Ukrainian billionaire spending £4 million on his 50th birthday bash

A Ukrainian billionaire is celebrating his 50th birthday in style, for he is spending more than 4 million pounds on his birthday bash in the French ski resort of Courchevel.

Viktor Pinchuk, the steel magnate and modern art collector, whose fortune Forbes estimates stands at 3.1 billion dollars (2 billion pounds), is sparing no expense for the 300 lucky guests invited to the event.

He has hired out a huge 3,000 metre squared marquee from the town hall in Courchevel 1650, the second-highest part of the resort in the French Alps' Trois Vallees, reports the Telegraph.

It has taken 50 workmen two weeks "under difficult climactic conditions" to set up the venue, which will house the Cirque du Soleil, the world-renowned Canada-based circus troupe. Local schoolchildren were invited to come and watch the acrobats rehearse.

Alain Ducasse, whose restaurants around the world have a total of 19 Michelin stars, including three at London's The Dorchester, has concocted the gastronomic buffet. His haute gastronomy will be washed down with the finest champagne, vodka and top grands crus.

The soiree will end with a spectacular firework display before guests retire to the resort's 11 five-star hotels - a record in France - all booked out for the occasion.