IT’S New Year’s Eve and the invitation-only party in Las Vegas is rocking with Hollywood A-listers. Beyonce and a tuxed-up Jay-Z are on stage singing Forever Young.

Gwyneth Paltrow cheers on her husband, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, when he steps in to sing Halo with Beyonce. John Mayer grabs a guitar to help out Jay-Z on 99 Problems and Kanye West even gets the place moving with Homecoming. Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Mark Wahlberg are loving it.

It’s the party of all parties to see in 2011 — the opening of the $3.9 billion Cosmopolitan Hotel. It’s the party everyone in Vegas wants to be at, but only a select few get the golden ticket.

And among those waved past the exclusive velvet rope are a relatively little-known Perth couple who are rapidly getting used to their new champagne lifestyle.

Their rags-to-riches tale is at its peak. But fast forward to 2019 and life for Zhenya and Lydia Tsvetnenko, as revealed by The Sunday Times last week, has changed radically.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
When Mr Tsvetnenko arrived as a 12-year-old from Russia with his biochemist parents Yuri and Elena in 1992, the family only had two suitcases and $6000 — the proceeds of the sale of their apartment in Russia — to start their new life.

While his future wife attended Maddington Senior High School, Mr Tsvetnenko grew up in the mortgage belt suburb of Lynwood and attended Rossmoyne Senior High School before eventually dropping out of his electrical engineering degree at University of WA.

THEIR UNION
Mr Tsvetnenko met Lydia Gaugg at Paramount Nightclub in Northbridge in 2002. At that stage, the future Mrs Tsvetnenko worked at trendy Perth fashion boutique Live Clothing.

After seeing a job ad on a university campus board, Mr Tsvetnenko began his career as a software engineer at Plan B Financial Services.

He went on to live on his wife’s meagre wage and a diet of two-minute noodles while creating SMS gateway technology from his bedroom. While living at their humble Canning Vale home, funds were so tight they had to delay installing light fittings.

STRIKING IT RICH
Mr Tsvetnenko pioneered an SMS gateway technology which delivered entertainment alerts to mobile phones.

The internet whiz became a master of Google AdWords and used it to distribute his product.

Mr Tsvetnenko was the first person to show Google the power of its content network. He conceded at one time he was spending up to $250,000 a day, buying advertising space on websites such as Facebook and MySpace.

When Mr Tsvetnenko made his $100 million fortune, he told his wife to quit her job and travel the world with him.

“I’m spoilt. He spoils me. He said quit your job and come travel the world with me and I did,” she told Seven’s Today Tonight in 2011.

Mrs Tsvetnenko soon developed a taste for the high life.

At her $250,000 Las Vegas-themed 30th birthday party, in 2009, it was apparent that her standards had increased. Dripping in Chanel jewellery, Mrs Tsvetnenko wore a private collection Collizeni designer dress.

“It was only $3000, though I shouldn’t say that, should I?”' she told The Sunday Times.

The next year she lamented about parting with creature comforts to tackle Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track. “I can’t believe I can’t take my spray machine and hair extensions,” she joked.

The Tsvetnenkos said the trip was one of their last adventures before starting a family. And that they wanted to take their first European holiday before welcoming an heir to their fortune.

“We haven’t done Europe,” Mrs Tsvetnenko told The Sunday Times. “Zhenya has only been to Russia.

“I want to drink wine in the Bordeaux region and see St Tropez. I can’t wait to go shopping. It will be a great reward for doing Kokoda.’’

THEIR LAVISH WEDDING
The couple splashed out $600,000 on their 2008 wedding, with 120 guests.

A white carriage drawn by four horses delivered the bride to the front of Peel Manor House in Baldivis. The ceremony culminated in the dramatic release of hundreds of butterflies.

The reception was held in a grand $80,000 marquee, lined with $12,000 of black silk, with a white parquetry floor and crystal chandeliers.

The bridal table had decanted bottles of 1986 Penfolds Grange Hermitage, worth $2000 each, and said to be the couple’s favourite drop. The flower bill alone topped $60,000.

Mr Tsvetnenko played the guitar and serenaded the teary bride with an original song he had written.

The couple flew by helicopter to Perth Airport where they boarded a plane to their honeymoon destination in South-East Asia.

THE RECORD LABEL
Mr Tsvetnenko, a music enthusiast, founded Zhenya Records in 2007 to “encourage talented young musicians to realise their dreams”.

The label signed its first band, rock pop Brisbane outfit Streamer Bendy in 2010, with a view to “capture the international market”.

There were plans to fund the group’s album in Sweden.

