Explainers

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is a successful Russian businessman and a Oligarch.But he is on the verge of selling Chelsea – one of his biggest assets.
Roman Abramovich guided Chelsea to winning their first Champions League trophy in 2012Credit: Reuters
The Forbes-listed billionaire has owned the West London club since 2003 and has turned it into a success story by winning EVERY trophy possible.
However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced Abramovich to part ways with one of his most prized possessions.
Who exactly is he and how much is he worth?
Who is Roman Abramovich?
In addition to being a Russian Oligarch, a successful businessman and a billionaire, Roman Abramovich also has experience as a politician.
He was formerly Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia’s most Easterly province, from 2000-2008.
In addition, he was the primary owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC and is currently at the helm of Chelsea football club.
Born on October 24, 1966, Abramovich sadly lost both parents at a young age which meant that he was raised by relatives and spent most of his youth in the Komi Republica located in northern Russia.
The 55-year-old has been married and divorced three times; having five children with the second wife Irina Malandina – a former Russian Aeroflot stewardess – and three with third wife Zhukova who ended their relationship in 2008.
In 1988, Abramovich capitalised on the collapse of the Soviet Union by obtaining Russian state-owned assets at low prices and selling them for a profit.
In 1997, Abramovich completed the £76m purchase of state oil giant Sibneft with fellow oligarch Boris Berezovsky.
In 2001, Abramovich bought the Sibneft stakes of Berezosky and another businessman, Badri Patarkatsishvili, for a combined £1bn.
This purchase was subject to a UK court case in 2011, in which Berezovsky’s allegation that he had been intimidated into selling the shares below market value was rejected.
In 2005, Abramovich sold 75.7 per cent of Sibneft to Gazprom for a huge £10bn.
Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich acquired one of the world’s largest oil companiesCredit: Alamy
What is Roman Abramovich’s net worth?
Roman Abramovich is estimated to have a net worth of approximately £10.3 billion ranking him at #142 on the Forbes list.
He currently has stakes in steel giant Evraz and Norilsk Nickel, as well as owning Chelsea.
Why is he selling Chelsea?
The Russian mogul is parting ways with Chelsea because he is facing threat of being sanctioned by the UK government, prospective buyer Hansjorg Wyss believes.
The Swiss billionaire said: “Abramovich is one of Vladimir Putin’s closest advisers and friends.
“Like all other oligarchs, he is also in a panic.
“Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly.
“I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.”
Should sanctions be imposed, Abramovich would potentially have all of his assets in the UK frozen and ultimately lose control of the West London outfit.
On March 2, Abramovich released a statement saying: “I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC.
“As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart.
“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners.
“The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid.
“This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club.
“Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.
“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.
“This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.
“Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner.
“However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club.
“I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person.
“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements.
“Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.”
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HANSJORG WYSS is a billionaire and philanthropist – and is now interested in taking over Chelsea.The Swiss businessman is worth an estimated amount of £4.2 billion ranking him in the top 300 Forbes list of billionaires.
Hansjorg Wyss is founder of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers SynthesCredit: Reuters
Wyss, 86, has not yet been interested in investing in sport but now he is interested in taking over the Blues from Roman Abramovich.
Here is the Swiss billionaire’s journey…
Who is Hansjorg Wyss?
The billionaire was born on September 19, 1935 in the capital of Bern, Switzerland where he was raised in a little apartment with his two sisters.
Hansjorg Wyss has been labelled as ‘amongst the most philanthropic people in the world’ by Forbes because of his multiple charitable foundations.
He has pledged £89m to two universities in Zurich – the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.
He has one daughter named Amy Wyss who is also a billionaire, but the mother has decided to stay out of the limelight.
Studying at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Wyss obtained a master’s degree in civil and structural engineering at the age of 24 before earning an MBA from Havard in the US six years later.
Following that, the Swiss billionaire enjoyed different roles in the textile engineering industry which included becoming a plant engineer and project manager for Chrysler in the Philippines, Pakistan and Turkey.
Wyss didn’t stop there; the Forbes-listed Swiss decided to travel to Brussels, where he would work in the steel industry and sell planes as a side business.
And through his alternative way of making cash, Wyss met a surgeon who had co-founded Swiss medical device manufacturer Synthes which he would go on to become president of in 1977.
Hansjorg Wyss is interested in taking Chelsea over from Roman AbramovichCredit: Getty
Why is Hansjorg Wyss a billionaire?
Wyss is the founder of Synthes USA, the world’s largest medical device manufacturer making internal screws and plates for broken bones.
They manufactured the company’s devices and exported them to the US which led to the billionaire opening up his first manufacturing plant in Colorado.
Under Wyss’ guidance, the American division sales team expanded and trained surgeons on how to use its products such as plates and internal screws.
This helped him to officially became Synthes’ worldwide CEO and chairman until hr decided in 2007 that he would only want to represent as the chairman before Johnson & Johnson acquired Synthes in 2012.
Wyss sold Synthes for a staggering amount of £14.7bn in cash and stocks where he would go on to purchase stakes in a publicly-traded biotech companies NovoCure and Molecular.
What is Hansjorg Wyss’ net worth?
According to American business publication Forbes, Hansjorg Wyss’ net worth is £3.8billion or $5.1bn.
What has Hansjorg Wyss said about Chelsea?
With Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s future in doubt, the Russian billionaire is listening to offers this week on a new potential buyer of the club.
And Hansjorg Wyss who has never purchased any sport franchises, claims that Abramovich offered him the chance to join a takeover bid.
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Wyss said: “Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England, he also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly.
“I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich. I have to wait four to five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much.
“You know, Chelsea ow him £2bn, but Chelsea has no money. As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price.” More