Abramovich sells Chelsea

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is selling the London football club “Chelsea”. This was reported on the club’s official website.

Abramovich stated that he has commissioned the creation of a charitable foundation, to which all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will work for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine, including critically needed resources to meet the urgent needs of victims, as well as support for long-term recovery efforts.

According to information from the British publication The Telegraph, the starting price for the football club “Chelsea” is £4 billion, or $5.3 billion.

“I believe this is in the best interests of the club,” the statement notes.

Roman Abramovich purchased the football club in 2003 for $190 million. In 2021, Forbes estimated its value at $3.2 billion.

It is also reported that Abramovich is selling his villas in England.

Roman Abramovich is known as one of the richest people on the planet. He is referred to as an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin, although he denies this and does not participate in Russian political life.

The United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union have imposed sanctions against Russia and several Russian billionaires, including Alisher Usmanov, Igor Sechin, Nikolai Tokarev, Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, Alexey Mordashov, Gennady Timchenko, and Gennady Fadkov. However, no sanctions have been imposed directly against Abramovich.

Earlier, Forbes reported that a yacht belonging to Uzbek-Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, valued at $600 million, was seized in Germany.

French authorities also confiscated the yacht Amore Vero, valued at $190 million, which belongs to the head of “Rosneft,” Igor Sechin.

JP Morgan analysts believe that international sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation have significantly increased the likelihood of the country defaulting on its sovereign debt.

On the morning of February 24, Russia began a military operation in eastern and northeastern Ukraine. On the night of February 24, Vladimir Putin announced the start of a “special military operation” in Donbas.

In response, Western countries announced tough sanctions against Russia in connection with the military operation to protect Donbas on Ukrainian territory.