Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich
Governor of Chukotka
In office 2000 – present
Preceded by	Alexander Nazarov
Born	October 24, 1966 (1966-10-24) (age 41) Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR
Nationality	Russian
Spouse	Irina Abramovich (divorced)
Children	5
Occupation	Businessman (Oil industry and Owner of Chelsea Football Club), Politician
Website	Roman-Abramovich.com

Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (IPA: [rɐˈman ɐrˈkadʲjevʲɪtɕ ɐbrɐˈmovʲɪtɕ]; Russian: Рома́н Арка́дьевич Абрамо́вич; born on 24 October 1966 in Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR) is a Russian billionaire and the main owner of private investment company Millhouse Capital, referred to as one of the Russian oligarchs. According to the 2007 Forbes magazine, as of 3 August 2007, he had a net worth of $18.7 billion,^[1] and according to Russian Finance magazine, as of January 2007, his fortune was 551.0 billion rubles (roughly $23 billion).^[2] He was considered to be the second richest person currently living within the United Kingdom in 2008.^[3] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Russian: , transliteration: Chukotsky avtonomny okrug; Chukchi: Чукоткакэн автономныкэн округ), or Chukotka (), is a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug) located in the Far Eastern Federal District. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Saratov (Russian: ) is a major city in Russia. ... State motto: Russian: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Moscow Official language Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until November 7, 1917 December 30, 1922 December 12, 1991 (independence) Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 1st in the USSR 17,075,200 km² 13% Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 1st in the... Irina Abramovich (Russian: ) is the 39 year old former wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, 16th wealthiest man on the planet. ... A businessperson is a generic term for someone who is employed at a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically, someone who is involved in the management (at any level) of a company. ... The Oil industry brings to market what is currently considered the lifeblood of nearly all other industry, if not industrialized civilization itself. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as the Blues, previously also known as the Pensioners), founded in 1905, is a Premier League football team that plays at Stamford Bridge football ground in west London. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Saratov (Russian: ) is a major city in Russia. ... State motto: Russian: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Moscow Official language Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until November 7, 1917 December 30, 1922 December 12, 1991 (independence) Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 1st in the USSR 17,075,200 km² 13% Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 1st in the... A billionaire is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of currency, such as United States Dollars (USD), Pounds or Euros. ... An investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. ... Business oligarch is a near-synonym of the term business magnate. The choice of the word oligarch denotes the significant influence such wealthy individuals may have on the life of a nation. ... For other uses, see Forbes (disambiguation). ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

The stress on his family name is often placed on the second syllable (Abrámovich) when pronounced in English, whereas the original Russian name is stressed on the third (Abramóvich).

In Russia, Abramovich is prominent as the governor of Chukotka, a post to which he was elected in 2000, and has spent over $1 billion on good causes in the region,^[4] which now has one of the highest birth rates in Russia.^[5]. He is most famous outside Russia as the owner of Chelsea Football Club, an English Premiership football team, and for his wider involvement in European football. Despite his high profile around the world, Abramovich makes virtually no public statements about his activities. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Russian: , transliteration: Chukotsky avtonomny okrug; Chukchi: Чукоткакэн автономныкэн округ), or Chukotka (), is a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug) located in the Far Eastern Federal District. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... Soccer redirects here. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...

In 2003 Roman Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Khodorkovsky speaking at a conference shortly before his arrest Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (Russian: ; born June 26, 1963) is a Russian businessman, a former Komsomol activist who became one of Russias oligarchs at a very early age. ...

