A magazine funded by Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov is coming to the United States this week. Snob's September issue, with an initial run of 20,000 copies, will be available -- in Russian -- at newsstands in New York and other American cities starting Wednesday, the magazine said on its Website.
Snob was launched in 2008 as a a general interest and lifestyle magazine catering to an elite Russian-speaking business audience.
It is now distributed in Britain as well as Russia. Last year, Prokhorov, 45, bought 80 percent of the New Jersey Nets. The billionaire, whose business interests range from metals to media, drew media attention in 2007 when French police detained him briefly as part of a probe into an alleged high class prostitution ring. No charges were ever filed.
Snob said it plans to organize parties, film screenings and literary readings for its U.S.-based readers.
Even though the target audience is well-heeled, the magazine plans to attract readers not only with a downtown New York party featuring "leading Russian intellectuals,'' but also with three months of free subscription.
