Married wellness couple tell of terrifying machine gun robbery just hours after mingling with Oprah in Cannes

By BEN ASHFORD, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 14:30, 27 June 2026 | Updated: 14:39, 27 June 2026 The entrepreneur couple behind upscale supplement brand Cymbiotika have told how machine gun-toting robbers burst into their French villa and threatened to shoot them in front of their terrified kids. Wellness moguls Shahab and Durana Elmi were woken by screams early Thursday as the masked mob stormed their luxury rental in Cannes and dragged their assistant out of her bed, they told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.  The frantic parents raced into the next room to protect their daughters aged 11 and 13 – only to find themselves surrounded by intruders packing pistols and military-style weapons.  The gang eventually made off with cash, jewelry and watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, leaving the family from San Diego, California, badly shaken but otherwise unharmed.  ‘We heard a really loud scream from our chief of staff, who was on the same floor as us,’ Shahab, 47, said.  ‘My wife immediately jumped out of bed assuming something was going on with the children.  ‘As we ran to get them, armed guys were coming up the stairs with machine guns.  'They were wearing black gloves and black masks. You could only see their eyes and noses. It was sheer terror at three in the morning.’  Durana and Shahab Elmi were renting a luxury property with their children while in Cannes, but the security failed to prevent machine gun-toting burglars breaking in Just hours before the terrifying ordeal Durana mingled with Oprah Winfrey on the French Riviera Iranian-American CEO Shahab said he placed himself between the gunmen and his petrified girls to try to shield them throughout the 15-minute ordeal.  The gang barked demands for jewels and valuables in broken English before gathering up their loot and fleeing into the night.  ‘They were very aggressive but my job as a husband and father was to make sure it didn't escalate,’ Shahab said. ‘Of course, there were thoughts of intervening and trying to physically stop them but my only job is to protect my family.’  Shahab and Durana had flown to the French Riviera to mingle with business leaders and stage events for Cymbiotika, their plant-based supplement brand, at the Cannes Lions Festival, a celebration of worldwide advertising.  Their nine-bed hilltop rental, the Sky Villa, boasted a private butler, three fully-equipped kitchens, an infinity pool and panoramic views of the Mediterranean.  Similar rentals fetch around 80,000 to 150,000 Euros ($93,000 to $175,000) per week. Shahab told the Daily Mail he based his family and staff in the chic property because it promised round-the-clock security.  ‘The house was behind two sets of gates. They had their own 24-hour security guards, dogs, cameras everywhere,’ he said.  The entrepreneurial couple decided against leaving France immediately after the burglary because they didn't want their children to leave Europe with the robbery as their last memory ‘I'm from Iran and my wife is from Afghanistan, our entire life has been overcoming obstacles,' Shahab Elmi told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview Oprah Winfrey, 72, spoke on stage at the Lumiere Theater in Cannes where she met Durana Elmi hours before the robbery ‘The pitch was you're paying premium but you'll be safe. But we weren’t safe.’  The shaken dad declined to say exactly what had been taken, saying it could impede the efforts of French police.  ‘Things can always be replaced. And even if they can’t be replaced, who cares?’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘My entire world is my wife and my kids. That's all that matters to me.'  Shahab and Durana founded Cymbiotika in 2018 with business partner Chervin Jafarieh and turned it into a leading wellness brand worth an estimated $150 million.  The company has expanded into Target, Whole Foods and Ulta Beauty, attracting celebrity investors including Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Post Malone.  Just hours before Thursday’s raid, Afghan-American entrepreneur Durana had linked up with Oprah Winfrey – one of her childhood heroes – to discuss wellness and mental health.  ‘We had the privilege of having Oprah on stage on Wednesday, and I had an incredible exchange with her about strength and well-being and the inner work,’ Durana, 46, told the Daily Mail.  ‘Honestly, it was an incredible few days here at Cannes until this unfortunate situation took place for my family.  YouTuber Ben Phillips, who has more than 30million followers across social media, and his girlfriend Lowri Clark were targeted by armed burglars when they vacationed in Villauris just 15 miles from the Elmis' rental Kim Kardashian was also targeted by home invaders while she was in Paris in 2016, shortly she was escorted around the French capital by bodyguard Pascal Duvier Shahab Elmi and his wife Durana founded Cymbiotika in 2018 and turned it into a leading wellness brand worth an estimated $150 million. ‘It was pretty close to a near-death experience having guns of that magnitude pointed at our heads, at the heads of my children.’  The family have moved to a secure location while police investigate but have decided to stay on in Europe to ensure their trip is remembered for happier reasons.  ‘My wife and I didn't want our children to leave Europe with this last memory,’ added Shahab.  ‘We will make sure they have a great summer experience. We're not going to teach them that bad things happen and we run away.’  French police are yet to make any arrests.  The raid had chilling echoes of the infamous 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris, when masked gunmen posing as police officers tied up the reality star and made off with $10 million in jewelry.  Earlier this month. British YouTuber Ben Phillips and his gilfriend Lowri Clark were targeted by masked raiders who burst into his rented villa in Vallauris, just 15 miles from Cannes, and swiped $2 million worth of watches, jewelry and designer luggage.  Shahab said his family are cooperating with French law enforcement and have had ‘phenomenal’ support from the U.S. State Department.  ‘Our motivation is hoping that it doesn't happen again and again,’ he added. ‘I'm from Iran and my wife is from Afghanistan, our entire life has been overcoming obstacles. ‘There are things that happen every day to people all around the world that are much worse than this. ‘As a family, we're going to come out stronger and better for it.’  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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