Early life and education

Born into a Jewish family,^[6] Roman's paternal grandparents were exiled to Siberia from Tauragė, Lithuania by the Soviets after the occupation of Lithuania in 1940.^[7] Roman grew up as an orphan. His mother, Irina Ostrowski Abramovich, died from bacteremia as a result of a back-alley abortion when Roman was one year old.^[8] His father Arkady Abramovich was killed in an incident on a construction site when Roman was three years old.^[8] Abramovich grew up in his uncle's family in Ukhta and with his grandmother in Moscow.^[8] Before moving to Moscow he and his sister lived in Syktyvkar, the capital city of the Komi Republic. Abramovich attended the Industrial Institute in the city of Ukhta before being drafted into the Soviet Army. After military service, he studied briefly at the Moscow State Auto Transport Institute before taking a leave of absence from academics to go into business. He later earned a correspondence degree from the Moscow State Law Academy. The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... Location Ethnographic region Samogitia County TauragÄ— County Municipality TauragÄ— district municipality Elderate TauragÄ— town elderate Number of elderates Coordinates General information Capital of TauragÄ— County TauragÄ— district municipality TauragÄ— town elderate TauragÄ— rural elderate Population (rank) 28,504 in 2005 (14th) First mentioned 16th century Granted city rights TauragÄ— ( (help... Soviet redirects here. ... The occupation of Baltic states generally refers to the occupation of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) by the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany during World War II, and to the Soviet presence in the Baltics from 1945 until the re-establishment of their independence. ... For other uses, see Orphan (disambiguation). ... Bacteremia (Bacteræmia in British English, also known as blood poisoning or toxemia) is the presence of bacteria in the blood. ... A back-alley abortion is the common slang term for an illegal abortion in the United States. ... Ukhta (Russian: ), also spelled Uchta, is an important industrial city in the Komi Republic of northwestern Russia. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Syktyvkar (Сыктывка́р) is a city in Russia, and the capital of the Komi Republic. ... Capital Syktyvkar Area - total - % water Ranked 15th - 415,900 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 54th - est. ... Ukhta (Russian: ), also spelled Uchta, is an important industrial city in the Komi Republic of northwestern Russia. ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ...

Post-Soviet privatization and business success

Abramovich started his commercial activity in the late 1980s when Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms permitted the opening of small private businesses, known as co-operatives. In 1992 to 1995 Abramovich founded five companies that conducted resale and acted as intermediaries, eventually specializing in the trading of oil and oil products. In 1995 Roman Abramovich, together with Boris Berezovsky, acquired the controlling interest in the large oil company Sibneft. The deal was within the controversial loans-for-shares program and partner paid $100m for half of the company, only slightly below the stake's stock market value of $150 million at the time. The fast-rising value of the company led many observers, in hindsight, to suggest that the real cost of the company should have been in the billions of dollars.^[8] Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev[1] (Russian: , IPA: ; born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ... This article is about the Russian businessman. ... Sibneft (Сибне́фть in Russian) is Russias fifth largest oil producing and refining company. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

During the 1990s, through their holding company Millhouse Capital, Abramovich and his business partner Eugene Shvidler acquired significant stakes in Russia's largest air company Aeroflot and several aluminium plants from Trans World Group owned by David and Simon Reuben which were merged with the metals assets of Oleg Deripaska to create the aluminum giant Rusal. Millhouse LLC, as it is now known, also invested in several smaller companies in the automobile industry, pharmaceuticals, food processing, real estate and other sectors. Evgeny Eugene Markovich Shvidler (Russian: Евгений Маркович Швидлер) (born 1964 in Moscow, Russia) is a Russian oil billionaire. ... JSC Aeroflot - Russian Airlines (Russian: ) (MICEX:AFLT RTS:AFLT), or Aeroflot (Russian: ) as the airline is commonly known, is the Russian flag carrier and the largest airline in Russia. ... David Reuben redirects here. ... Oleg Deripaska Oleg Deripaska (born 1968) is a Russian billionaire, tycoon, and the Chairman of the Board of RUSAL, a Russian aluminium industry company. ... RUSAL is Russias biggest aluminium producer with a 75% share in the domestic aluminium market. ...

Millhouse divested itself of several key assets in 2002–2005. Most notably, the company sold its stake in Sibneft to state energy giant Gazprom for $13 billion, and its stake in Rusal to Oleg Deripaska for $2 billion. In 2006, Millhouse reinvested some of the proceeds by acquiring a 41% stake in Evraz Group, Russia's largest domestic steelmaker and one of the top 10 internationally. Sibneft (Сибне́фть in Russian) is Russias fifth largest oil producing and refining company. ... Gazprom (LSE: OGZD; Russian: , sometimes transcribed as Gasprom) is the largest Russian company and the biggest extractor of natural gas in the world. ... RUSAL is Russias biggest aluminium producer with a 75% share in the domestic aluminium market. ... Oleg Deripaska Oleg Deripaska (born 1968) is a Russian billionaire, tycoon, and the Chairman of the Board of RUSAL, a Russian aluminium industry company. ...

