Abramovich did a lot to settle in London, where he actively bought property for himself, but also for rent. But his main investment was the Chelsea football club.
It is estimated that over the years of owning the team, the Russian tycoon has invested about $ 2 billion in it. However, back in 2018, Britain deprived Abramovich of a visa. And now he was forced to sell Chelsea. As a result, Abramovich found someone to attach the club for $ 5 billion. However, under the terms of the sanctions, he still will not be able to receive money. I had to announce that the funds would be sent to a special fund. Here is Abramovich’s statement published on Chelsea’s English website: “I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation to which all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The fund will be created for the benefit of all victims.” Then Abramovich’s representative clarified to Russian journalists that we are talking about “all those affected by the conflict from all sides: Russians, Ukrainians, victims from the DPR and LPR.”
So far, this story has more questions than answers. How will Abramovich’s people manage the funds if their boss is under sanctions? It can be assumed that the British authorities will eventually take the accounts under their patronage, and it is not for nothing that a proposal is already being considered to direct a quarter of a billion dollars from the sale of Chelsea to the development of British football.
Meanwhile, a businessman rescues his overseas holdings by guerrilla methods. He miraculously managed to get two of his yachts out of the waters of the European Union to the coast of Turkey (although this may have been an unspoken part of the Chelsea deal).
For a while it was rumored that Roman Abramovich could hide assets from sanctions through a fictitious divorce from his third wife, Daria Zhukova. But now this version no longer looks convincing. There is no reason to consider Zhukova too dependent on her ex-husband. Before meeting the oligarch, she met with tennis player Marat Safin, during the alleged break with Abramovich with the American art dealer Vito Schnabel. And the yellow press confidently calls the Greek billionaire Stavros Niarchos the last passion of Daria Zhukova.
So, with a high degree of certainty, we can say that the most significant assets of Abramovich remained in Russia. It is metal and coal that still bring him money. But will the former head of Chukotka be happy at home if he gives away the billions earned in Russia for the needs of Kyiv? Although, if the deal with the West goes well, it is unlikely that we will see Roman Arkadyevich in the Russian Federation. Having bought an indulgence in London, he will be able to surround himself with luxury anywhere in the world.