ibrahimovic chelsea owner yacht

Take a closer look at Russian oligarch's $700 million superyacht that is one of the largest in the world

• Roman Abramovich had seemingly scrambled to avoid sanctions from the UK by moving his superyachts.
• One of those is The Eclipse, which cost $700 million to build and was once the biggest in the world.
• That yacht was once in New York City and we took some photos.

Like other Russian oligarchs, Roman Abramovich had seemingly scrambled to avoid sanctions and that included quickly moving his superyachts to more friendly waters.

Many of the 55-year-old billionaire's assets — such as the Chelsea Football Club and several homes — have been sold or frozen since Russia launched an unprovoked war on Ukraine, Bloomberg reported . 

While Abramovich couldn't move the Premier League football club Chelsea FC and sold the $3 billion club , his yachts are another matter. 

Abramovich's 553-foot-long flagship is The Eclipse, estimated to have cost $700 million when built. After sanctions were initially dropped by the UK against Abramovich, his second "smaller" $600 million superyacht, Solaris, left Barcelona, Spain, and moved to friendlier waters in Turkey.

Solaris was joined in Turkey by The Eclipse, which arrived from the Caribbean .

While the superyacht Eclipse was photographed in Turkish waters in early August , it was once docked at Manhattan's Pier 90, and Robert Johnson was able to get some pictures. Take a tour of the superyacht below. 

Robert Johnson contributed to this post.

Just south of this public parking lot on the roof of the Pier 90 terminal in New York City sat Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's flagship yacht, the "Eclipse."

536-feet long and styled after military vessels.

The 2010 Eclipse cost $700 million and was the world's largest yacht when built.

The vessel has amenities to rival any ship on the sea — like its own mini submersible, perhaps similar to this— able to dive down 150-feet.

The Eclipse has two helipads.

Bulletproof glass and armor plates wrap the length of Roman's master suite and the bridge.

And a German-built missile defense system.

The ship's also supposed to have a laser defense against paparazzi trying to photograph the yacht's guests, but saw no evidence of the device when we were there.

The Eclipse has three launch boats.

That looked to be stocked with medical supplies and a variety of handheld radios.

From the cruise ship parking lot it felt like we were almost on the Eclipse itself.

But with little chance we'd be invited aboard through the ship's door here ...

... We hoped to find one of the 70 crew members required to sail the Eclipse and see if they'd tell us what ship life was like.

But we found no one interested in talking.

But we certainly didn't feel like paparazzi, or that we'd be lasered, when we were in the parking lot tourists use when they arrive to board their cruise.

From up here, the ship was simply stunning and the amount of work required to keep her that way apparent.

The Yacht Report says owning a superyacht costs about 20% of the ship's initial value every year.

But experts believe that Roman probably pays $75 million a year to run the private cruise ship with 24-guest suites.

Looking at the layout of the ship gets us talking about the two swimming pools inside, the disco, cinema, hair salon, and restaurant.

The billionaire's guests would use this door to enter any fore part of the deck.

Perhaps noting where the life rings were as they made their way about the ship.

At 13,000 gross tons, the Eclipse was, at the time, the largest vessel to use a special stabilization system to keep it calm in rough waters while anchored or moving slowly through the sea.

Roman faced a $150,000 tab for parking the Eclipse in New York City while possibly visiting his daughter and her new baby — about $2,000 a day.

A large yacht like the Eclipse can hold over 100,000 gallons of fuel.

Depending on the current price of fuel, a five-hour cruise each way could cost about $30,000.

None of those numbers are likely to concern Roman Abramovich, however, who has an estimated net worth of nearly $8 billion.

Source: Forbes

Here is some drone footage of the superyacht.

You can see interior photos of the luxury yacht at Boat International

Step on board the 162.5m Eclipse - the second largest superyacht in the world

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Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich Splashes Out On £430 Million Superyacht And It Looks Insane

Roman abramovich has added another incredible vessel to his collection..