In 2004, Swiss criminal investigators abandoned an investigation into an alleged fraud involving a $4.8 billion loan from the IMF to Russia, in which Abramovich was one of the investigators' key suspects, after the United States and Russia refused to divulge information on the scandal. No evidence linking Abramovich to the IMF funds was ever reported. ^[9] The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ...

Political career

In 1999, Abramovich was elected to the State Duma as the representative for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, an impoverished region in the Russian Far East. He started the charity Pole of Hope to help the people of Chukotka, especially children, and in December 2000 was elected governor of Chukotka, replacing Alexander Nazarov. Since then he has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in Chukotka, which has paid for a college, a hospital, a pre-school and hotels in Anadyr, as well as renovating the airport and funding new or renovated schools in many small towns and villages. He has also used Chukotka as a tax haven for Sibneft, though the company re-invested most of its tax savings in the region and has been exploring for oil there as part of the governor's drive to boost the local economy. Abramovich said that he would not run for governor again after his term of office expired in 2005, as it is "too expensive", and he rarely visits the region. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin changed the law to abolish elections for regional governors, and on 21 October 2005 Abramovich was reappointed governor for another term. In 2006 Abramovich used his power as governor to help out the explorer Karl Bushby who was deported from the region for border violations after walking from Alaska into Russia during his attempt to walk round the world.^[10] For other uses, see State Duma (disambiguation). ... Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Russian: , transliteration: Chukotsky avtonomny okrug; Chukchi: Чукоткакэн автономныкэн округ), or Chukotka (), is a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug) located in the Far Eastern Federal District. ... Far Eastern Federal District (highlighted in red) Russian Far East (Russian: ; IPA: ) is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i. ... Chukotka Autonomous District (Russian: , tr. ... Anadyr (), formerly called Novo-Mariinsk, is the capital of Chukotka region, and is located at the mouth of the Anadyr River, at 64°42′ N 177°14′ E. It has a population of about 10,000. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Russian pronunciation: ) (born October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, U.S.S.R., now Saint Petersburg, Russia) is a Russian politician who was the 2nd President of the Russian Federation from 2000 to 2008. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Karl Bushby (born 1969, Hull) is a British ex-paratrooper and adventurer, currently attempting to be the first person to complete walk an unbroken path around the world. ...

Abramovich was awarded the Order of Honor for his "huge contribution to the economic development of the autonomous district [of Chukotka]", by a decree signed by the President of Russia.^[11] Order of Honor The Order of Honor (Russian:Орден Почета) is a state order which was founded by the Presidents Decree of the Russian Federation of №yaya2 of 2 March 1994. ...

Abramovich and European football

Chelsea F.C.

For more details on this topic, see Chelsea F.C..

In June 2003, he became the owner of the companies that control Chelsea Football Club in the United Kingdom. He had, apparently, investigated the possibility of purchasing several other clubs before deciding on Chelsea, who were financially vulnerable at the time. The deal immediately raised his profile in Britain. As soon as Abramovich took control, he poured massive investment into the club assuming the £80m debt burden and immediately making available substantial transfer funds. Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent...

The club also embarked on an ambitious programme of commercial development, with the aim of making it a worldwide brand, and announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art training complex in Cobham, Surrey.^[12] Chelsea finished their first season after the takeover in 2nd place in the Premiership, from 4th the previous year, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. A new manager, José Mourinho, was recruited.and Chelsea ended the following season as league champions. In the four years since the takeover the club have won five major trophies, more than any other English club in the same period. Cobham is a small town in Surrey, England, about 20 miles south-west of London; and 5 miles north of Leatherhead. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho, GOIH (pronounced Mour-in-yo) (born 26 January 1963 in Setúbal) is a Portuguese football manager. ...

It is argued that Abramovich's involvement with Chelsea has distorted the football transfer market throughout Europe,^[13] as his wealth often allows the club to purchase players virtually at will (frequently at inflated prices), without regard for the effects on the club's financial outturn, as was seen in the year 2005 when Abramovich allegedly offered AC Milan a world record fee of £89.8M for the then European Footballer of the Year, striker Andriy Shevchenko. Shevchenko did eventually join Chelsea in 2006 for a British record transfer fee of around £30m. AC Milan is an Italian football club. ... In association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player moves between clubs. ... GBP may be: short for Game Boy Player the ISO currency code for the British Pound Sterling. ... The Ballon dOr trophy, as awarded to Hristo Stoichkov in 1994. ... Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: , born 29 September 1976, Dvirkivschyna, Kiev Oblast) is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. ...

