Sergey Kornilov, the 21-year-old son of a Russian billionaire, faces up to two years in prison following a multi-vehicle drink-driving crash in Nizhny Novgorod.
The criminal case has been transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod District Court, according to a report by the Novosti Nizhnego Novgoroda channel on the messaging service Telegram.
On 20 May, Kornilov was driving a Mercedes convertible while intoxicated when he caused a mass road traffic collision. Following the crash, he went to a restaurant, where he continued to drink alcohol.
Kornilov was arrested on 19 June over the drunk multi-car collision.
The young motorist also posted several videos to social media about the incident. In the clips, he admitted that he had got behind the wheel completely drunk, but insisted that nothing would happen to him because he was a mazhor, a Russian term for the entitled offspring of wealthy families.
Social media insults and apology
Kornilov also insulted his followers during the broadcasts, referring to them as paupers. Soon afterwards, he published a video offering an apology for his remarks.
In Russian society, the colloquial label mazhor is widely used to describe the spoiled children of the country's business tycoons and political figures. The phrase refers to members of the golden youth who flaunt luxurious lifestyles, expensive imported vehicles and family connections, often under the assumption that their wealth grants them immunity from standard legal consequences.
Nizhny Novgorod court proceedings
His father is a billionaire based in Nizhny Novgorod, a major industrial city situated at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, roughly 250 miles east of Moscow. The region is home to several prominent industrial holdings and wealthy business figures.
The Nizhny Novgorod District Court serves as the primary judicial venue for criminal trials in the city's central district. With the case materials now formally transferred to the court, the 21-year-old will stand trial and could receive up to two years of imprisonment.