Josh Lawless

Roman Abramovich's £430 million superyacht has been spotted on the sea for the first time and it looks incredible.

The Chelsea owner has a net worth of £12.101 billion and was eighth on the most recent 'The Sunday Times Rich List'.

The 54-year-old lives a life of luxury and less than a week after Chelsea announced the club-record £97.5 million capture of Romelu Lukaku, Abramovich's recent purchase has been unveiled.

Joe Pompliano tweeted footage of the yacht and even in just a 12 second clip, you see what a beauty it is.

As per the Daily Mail, the Solaris custom-made yacht is 460ft (140m) overall and has 48 cabins across eight different decks. There's space for a crew of 60 and 36 guests if Abramovich wishes to invite some of his friends and family onboard.

Chelsea FC billionaire owner Roman Abramovich’s new $600 million superyacht “Solaris” is INSANE 🔥

It comes with at least one swimming pool, gym, sauna, jacuzzi and spa, an outdoor beach club and a helipad. There's also high-speed 20 jet-skis, while there's talk that Abramovich will buy a personal submarine too.

Chelsea F.C. billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has a new 455-foot-long Superyacht called "Solaris." • 8 decks • Helipad • Sleeps 36 The craziest part? Already owning a $1.5 billion, 533-ft-long Superyacht named "Eclipse," it's not even Abramovich's biggest yacht.

Julien Hubert, who took pictures of the yacht on a drone, said it was among the biggest 15 yachts he'd ever seen in his time photographing vessels.

But remarkably, it isn't even Abramovich's biggest yacht. At the moment, he is said to be in Croatia on his 530ft (160m) vessel Eclipse, which set him back £500 million in 2010.

The Eclipse yacht has a nightclub with a dancefloor and a beauty salon.

Abramovich, who also had a 200ft Sussurro, hasn't yet tried out his new toy but is said to be looking forward to cruising on his new schooner in the near future.

Said to be built for more intrepid cruising, the Solaris is believed to be one of the most technologically advanced private boats in the world and was created in a facility that was bigger and taller than Buckingham Palace. 

Topics:  Chelsea , Football , Roman Abramovich

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

@ joshlawless_

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Chelsea owner Abramovich’s luxury yacht docks in Turkey

Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht “Solaris” that belongs to Roman Abramovich sails near the Aegean coastal resort of Bodrum, Turkey, Monday, March 21, 2022. A yacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in Turkey’s Aegean Sea resort of Bodrum, Turkish media reports said Monday, amid international moves to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen with close links to the Kremlin. (IHA via AP)

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A yacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in Turkey’s Aegean Sea resort of Bodrum, Turkish media reports said Monday, amid international moves to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen with close links to the Kremlin.

Turkey’s private NTV television said the Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht Solaris docked at the southern port in Turkey — which has not joined sanctions on Russia — after departing from Montenegro.

A group of Ukrainians carrying Ukrainian flags with the words “No War” emblazoned on them boarded a small motor boat and tried to prevent the yacht from docking, the Sozcu newspaper reported.

It was not known if Abramovich was aboard the yacht or if it was moved to Turkey to avoid sanctions.

Last week, the European Union imposed sanctions on Abramovich as it updated a list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, which has sent the Russian military to invade Ukraine. Abramovich had already been punished in Britain.

NATO-member Turkey has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine. It has criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but has also positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate between the two.

Turkey has closed the Turkish Straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to most Russian warships but has not imposed sanctions on Russia or shut down its airspace to Russian flights.

Last week, Abramovich arrived in Istanbul from Jerusalem aboard his private jet before departing for Moscow the next morning.

Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris heads for Turkey as oligarch Chelsea owner gets assets out of Europe

One of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's superyachts, Solaris, is heading for Turkey, while a second, Eclipse, is off the coast off Algeria. Another Russian oligarch, Andrey Melnichenko, recently had a £444m superyacht seized by Italian authorities as part of EU sanctions.

