Finnish Finances: Sahamies and Räikkönen's Gambling and Film Ventures

Ilaari "Ziigmund" Sahamies, a Finnish businessman and poker player, has become one of the private investors in an ambitious film project about Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the president and national hero of Finland. The film, directed by Renny Harlin, a Hollywood veteran known for films like "Die Hard 2" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master", is expected to premiere at the end of 2011.

In addition to his involvement in the film project, Sahamies has been in the news for his gambling habits. According to Finnish tabloids, Sahamies and Kimi Räikkönen, a former Formula 1 champion, recently played poker for hundreds of thousands of euros. Both participants confirmed the game but denied the high stakes. Räikkönen's agent, Riku Kuva, stated that the stakes were a few euros at most. Sahamies himself joked, "Write that we were playing for matches."

Sahamies is no stranger to financial losses due to gambling. He once lost €1.3 million due to a hangover. Despite his gambling habits, Sahamies has shown a keen interest in the film project about Mannerheim, who was also known for his love of gambling. The film is expected to be a big production with a story of great love and epic historical moments.