A Mysterious Fall in London: The Unresolved Death of Zac Brettler

A 2019 incident in which a 19-year-old man died after falling from a luxury London apartment remains the subject of investigation and public discussion. The case involves a fabricated identity, connections to individuals with criminal backgrounds, and questions surrounding the circumstances of the death.

The Incident

On a night in November 2019, 19-year-old Zac Brettler fell from the fifth-floor balcony of an apartment in central London, near the headquarters of the British intelligence service MI6. His body was discovered approximately five hours later on the River Thames embankment. Surveillance footage from the area captured a silhouette on the balcony prior to the fall.

A post-mortem examination revealed multiple injuries, including a broken jaw. The pathologist involved in the case reported being unable to determine whether the injuries were sustained from the fall or from a prior assault.

Individuals Involved

Zac Brettler was a recent private school graduate and the grandson of a prominent London rabbi. His parents are financial services director Matthew Brettler and journalist Rachelle Gryn Brettler.
Verinder "Dave" Sharma, 55, occupied the apartment from which Brettler fell. The property was owned by a Saudi princess. Sharma was known to police as a debt collector and drug trafficker, and was referred to in criminal circles as "Indian Dave." He died in 2020 from a suspected drug overdose.
Akbar Shamji, 47, was a cryptocurrency and real estate trader also connected to the case. Phone records and CCTV placed him in contact with Brettler and Sharma.

The Fabricated Identity and Conflicting Accounts

In the months leading up to his death, Zac Brettler had been living under a false identity. He presented himself to Sharma and Shamji as "Zac Ismailov," claiming to be the son of a fictitious Russian oligarch and heir to a fortune exceeding £270 million.

Shamji described Brettler as a compulsive liar who used this alter-ego, complete with a fabricated Russian accent, to befriend them.
Sharma reportedly allowed Brettler to stay in the apartment rent-free.
Both Shamji and Sharma are reported to have seen Brettler's purported wealth as a financial opportunity. According to one account, Brettler told them his net worth was £6 billion but that he was barred from accessing properties by his mother.
On the night of his death, Sharma and Shamji reportedly planned to confront Brettler about the truth of his claims.

Brettler's parents have stated they do not believe their son took his own life, but was instead attempting to escape from Sharma.

Police Investigation and Unresolved Questions

The London Metropolitan Police investigated the death. Brettler's parents, who were unaware of their son's double life, also conducted their own inquiries.

Police were unable to charge Akbar Shamji, as evidence indicated he was not present in the apartment at the time of the fall.
Footage from MI6 surveillance cameras was reviewed, and investigators concluded it did not show Sharma pushing Brettler.
An author who later wrote about the case has noted that police did not test blood-like smears found in the apartment. It was also reported that Brettler had only £4 in his bank account at the time of his death.

Broader Context in Published Account

The case is explored in Patrick Radden Keefe's book, "London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth." The narrative details the Brettler family's investigation and examines themes including:

London's role as a destination for global wealth, some of it unexplained, stored in high-value properties.
The city's association with money-laundering and individuals with criminal backgrounds seeking legitimacy.
The social dynamics of aspiration and deception in modern urban environments.

The book suggests that both Zac Brettler, who pretended to be wealthy, and Dave Sharma, who acted as a mentor figure, were individuals operating within a culture of aspiration from which neither ultimately emerged.