By Jason Farell, Sky News correspondent, in Istanbul

Thursday 17 March 2022 10:44, UK

Roman Abramovich appears to be on a mission to get his assets out of Europe as sanctions tighten.

His superyacht Solaris, worth £430m, is heading south, apparently towards Turkey , after docking in Montenegro on Sunday. Previously, it had been at a repair yard in Barcelona - and had it remained there it might well have been seized by now.

Abramovich has been named on the fourth package of European Union sanctions that will see assets frozen for those Russian super rich considered to be linked to President Vladimir Putin.

Follow live updates on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Due to sanctions passed last week, any cash or property the Chelsea FC owner holds in the UK are now frozen. His shares on the London stock exchange cannot be sold and won't pay dividends, and he can no longer benefit from the planned £3bn sale of the club. He is also banned from entering the UK.

Abramovich's journey back to Russia

Abramovich's second superyacht, Eclipse, is off the coast of Algeria. Its closest European port is Italy - where another oligarch, Andrey Melnichenko, recently had a £444m superyacht seized by authorities as part of EU sanctions.

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On Sunday night, Abramovich made a whistle-stop trip to Israel, where he is a citizen. Israel currently has no sanctions on Russian oligarchs, and the billionaire owns property in the country.

He was photographed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Monday afternoon before flying for a brief stop in Istanbul; Turkey is another possible safe destination for Russian money. From Istanbul his private Gulfstream G650ER jet - registration LX-Ray - flew to Moscow in the early hours of Tuesday morning .

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Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak claims to have met Abramovich, last week, to discuss buying Chelsea. A spokesperson for Mr Bayrak says another meeting was planned later this week.

Despite the British government freezing £3.2bn of his UK assets, including the west London club, it is thought Abramovich could still play a role in the sale, but only on the basis that he does not personally profit from it.

It is not clear whether Mr Bayrak, who made his money in energy, real estate, and cryptocurrency, has the funds to make the purchase.

What is happening with the Chelsea sale?

The British government is open to a sale and wishes to minimalise impact on the club and its fans, but Chelsea is required to approach the government with a proposal before a new licence is granted. Its primary condition is that Abramovich does not financially benefit from any sale.

Read more: How sanctions on Abramovich will affect Chelsea fans

Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on 2 March, pledging to write off £1.5bn of debt and to divert all proceeds to a new foundation to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine .

The government sanctioned him, claiming to have proved his direct links to Mr Putin's regime. Abramovich has always denied any association.

On Tuesday, a further 370 new sanctions were announced by the UK government - bringing the total to more than 1,000 individuals, entities and subsidiaries now under the Russia sanctions regime since the invasion of Ukraine.

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Nigel Huddleston, the minister for sport, told a committee of MPs: "We are working with Chelsea and the fans that the measures we have put in place primarily impact Roman Abramovich and make sure he does not benefit, whilst making sure that where possible we can reduce the impact on the fans and make sure Chelsea can still continue.

"Can the government allow an entity to fail? Yes, it can, whether it's sport or football or anything else, but what we want to do is make sure the impact of sanctions hits those we want."

Looking to the future, he told the digital, culture, media and sport select committee: "We do recognise there is a need for further refinement and more robust owners' and directors' tests and the integrity element of that is something that is being pushed."

In other developments:

• More than 100,000 Britons register interest to house Ukrainian refugees • UK announces sanctions against 350 more Russian nationals and entities • UK bans luxury goods exports to Russia and hikes import tariffs on products - including vodka • Briton who travelled to warzone to join military fight against Russia leaves over 'suicide mission' fears • Employee interrupts Russian news programme with anti-war slogan

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Chelsea owner roman abramovich's new £430m superyacht has been unveiled.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's new £430m superyacht has been unveiled

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich recently splashed out close to £100m to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, but parting with that sort of sum likely won't worry the Russian billionaire too much. 