The spending has, to some extent, seen wealth re-distributed throughout the game, with the combined fee of £12.5m paid to West Ham United for Glen Johnson and Joe Cole helping to avert administration.^[14] In the year ending June 2005, Chelsea posted record losses of £140 million and the club is not expected to record a trading profit before 2010, though this did decrease to reported losses of £80.2 million year ending June 2006.^[15] GBP may be: short for Game Boy Player the ISO currency code for the British Pound Sterling. ... Current season West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, and have played their home matches at the 35,303 capacity Boleyn Ground stadium since 1904. ... Joseph John Cole (born November 8, 1981 in Archway, London) is a professional footballer who plays for Chelsea of the Premiership and the England national team. ... Administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies and allows them to carry on running their business. ...

In a December 2006 interview Abramovich stated that he expected Chelsea's transfer spending to fall in years to come,^[16] although he subsequently seemed to move away from this position.^[17] He is also present at almost every game Chelsea play and shows visible emotion during matches, a sign taken by supporters to indicate a love for the sport, and usually visits the players in the dressing room following each match, although this stopped for a time in early 2007 as rumours of a feud between Abramovich and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho appeared in the press which was due to various arguments between the two men regarding the appearances of certain players, notably Andriy Shevchenko.^[18] In a shocking development in the early hours of 20 September 2007, Jose Mourinho announced his exit as Chelsea manager by mutual consent with the club following a meeting with the board.^[19] Former Israel coach and Chelsea's director of football, Avram Grant, was named as his replacement.^[20] Ever since Grant had joined Chelsea (in the summer of 2007) there had been friction between him and Mourinho. Mourinho reportedly told Grant not to interfere in team affairs but with Abramovich's backing, Grant's profile at the club rose after he was made a member of the board. This event apparently did not go down well with Mourinho and may have contributed to his surprise exit. ^[21] On 24 May Avram Grant was sacked as manager by Abramovich.^[22]On 11 June 2008, it was announced that Luiz Felipe Scolari would be taking over as manager on 1 July 2008. As of May 2008, Abramovich has spent approximately £600M on the club since arriving in 2003. is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... GBP may be: short for Game Boy Player the ISO currency code for the British Pound Sterling. ...

CSKA Moscow

In March 2004, Sibneft agreed to a three-year sponsorship deal worth $58 million with the Russian team CSKA Moscow. Despite the company explaining that the decision was made at management level, some viewed the deal as an attempt by Abramovich to counter accusations of being unpatriotic which were made at the time of the Chelsea purchase. UEFA rules prevent one person owning more than one team participating in UEFA competitions, so Abramovich has no equity interest in CSKA. A lawyer, Alexandre Garese, is one of his partners in CSKA. Following an investigation, he was cleared by UEFA of having a conflict of interest.^[23] Nevertheless, he was named most influential person in Russian football in the Russian magazine Pro Sport at the end of June 2004. In May 2005, CSKA won the UEFA Cup, becoming the first Russian club ever to win a major European football competition. However, in October 2005, Abramovich sold his interest in Sibneft and the company's new owner Gazprom, which sponsors FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, cancelled the sponsorship deal. PFC CSKA Moscow (Russian: or Professional Football Club - Central Sports Club of Army (Moscow)) is the football section of the CSKA sports club of Moscow, Russia. ... The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Gazprom (LSE: OGZD; Russian: , sometimes transcribed as Gasprom) is the largest Russian company and the biggest extractor of natural gas in the world. ... FC Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russian: ФК Зенит Санкт-Петербург) is a Russian football club from Saint Petersburg. ...

