I'd also like to introduce someone to you this evening,

who has worked with me at the foundation for just over five years

and has become a vital, integral part

of everything we do here - Miss Rebecca Harper.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether

ethical capitalism is possible.

I believe we have no choice.

The public have made their feelings clear.

The unethical pursuit of profit at the expense of others

is no longer acceptable.

We live in a globalised, hyper-connected world,

where over a billion people subsist on less than a dollar a day.

A system designed to create wealth for all has been

exploited by the few to create unparalleled inequality.

The problem doesn't lie with capitalism,

but with those capitalists who have put self-interest

and short-term gain ahead of the good of the people,

those who have forgotten their economic covenant with society.

Well, the rot sets in when we draw a distinction between our values

as business leaders and our values as human beings...

MAN LAUGHS

Igor. No.

Mr Kalyagin...

I'm Alex Godman.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Godman.

I'm very sorry about your loss.

This is my daughter Natasha.

Natasha, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

IN RUSSIAN:

I've spent most of my life in England and America,

so unfortunately not very well.

Well, it's good for me to practise my English

and Natasha is learning.

Do you like caviar?

Yes.

This is Iranian beluga -

much better than caviar from our country.

Less pollution on their side of the Caspian.

You must try this.

Have you ever been back to Russia?

Not since my father left.

But you're not your father.

I'm sure you won't have any problems there.

It's a wonderful country,

even though my daughter wants to study overseas.

Any idea where?

Paris or London.

Oh, it's got to be London.

Look at those wonderful cakes.

I'm going to grab one before they disappear.

Nice to meet you.

Likewise.

I'm glad you came to see me, Mr Godman.

I wanted to talk to you about my father.

Are you head of the family now?

If you asked him, he'd say I was still the baby.

How is he?

Grieving for his brother.

I remember they were very close. Mm.

Were you close to your uncle, too?

I loved him very much.

I imagine that must be really hard for you.

Does your father know you've come to see me?

If he did, he would never forgive me.

Why did you come, then?

To convince you he's a harmless old man.

And you, Mr Godman?

Are you harmless?

I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.

I was educated at a private school in England,

business school in America.

I run my own firm in the City.

I'm very happy with my life the way it is.

Have you ever visited Versailles before?

No.

This is where the Sun King greeted diplomats.

Come.

On the left is the Hall of Peace

and on the right is the Hall of War.

So, which one would you like to see?

IN RUSSIAN:

If you want to protect your family, this is what you have to do.

IN RUSSIAN:

What if you get investigated?

I've done nothing wrong.

Do you understand? In Moscow, they kill you!

If you choose this life, you have to be ready to give up everything.

I think there's a lot more that you're not telling me.