I love this story: a guy shows Putin his diamond-studded gold ring, and Putin pockets it.
At a press conference, Mr Kraft, who made his fortune in paper products, is said to have been urged by Sanford Weill, the chairman of Citigroup, to show Mr Putin his flashy 2005 Super Bowl ring. The 14-carat white-gold ring, awarded to all members of the winning team, weighs more than four ounces, making it the heaviest so far, and is studded with 124 diamonds arranged to form the team ’s logo and the words “World Champions”.
When Mr Kraft presented the Super Bowl rings to his team two weeks ago, the club boasted: “These rings pack plenty of bling.”
The rings are also avidly sought by collectors. A less lavish Super Bowl ring previously owned by a member of the San Francisco 49ers sold on eBay last year for $49,000 (£27,000)….
The New York Sun reported that Mr Kraft did not intend to give Mr Putin the ring and was trying quietly to retrieve it.
Best of all is the statement put out by Kraft:
“At the end of a very productive three-hour business meeting with President Putin, organised by my good friend Sandy Weill, I showed the president my most recent Super Bowl ring,” Mr Kraft said.
“Upon seeing the ring, President Putin, a great and knowledgeable sports fan, was clearly taken with its uniqueness. At that point, I decided to give him the ring as a symbol of the respect and admiration that I have for the Russian people and the leadership of President Putin. It was truly an act of serendipity and one that I am honoured to have experienced. It touched me to see President Putin’s reaction to the ring.”
I bet it did.
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