Russian national team

Abramovich at the World Cup in Germany

Abramovich also played a large role in bringing Guus Hiddink to Russia to coach the Russia national football team.^[24] Piet de Visser, a former head scout of Hiddink's club PSV Eindhoven and now a personal assistant to Abramovich at Chelsea, recommended Hiddink to the Chelsea owner.^[25] Image File history File links RomanAbramovic. ... Image File history File links RomanAbramovic. ... Guus Hiddink (born 8 November 1946 in Varsseveld) is a Dutch football manager, currently a manager of the Russian national team. ... First international Finland 2 - 1 Imperial Russia (Stockholm, Sweden; 30 June 1912) Russia 2 - 0 Mexico (Moscow, Russia; 16 August 1992) Biggest win San Marino 0 - 7 Russia (San Marino, San Marino; 7 June 1995) Biggest defeat Imperial Germany 16 - 0 Imperial Russia (Stockholm, Sweden; 1 July 1912) Portugal 7... Piet de Visser (1934 - ) is a Dutch football coach and scout. ... Philips Sport Vereniging (English: Philips Sports Union), widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. ...

National Academy of Football

In addition to his involvement in professional football, Abramovich sponsors a foundation in Russia called the National Academy of Football. The organization sponsors youth sports programs throughout the country and has constructed more than fifty football pitches in various cities and towns. It also funds training programs for coaches, prints instruction materials, renovates sports facilities and takes top coaches and students on trips to visit professional football clubs in England, Holland and Spain. In 2006 the Academy of Football took over the administration of the football academy at Primorksy, near Togliatti, Samara region, where over 1000 youths are in residence, following the death at 38 of its founder, Yuri Konoplev.^[26] Tolyatti (Толья́тти) is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia. ... Samara (fruit) — a type of winged tree fruit Samara, Russia — a large city to the east of the Volga River. ...

Relationship with Kremlin

Abramovich's close relationship with Boris Yeltsin and his family was well known.^[27] At first he was described as an aide to the powerful tycoon Boris Berezovsky: "At every stage of Berezovsky's rise, Abramovich was there, watching and learning."^[28] “Yeltsin” redirects here. ... This article is about the Russian businessman. ...

The proposed merger of Sibneft with Yukos was seen by most as a move to distance himself from Russia, at a time when the Kremlin appears to have decided to bring at least some of the oligarchs to account for their colourful past business practices. Abramovich was a close associate of controversial Boris Berezovsky who sold him his stake in Sibneft, although in July 2005 Berezovsky announced his intention to sue Abramovich in the British courts for pressuring him into selling most of his Russian assets cheaply to Abramovich after Berezovsky fled the country.^[29] Yukos Oil Company (ОАО НК ЮКОС) is a petroleum company in Russia which, until recently, was controlled by Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky and a number of prominent Russian businessmen. ... The Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin ( Russian: Московский Кремль) is the best known kremlin ( Russian citadel). ...

The Kremlin press service reported that Abramovich's name had been sent for approval as governor for another term to Chukotka's local parliament, which confirmed his appointment on 21 October 2005. is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Chris Hutchins, a biographer of Vladimir Putin, claims that the relationship between the former Russian president and Abramovich is like that between a father and a favourite son; when rumours began about the latter's relationship with Zhukova, Putin reportedly told him "to clean up his act".^[30] Reports of such a conversation are hearsay and have never been verified. Abramovich himself has stated that his relationship with Putin is professional, as signified by his use of the Russian language's formal "вы" in addressing Putin, as opposed to the informal "ты".^[31] Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Russian pronunciation: ) (born October 7, 1952, in Leningrad, U.S.S.R., now Saint Petersburg, Russia) is a Russian politician who was the 2nd President of the Russian Federation from 2000 to 2008. ...

Family

Abramovich has been married twice, to Olga (divorced 1990), and to Irina (née Malandina) in 1991 (divorced 2007). He and Irina have five children.

On 15 October 2006, the News of the World reported that Irina had hired two top UK divorce lawyers, following reports of Abramovich's close relationship with the 26-year old Daria Zhukova, the former girlfriend of tennis player Marat Safin and daughter of a prominent Russian oligarch based in London. It was speculated that a future divorce settlement (amounting to a conjectured £5.5 billion) might be the highest ever on record. The Abramoviches replied that neither had consulted attorneys at that point.^[32] However, they later divorced in Russia in March 2007, with a settlement reported as being $300 million.^[33] is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ... Marat Mikhailovich Safin (Tatar: ; Russian: ; b. ...

