Money, particularly in incomprehensibly large sums, can complicate everything. But when there’s a German countess, a squad of sexy Italians, a mustachioed eccentric and a German shepherd with a $400 million inheritance involved, the money is the most straightforward part of the story.
Don’t worry: The labyrinthian tale of Gunther’s Millions will all make sense eventually, and the ending is just as shocking as every twist and turn that gets you there.
The new four-part docuseries, which is in English and Italian, begins by recounting the story of a German doctor who made a fortune in pharmaceuticals in the ’80s. He provided his wife — a countess — and their son a life of comfort and ease. But when their son died by suicide after struggling with depression, the only heir to their $400 million fortune was the family dog, a German shepherd named Gunther. The empire the countess left behind (and the long line of Gunthers bred from the original) was left to family friend Maurizio Mian, an Italian celebrity known for tenuous ties to the mafia and an entourage of reverent followers. Gunther’s Millions chronicles the last 30 years (and counting) of Mian’s exploits, from setting up offshore accounts to buying Madonna’s old real estate, to elaborate social experiments involving boy bands and bikinis — all under the watchful eyes of Gunther’s chaotic canine empire.
Mian is an Italian entrepreneur and pharmaceutical heir and also the CEO of the Gunther Corporation, formed in the name of his beloved German shepherd. Over the years, Mian has used a long line of Gunthers as the figurehead for his various companies, investments, properties and business endeavors.
Gunther’s empire didn’t only contain mansions and millions — there was also a pop group who put out a real bop of a song, “Wild Dog.” Check out the music video for the earworm, below.
The series will premiere on Netflix on Feb. 1.
The series contains nudity, descriptions of sex, and offensive language, as well as footage of animals in distress.
