As you will have heard, Russia have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the orders of Vladimir Putin, who is allegedly close to Roman Abramovich.
The 55-year-old – one of the richest men in Russia – is the owner of Chelsea, with many now wondering how the war in Ukraine affects the Blues.
Let’s take a look at some of the details…
Roman Abramovich net worth
According to Forbes, Abramovich has a net worth of $13.5bn (£10bn) at this moment in time.
The billionaire owns the second-largest yacht on the planet, which he bought for $400m (£299m) in 2010, while also owning stakes in steel giant Evraz and Norilsk Nickel.
Abramovich also sold his 73% stake in Russian oil firm Sibneft to Gazprom for $13 billion (£9.7bn) in 2005.
The Chelsea owner’s net worth peaked in 2008, when he was incredibly worth $23.5 billion (£18bn).
Where does Roman Abramovich live?
The Russian oligarch owns a £125m house in Kensington Palace, but he was denied a Tier 1 investor’s visa back in 2018.
Abramovich’s current whereabouts are unknown, although he last visited Stamford Bridge in October 2021, which suggests he isn’t in the country.
He was seen in Abu Dhabi when Chelsea won the Club World Cup at the start of February, although he is not believed to be living in London right now.
How could Chelsea be affected by Ukraine crisis?
In short, Chelsea could be severely affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Forbes describe Chelsea as Abramovich’s multibillion-dollar insurance policy, if the United Kingdom come after his assets.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 for $190m (£142m), and the Blues are now valued at $3.2bn (£2.4bn).
However, the west London club owe Abramovich $2bn (£1.5bn).
According to Kieran Maguire, a football finance lecturer at the University of Liverpool, Chelsea could even go out of business.
Forbes quote Maguire as saying: “If he wants to get his own back, he could call in the loan from Chelsea. That means Chelsea goes out of business, and Putin will be able to say, ‘Well, you started it.’”
It goes without saying that Chelsea supporters will be feeling pretty anxious right now.
However, that pales in comparison to how the innocent citizens of Ukraine must feel, amid what is the bleakest moment in Europe for some time.
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