Abramovich has some serious wealth behind him and, as you might expect, isn't afraid to be extravagant with his cash - especially when it comes to his yachts

Most of us mere mortals can only dream of owning such luxury items, but the 54-year-old tycoon has an entire fleet of yachts at his disposal - and video footage has recently emerged on social media of the latest addition to his collection.

Abramovich's newest vessel, known as Solaris, is an absolute beast. Boasting two advanced electric engines, it is believed to be the most powerful yacht in the world.

Its accommodation isn't bad, either, with the entire structure measuring a whopping 140 metres in length. This means that there's plenty of space on board for 48 cabins, a pool, jacuzzi and spa and an outdoor beach club.

Abramovich and his guests will also have their pick of eight decks from which to enjoy the sea views including one which has its own helicopter pad.

Read more: Premier League 2021/22: Start Date, Fixtures, Odds, Ball, Tickets And Everything You Need To Know

ENTER GIVEAWAY

As impressive it sounds on paper, the Solaris looks even more spectacular in a viral clip tweeted by American entrepreneur Joe Pompliano . The video, which can be seen below, does true justice to the sheer scale of the monster vessel. Sources have previously revealed that the superyacht had to be built in a facility that was both bigger and taller than Buckingham Palace. Judging by this latest footage, we can see why!

What might be most insane about Abramovich's newest toy is that it's not even his largest or most expensive yacht. The Solaris is believed to have cost him somewhere in the region of £430m, but that is pocket change to the billionaire when compared with his 160-metre vessel called Eclipse which set him back more than a billion pounds in 2010.

Crazy numbers, but life certainly looks good for the Chelsea chief.

Where are Roman Abramovich's yachts as Chelsea owner has assets frozen by UK government

Chelsea news: The Russian billionaire has owned a number of yachts in recent years with the movements of them all known using tracking data

• 11:23, 10 MAR 2022

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Roman Abramovich has owned a number of super yachts during his time as Chelsea owner.

And it is always interesting to note where in the world they are located during the year.

That is even more pertinent now, given the Russian oligarch has been sanctioned by the UK government for reported close ties with Vladimir Putin, which Abramovich vehemently denies, and had his assets frozen.

That would appear to rule out the sale of the football cub , which Abramovich confirmed was his intention last week, although the Blues could still be sold if the UK government take the lead in selling it .

So where in the world are the two super-yachts that we know are linked to Abramovich now?

The £448million Eclipse yacht, that Abramovich bought in 2010 has been cruising in the Caribbean Sea near the British Virgin Islands for the past week.

However, Abramovich's £456million newer yacht Solaris has recently been moved.

According to Reuters , the super-yacht had been in Barcelona undergoing repairs, but was moved on Tuesday evening, with Marine Traffic saying it is now cruising in the Mediterranean near Sicily.

A spokeswoman for Abramovich told Reuters: "We never comment on the movements of the yacht or any other vehicles or vessels."

Abramovich had all of his assets frozen by the UK government on Thursday, with the club banned from selling tickets to home or away fans.

Stamford Bridge will only host season ticket holders moving forward, but the club shop also closed and any contract talks or transfers placed on hold.

For all the latest Abramovich news as it happens, check out our live blog right here .

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Roman Abramovich’s luxury yachts, from Chelsea owner’s new £430m Solaris to the £1BILLION Eclipse

• Published : 4:37 ET, Mar 9 2022
• Updated : 4:43 ET, Mar 10 2022
• Published : Invalid Date,

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH certainly doesn't do things in halves.

The Chelsea owner, worth a cool £10bn, was sanctioned by the UK government as part of attempts to crackdown on wealthy Russians with assets in the UK - but what yachts does he own?

The Russian, 55, who has faced calls to be barred from owning Chelsea and his £152m home amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine , must love travelling by sea.

He has had a private navy of yachts - with SunSport believing Solaris to be his EIGHTH over the years.

The latest yacht was completed last year and is believed to have cost £430million to build .

A 460ft beast of the sea, it features eight decks, as well as a helicopter pad and was seen cruising the French Riviera last summer.

