Dog Days: The Truth Behind Gunther’s Millions

Gunther’s Millions is about a dog who is living anything but a dog’s life. Gunther is a German Shepherd. He lives a life of luxury thanks to a trust fund. But did a Countess really bequeath her money to him? And what can be his interest in the homes of celebrities, pop bands, and perhaps even a sex cult? The answer, of course, is that – being a dog – he has no interest in any of these things at all. The humans who look after him, however, now that’s another matter. In this episode of Factual America, Emilie Dumay and Aurelien Leturgie, the co-creators of Gunther’s Millions, join Matthew Sherwood to discuss the strange story behind the adorable photos of a very rich dog. It is a story that crosses continents, that involves the accidental revealing of private documents, of a mastermind who is as brilliant as he is eccentric, fraud, and even scientific experiments. As Emilie and Aurelien open up Gunther’s weird and wonderful world, we find out how his story has affected them, both as filmmakers and individuals. Ultimately, though, the conversation comes back to the dog who started it: Gunther, who is not only the world’s richest dog, but also, as Aurelien suggests, a philosophy, a fantasy, and an icon. Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com “... you can't really judge a book by its cover. And that's really also what we've learned there, through this wild ride... money does not make you necessarily happy; it just provides you a little bit of comfort to create things. And that's what [Maurizio] does best.” – Aurelien Leturgie