Trending Now - Tragic Death Unveils Dark Secrets in London’s Underbelly

WHO:

NPR - Zac Brettler, a 19-year-old recent graduate of an expensive private school, grandson of a famous London rabbi.

NPR - Dave Sharma, a feared London gangster and leg-breaker, resident of the apartment from which Zac fell.

Slate - Matthew and Rachelle Brettler, Zac's parents, both children of Holocaust survivors.

Slate - Akbar Shamji, a businessman who introduced Zac to Sharma.

WHAT:

NPR - Zac Brettler jumped from a fifth-floor luxury apartment balcony into the River Thames on November 29th, 2019.

NPR - Zac had been living a double life, claiming to be "Zac Ismailov," the son of a fictitious Russian oligarch, and poised to inherit more than $270 million.

Slate - The London Metropolitan Police had surveillance footage showing Zac jumping from the balcony.

Slate - The Brettlers believe two older men, including Sharma, are responsible for Zac's death.

WHERE:

NPR - The incident occurred at a luxury apartment in central London, valued at over $5 million.

Slate - The apartment was located in the Riverwalk complex overlooking the Thames.

WHEN:

NPR - Zac Brettler died on November 29th, 2019.

Slate - The book "London Falling" was published in 2024, nearly five years after Zac's death.

WHY:

NPR - Zac's parents were unaware of his alter ego and the double life he was leading.

Slate - Zac became obsessed with the lifestyles of the wealthy and expressed admiration for corrupt figures like Vladimir Putin.

HOW:

NPR - Zac tricked Sharma into believing he was wealthy and had a fortune awaiting him.

Slate - Zac hired a limousine to pick him up from school to experience a taste of wealth.

(UPDATED April 5, 2026 09:08 UTC)

Zac Brettler, a 19-year-old recent graduate of an expensive private school and grandson of a famous London rabbi, jumped from a fifth-floor luxury apartment balcony into the River Thames November 29thth, 2019, while living a double life as "Zac Ismailov," claiming to be the son of a fictitious Russian oligarch. The London Metropolitan Police have surveillance footage of the incident, and Zac's parents, Matthew and Rachelle Brettler, believe that two older men, including a feared gangster named Dave Sharma, are responsible for their son's death. Zac had become obsessed with the lifestyles of the wealthy, even hiring a limousine to pick him up from school, and his family was unaware of the alter ego he had created or the dangerous world he had entered.