Other interests and activities

Art

Roman Abramovich sponsored an exhibition of photographs of Uzbekistan by renowned Soviet photographer Max Penson (1893–1959) which opened on 29 November 2006 at the Gilbert Collection at Somerset House in London. He previously funded the exhibition "Quiet Resistance: Russian Pictorial Photography 1900s-1930s" at the same gallery in 2005.^[34] Both exhibits were organized by the Moscow House of Photography. is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Gilbert Collection was formed by the English businessman Sir Arthur Gilbert, who made most of his fortune in the property business in California. ... The central courtyard of Somerset House in London. ...

In May 2008 Abramovich emerged as a major buyer in the international art auction market. He purchased Francis Bacon's Triptych for $86.3m (a record price for a post-war work of art) and Lucian Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping for $33.6m (a record price for a work by a living artist).^[35] Francis Bacon (28 October 1909 – 28 April 1992) was an Irish figurative painter. ... Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH (born 8 December 1922) is a British painter and printmaker. ...

His partner Daria "Dasha" Zhukova is working on a project to convert a Konstantin Melnikov building in Moscow into a gallery for contemporary art and culture.^[36] One of buildings designed by Melnikov Konstantin Stepanovitch Melnikov (Russian Константин Степанович Мельников; July 22 (August 3) 1890, Moscow - November 28, 1974, Moscow) was a Russian architect and major figure member of the Constructivist avant-garde in the early 20th century. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ...

Homes

Despite maintaining that his primary residence is Moscow, Abramovich qualified for the Sunday Times Rich List 2008, with an estimated fortune of £11.7 billion, by virtue of retaining residences in Knightsbridge, London, and Sussex. His 440-acre (1.8 km²) estate Fyning Hill in West Sussex was previously owned by King Hussein of Jordan. It has a swimming pool, a clay pigeon shoot, a rifle range and a go-kart track.^[37] Knightsbridge is a street and district spanning the City of Westminster and theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London notable for its eclectic mix of rich, famous, and international residents including several billionaires Roman Abramovich, oligarchs from Russia, China and India, international businessman Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, trend setters Charles... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article refers to the historic county in England. ... Hussein bin Talal (Arabic: حسين بن طلال) (November 14, 1935 - February 7, 1999) was the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 1952 to 1999. ...

In May 2008, Abramovich bought the 200 acre former Wildcat Ridge near Aspen, Colorado estate of American businessman Leon Hirsch, founder of USSC, for £18 million.^[38] The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city and the county seat of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. ... Tyco Healthcare was the former healthcare division of Tyco International Ltd. ...

Boats and planes

MV Pelorus after her 2004 refit to Abramovich's own requirements by Blohm & Voss

Roman Abramovich's Boeing 767, landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel

Abramovich has become the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts, and had been linked to five boats in what the media have called "Abramovich's Navy":^[39][40] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 143 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Roman Abramovich Pelorus (yacht) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 143 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Roman Abramovich Pelorus (yacht) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Pelorus The Pelorus after the refit Pelorus is the worlds eleventh largest private yacht at 377 feet 3 inches (115 metres) in length, with a price of $130 million. ... On April 5, 1877, Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss founded the Blohm & Voss Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik shipbuilding and engineering works as a general partnership. ... The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twinjet airliner produced by the Commercial Airplanes division of The Boeing Company. ... Front view of Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion International Airport Ben Gurion International Airport or Ben Gurion Airport, (named for David Ben_Gurion), located near Lod and once known as Lod Airport, is 15 km southeast of Tel Aviv, and is the largest international airport in Israel. ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Saint-Tropez is famous for its luxury yachts. ...