The yacht was built at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany and the shed it was constructed in was larger than Buckingham Palace.

Solaris has 48 cabins, accommodating up to 36 passengers, and a crew of 60 plus and boasts two advanced engines to be the most powerful yacht in the world.

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Roman's current superyacht , the Eclipse - with all the work that's been done to it - is said to now be worth £1billion.

Built in 2010, it was completely rebuilt in 2015 to cater for the high-spec needs of a multi-billionaire.

Incredibly, the 553ft Eclipse has its own missile defence system - should it come under attack.

There are 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, hot tubs, a sauna, and even a nightclub.

It also boasts a cinema, conference room, children's playroom, hair salon, and a mini-submarine that can dive to 50m. Yes, that's right. It's a yacht that boasts its own submarine.

LE GRAND BLEU

Worth £135million, Le Grand Bleu was once Roman's pride and joy.

Twenty guests can stay in luxury onboard, and enjoy it's many amenities.

Astonishingly, as is the theme with these yachts, there are more boats on board.

As well as a 73-foot sailboat, guests can also enjoy taking a 68-foot powerboat for a spin. And there are two more boats in its internal garage on top of that.

It is now owned by Abramovich's friend Eugene Schvidler.

Currently available to buy for £16million, the Sussurro is now over 20 years old.

It was built by Feadship, measures over 163 feet long and boasts six luxury cabins that can house 12 guests.

Rarely used, it has been reported that the Sussorro was given to Roman's ex-wife Irina Malandina, as part of a divorce settlement.

With 15,000 combined horsepower, it is capable of reaching speeds of 46 knots.

Valued at around £110million, the Ecstasea is still one of the fastest superyachts around - boasting 43,000 horsepower and measuring 282-feet.

Abramovich was the original owner from 2004, before it was sold to Pakistani businessman Alshair Fiyaz in 2009.

There's room for 14 guests, can be staffed by a crew of 25, and can be reached by helicopter, which can park on one of two helipads.

The Ecstasea suffered damage in 2019 when it clipped the Simpson Bay Bridge in the Caribbean island of St Maarten.

So that's what £270million gets you.

Built in 2003, the 377-foot long Pelorus was briefly owned by a Saudi Arabian businessman before Abramovich got his hands on it in 2004.

A year later, he lent it to Chelsea legends John Terry and Frank Lampard for two weeks as a bonus for helping the club win Roman's first Premier League as owner.

Then in 2007 he allowed Terry and his wife Toni to enjoy their honeymoon on board.

However, it was also reportedly handed to Irina in the divorce settlement, who sold it to American film exec David Geffen in 2011.

Currently the second largest expedition yacht in the world, the Luna was delivered to Roman in 2010.

It boats 10 VIP cabins, that are 100 square metres each, as well as a 20-metre outdoor pool.

Like the Eclipse, it also has an anti-missile system, as well as bulletproof windows.

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In 2014, it was sold to Azerbaijani billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov for £210 million.

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Chelsea owner Abramovich's second yacht also docks in Turkey

Turkish media reports say a second superyacht belonging to chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned russian oligarch roman abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern turkey, article bookmarked.

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A second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey — a country which is not applying sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine , Turkish media reports said Tuesday.

The private DHA news agency said the Bermuda-registered Eclipse docked at a port in the resort of Marmaris, amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin .

A day earlier, Abramovich’s Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht My Solaris arrived in the nearby resort of Bodrum, triggering a protest by a group of Ukrainians who boarded a small motor boat and tried to prevent the yacht from docking.

Last week, the European Union updated a list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their ties to the Kremlin and began imposing sanctions on Abramovich. The 55-year-old had already been punished in Britain.

NATO-member Turkey has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine. It has criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but has also positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate between the two.

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Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich Owns 16 Yachts And Vessels, 10 More Than Previously Known

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Roman Abramovich.