THE FASHION EMPIRE
Mrs Tsvetnenko launched fashion label Zhivago in 2012, with co-designer Lara Kovacevich whom she met on the Perth social scene.

The pair had always admired one another’s style. The stylish duo began designing and working closely with a pattern-maker full-time in a small room at Mr Tsvetnenko’s Mpire Media.

Zhivago has dressed international celebrities including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Osbourne, Mel B and Giuliana Rancic.The label is now stocked in more than 60 boutiques worldwide.

CHARITY
The Tsvetenkos have donated to charity groups including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation, Lifeline WA and the Breast Cancer Foundation.

“While I have worked extremely hard, Lydia and I are also very thankful for our success and like to give back to the community,” he told The West Australian in 2009.

Mr Tsvetnenko heavily supported Muscular Dystrophy WA, a charity close to his heart, since 2009 and some of their outlandish parties have raised money for the cause. The Fremantle Dockers supporter said he shares part of his income with family, close friends and charities.

“What gives me great pleasure is making the people around me happy,” he told The West in 2009.

“It’s great to be able to give back to these people. I help my family wherever I can.”

BABY NEWS
In July 2012, the couple revealed to The Sunday Times they were expecting their first child. Despite their then-wealth of more than $100 million, Mrs Tsvetnenko said she planned only to spoil their baby with love.

“I’ve got to try not to spoil the baby too much,” she said.

“I think we’ll spoil it with a lot of love, rather than material things.”

Mrs Tsvetnenko said a new baby wouldn’t change her lifestyle.

“I love my crazy life,” she said.

“Obviously I’ve got to slow down. But the baby will come along for the ride.”

They welcomed their daughter Max, now six, in 2013 and son Jet, now three, in 2015.

THE CLUB
Mr Tsvetnenko and Adultshop.com boss Malcolm Day took over former night spot Llama Bar and renamed it Voyeur, in 2016. They invested about $1 million in the business.

“Zhenya and I frequent Los Angeles regularly and the coolest bar in town there for years was called Voyeur,” Mr Day said at the time.

Last December, the bar was targeted by arsonists twice within a week.

SINGLE LIFE
The Tsvetnenkos continued to hit up the Perth social scene separately, since splitting last August.

The pair last stepped out together at the Boobalicious Ball at Crown Perth on June 30.

Mrs Tsvetnenko was spotted at the opening of Fringe World show Blanc de Blanc last month.

And Land Rover Polo in the City in December.

Mr Tsvetnenko was flying solo at the Melbourne Cup Suited event at The Camfield, Tipple Derby Day at Ascot Racecourse and Oasis Bar opening at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in November.

ARREST
But their world as they built it started crumbling when Mr Tsvetnenko was arrested by the Australian Federal Police at his luxurious river front apartment in the Raffles complex in Applecross, in the early hours of December 20 last year.

The police were acting on an extradition arrest warrant relating to Mr Tsvetnenko’s alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar text-messaging scam, which fleeced more than $196 million from mobile phone customers across the US.

Mr Tsvetnenko has spent 46 days in Hakea Prison, including Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

His bid to be released on bail while he battles the extradition request was rejected by Perth magistrate Joe Randazzo this week, who ruled Mr Tsvetnenko posed a flight risk, explaining: “It is not fanciful or a bare risk for a man with his financial capacity.”

What emerged was that Mrs Tsvetnenko’s support remains strong for her estranged husband in his darkest hour. She and Mr Tsvetnenko’s mother Elena were both in court and provided affidavits in support of him being granted bail.

His legal team claimed Mr Tsvetnenko suffered depression, anxiety, panic attacks and a spinal condition. The court was also told there were concerns about how his young children might cope, emotionally and mentally, if he remained in custody.

THE FUTURE
While the future remains uncertain for the one-time high-flying rich-lister, if he is extradited to the US the maximum penalties attached to his three charges total 60 years.

One of the scam’s co-conspirators Darcy Wedd was last year jailed for 10 years over his role.

The Sunday Times understands Mr Tsvetnenko will appeal against the decision to refuse bail, which would be determined by the WA Supreme Court of Appeal.

Perth lawyer John Hammond said in general terms: “If the court was satisfied that bail should be granted then it can impose extremely rigorous conditions, for example, reporting to the police every day, surrender of passport, non-contact with specified individuals and curfew.

“And if it’s defined as a serious offence under the Bail Act, then you have to show to the court exceptional circumstances why bail should be granted. The court will consider how long will the person spend as an un-convicted person in custody.

“They will also look at the strength of the evidence against the accused, the person’s character, previous convictions, background and financial position, as you can post a big surety.

“Other possible conditions include home detention electronic monitoring equipment, such as an ankle monitor.”