Former Perth rich-lister Zhenya Tsvetnenko jailed in US

A Perth tech tycoon has been jailed in the US for eight years over a massive text message scam that funded his life of luxury.

Russian-born former rich-lister Zhenya Tsvetnenko's rags to riches tale was once the talk of the town.

Tsvetnenko went from a cash-strapped university dropout to a multi-millionaire in a few short years.

READ MORE: Trump aides left speechless by 'bombshell' testimony

But behind his success was an auto-subscribing scam that fleeced $US41 million from American phone customers.

Tsvetnenko, a major player in the fraud, claimed the biggest cut.

His greed funded a high-flying lifestyle mixing with Hollywood royalty.

But even he knew those days were numbered.

READ MORE: NSW Government agrees to transport union demands to end train strike

The fraudster finally surrendered in January, after more than three years battling extradition.

US prosecutors said he was "paying a steep price for his mobile scam".

Tsvetnenko is now paying back all the stolen money and spending 98 months in a US federal prison.

Whether he will be allowed a transfer to Australia remains to be seen.