• Eclipse - Initially known as project M147 it was designed by the French design studio Atabeyki. The interior is being designed by Terrence Disdale. Eclipse is being built in Germany by Blohm + Voss and when completed will be 147 meters/482 feet long. It is believed to cost Abramovich around $300 million and will be the world's third largest yacht with at least two swimming pools, two helipads, several on board tenders and a submarine. Its ultra modern design is similar to Pelorus with even more aggressive lines and tri-colour scheme.^[41]
• Ecstasea (282 feet / 85 meter long) - Largest Feadship built to date.^[42]
• Pelorus (377 feet / 115 meter long) - A frequent visitor to the islands of Malta and Santorini, whereby her agent Simon Borg Cardona of Nautica Ltd provides all of his yachts with services and duty-free fuels.
• Le Grand Bleu (370 feet / 112 meter long) – formerly owned by Paul Allen of Microsoft, Abramovich bought her in 2002 and had her completely refitted including a 16 ft (4.9 m) swim platform and sports dock. He presented her to his associate and friend Eugene Shvidler in June 2006 and since the beginning of 2007 is in South America.
• Sussurro (163 feet / 50 meter long) - built by Feadship in 1998 with the interior designed by Terence Disdale. It is permanently moored in Antibes, France and is only used as a tag-along to one of the larger yachts.

He owns a private Boeing 767-33A/ER (registration P4-MES, registered in Aruba), known as "The Bandit" due to its cockpit paint detail. Originally the aircraft was ordered by Hawaiian Airlines but the order was cancelled and Abramovich had it refitted to his own requirements. P4-MES is frequently parked at the Harrods Aviation facility at Stansted Airport, UK. The Boeing 767 replaces a smaller Boeing 737-7CG BBJ, registration P4-GJC. Abramovich also owns three Eurocopter helicopters (EC-145, registration P4-LGB, EC-135T1, registration P4-XTC and EC-155B, registration P4-HEC) based on his yachts, Blackbushe airport or at his estate Fyning Hill near Rogate in West Sussex, UK. M/Y Eclipse is a 482,6 feet / 147 m long and 70. ... Blohm + Voss Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. ... Pelorus The Pelorus after the refit Pelorus is the worlds eleventh largest private yacht at 377 feet 3 inches (115 metres) in length, with a price of $130 million. ... Feadship is a co-operation between two shipyards (Royal van Lent and Royal De Vries) and maritime engineering company De Voogt Naval Architects. ... Pelorus The Pelorus after the refit Pelorus is the worlds eleventh largest private yacht at 377 feet 3 inches (115 metres) in length, with a price of $130 million. ... Thera redirects here. ... Le Grand Bleu is one of the largest private yachts in the world at 370 feet (114 metres) in length. ... For other persons named Paul Allen, see Paul Allen (disambiguation). ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Evgeny Eugene Markovich Shvidler (Russian: Евгений Маркович Швидлер) (born 1964 in Moscow, Russia) is a Russian oil billionaire. ... Feadship is a co-operation between two shipyards (Royal van Lent and Royal De Vries) and maritime engineering company De Voogt Naval Architects. ... The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twinjet airliner produced by the Commercial Airplanes division of The Boeing Company. ... The Boeing Business Jet series are factory conversions of Boeing airliners for the corporate jet market, initially the 737 series airliners. ... The Eurocopter Group is a global helicopter manufacturing and support company formed in 1992 from the merger of the helicopter divisions of French Aérospatiale and German DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA). ...

As of early 2007 he has been using a smaller aircraft for his European travels. The Austrian-registered Dassault Falcon 900 registration OE-IDX is instantly recognizable by the livery similar to P4-MES. Dassault Falcon 900 takes off. ...

In 2004 Abramovich bought two Maybach 62 limousines. He had these customized to be bomb proof and have bullet-proof glass. They were reported to have cost him £1 million.^[43] Abramovich also owns a Ferrari FXX, a $2.2 million dollar race-only car, of which only 30 were built. The 57 and 62 were the first Maybach brand models after the automobile brands revival, produced by DaimlerChrysler (Mercedes-Benz). ... The Ferrari FXX is a car developed as part of an unusual development program by automobile manufacturer Ferrari in Maranello, Italy. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... -1... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... -1... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Strategic Forecasting, Inc. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Roman Abramovich

• Roman-Abramovich.com
• The Official Chelsea Football Club website
• Pravda: Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich tops Russia's richest men list
• BBC News article "Chasing Mr Chelski"
• The Guardian UK newspaper: 'He won, Russia lost'
• Mosnews' profile of Roman Abramovich, with a collection of articles
• Forbes:Roman Abramovich
• RIA Novosti Image Library: Roman Abramovich
• Foreign Owners in Football
• Battle of the oligarchs... the amazing showdown between Roman Abramovich and his arch rival
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• Dasha Zhukova Profile