Gere attends mysterious event in Moscow

Actor Richard Gere made a guest appearance on Tuesday at a star-studded yet secretive business forum in Moscow that provoked controversy after twin female business assistants were offered as a contest prize.

Organisers of the Synergy business school warned The Daily Telegraph that “there should not be any information about Richard Gere” in its coverage because of a condition in his contract allowing them to “invite only Russian press”. Gere, 69, was headline speaker at the Synergy Global Forum, which also hosted Malcolm Gladwell, the author, and Steven Seagal, the actor. Tickets ranged from £175 (Dh820) to more than £5,000 for VIP access.

The Hollywood leading man told the crowd at the Olympic stadium that Moscow, once dark and repressive, was now a “city of light” that “feels like it’s a part of Europe”.