IT’S a decision that has shocked the nation – Roman Abramovich has been struck by massive sanctions for alleged links to Vladimir Putin.
The 55-year-old had his assets frozen, which means the sale of Chelsea Football Club can’t go ahead and the team will no longer be able to sell new tickets or merchandise or buy new players.
Abramovich, originally born in Saratov, is one of many Russian oligarchs on a government “hit list” as Putin continues to wage war against Ukraine.
The sanctions will have ramifications for his £9.3billion ($12.3bn) fortune and likely affect his seven children, who live in apparent luxury.
But who are they? We look at the lives of the heirs and heiresses of the future.
Anna Abramovich, 30
Columbia University philosophy graduate Anna was the first-born in Abramovich’s second marriage to Irina, who he divorced in 2007 after 11 years together.
She first hit the headlines when she got engaged at 18 to then-boyfriend Nikolai Lazarev in 2010, while still going to school by helicopter or in a chauffeur-driven limo.
Roman was said to be upset at the engagement, and the couple split before they married.
Anna was later seen hanging out with party animal Calum Best.
Her 18th birthday party reportedly cost six figures, while it’s been said she’s the one that most resembles Roman in personality. Now 30, she lives in New York.
Arkadiy Abramovich, 28
Arkadiy was the first male born in the household and is reportedly the heir to his father’s fortune.
Like Anna, Arkadiy is the son of Roman and first wife Irina Malandina, now 55, and has carved out a successful career away from his rich dad.
He is the founder and owner of ARA Capital, which manages assets including major stakes in e-commerce and gas, oil company Gazprom Neft.
A regular at Stamford Bridge, Arkadiy previously had his eyes on owning the football club – reportedly failing in a bid to own stakes in CSKA Moscow.
He was also once said to be interested in Danish side FC Copenhagen.
Sofia Abramovich, 27
The reported ‘Wild Child’ of the family, Sofia loves sharing her glamorous life on Instagram, flaunting her wealth whenever she can.
Her 18th birthday party included a performance by pop band McBusted and was held at a nightclub at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.
She regularly parties with her celebrity friends the Beckhams and the Ramsays, and often heads off to the exclusive £3,000-a-night hotel the One & Only Reethi Rah in The Maldives.
Sofia graduated with a degree from Royal Holloway in management and marketing.
The 27-year-old also has three horses called Dora, Billy Fraulein and Zanzibar, and has represented Russia in showjumping competitions.
Arina Abramovich, 21
Arina caught the showjumping bug early on and excelled in competitions thanks to a horse named Pringle.
Roman reportedly splashed around £50,000 to buy her the Roan Gelding, who won first prize in her class at the International Horse Show at Olympia in December back in 2013.
She reportedly wants to emigrate to Australia to enroll into a zoology faculty.
Ilya Abramovich, 19
The second oldest boy in the Abramovich dynasty, Ilya was the last child born to both Irina and Roman before their marriage ended.
However, his studies would’ve been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s unknown about his plans for university.
Aaron, 12, and Leah Lou Abramovich, eight
Abramovich’s sixth and seventh child, were both born in Manhattan, New York. Roman regularly visits and has kept a cordial relationship with Dasha, according to reports.
They were born out of Roman’s third marriage to model and art collector Dasha Zhukova, which ended in 2017.
Aaron, now 12, was once seen wearing a Chelsea shirt with Morata on the back.
Meanwhile, Leah Lou, now eight, lives with their mother in the Big Apple and attends a private school in the city.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