Documents show that the sanctioned tycoon has a much larger fleet than previously known. At least one of the previously unreported yachts is currently in French territory, putting it at risk of being frozen by authorities.

A trove of leaked documents has revealed several previously unreported assets owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich . The files, shared with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its partners, including Forbes , show that Abramovich owns at least 10 more yachts and vessels through offshore companies and trusts—in addition to six yachts worth at least $1 billion that were already public knowledge.

The documents come from MeritServus, a Cyprus-based corporate services provider used by Russian oligarchs, and were initially shared with The Guardian , which received them from an anonymous third party. According to The Guardian , the files show that Abramovich transferred ownership of 10 offshore trusts with billions of dollars in assets —including the trust that owns his yachts and private jets—to his seven children in early February 2022, just three weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and about a month before Abramovich was sanctioned by the U.K. and EU. An OCCRP investigation using company records and documents in the leak also revealed that Abramovich had invested some $230 million in a large Russian forestry company —whose other shareholders included the Russian government—between 2008 and 2016, before selling his stake for about $110 million one month before the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Forbes identified 10 vessels owned by Abramovich that had not been previously attributed to him, bringing his overall tally to 16. Eight of the ships are small vessels that, according to the leaked documents, are “used to support the operations” of Eclipse , the 533-foot, $427 million megayacht that Abramovich had built in 2010. Eclipse is currently moored in the Turkish port of Bodrum, with three more of Abramovich’s yachts—the 458-foot, $475 million Solaris , the 180-foot, $38 million Halo and the 220-foot, $20 million Garcon —all anchored nearby, along Turkey’s western Mediterranean coast. A representative for Abramovich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Outside of the eight support vessels, the leaked documents also show that Abramovich owns a 40-foot Bluegame motor boat named Umbra A , valued at roughly $1 million in a 2016 annual report. The most valuable of the previously unreported yachts is the 80-foot Kewpie , worth about $3 million according to yacht valuation experts VesselsValue. The ship is registered in Bermuda and is currently located in the French overseas territory of Saint Barthélemy, more commonly known as St. Barts, where it has been moored since early November. Abramovich is a familiar face in St. Barts: He owns two properties on the island, one of which was frozen by French authorities in April.

That means Kewpie is also at risk of being frozen, because it’s located on French territory and Abramovich is under EU sanctions—unlike the megayachts in Turkey, which has not imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs. And Kewpie isn’t the only one of Abramovich’s vessels that could be in trouble. His 162-foot, $11 million Sussurro has been moored in La Ciotat on the French Riviera for nearly a year. Yet another yacht, the 164-foot, $30 million Aquamarine , appears to still be in the Netherlands. Aquamarine ’s ultimate owner is a British Virgin Islands-based company that Abramovich transferred to his business associate David Davidovich on February 24, 2022.

Abramovich uses a complex structure of offshore entities for his yachts plus other assets including four jets , six helicopters and luxury villas and estates . His fleet of 16 ships and 10 aircraft—worth a collective $1.6 billion—are owned by several firms registered in offshore havens including Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, the Isle of Man and Jersey, all known for their secrecy and low-tax regimes. The leaked filings, combined with a seizure warrant for two of Abramovich’s jets filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in June, show that all of these assets—except Aquamarine —are ultimately owned by the Cyprus-based Europa Settlement Trust.

Until February 4, 2022, Abramovich was the trust’s only beneficiary. But on that day, two of Abramovich's representatives—David Davidovich and Tatyana Haykin—filed a document that added his seven children as additional beneficiaries. Four days later, Abramovich was removed entirely, leaving the trust and its trove of yachts and jets to his kids. The amendments to the trust appear to have been completed by February 24, the same day Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

Despite the changes to his trusts in February, Forbes still counts Abramovich as a billionaire with an estimated net worth of $8.7 billion. While the megayachts and jets are now technically owned by his children, the oligarch still appears to control them: Abramovich flew aboard his Gulfstream G650 from Israel to Istanbul on March 14, before departing for Moscow the next day.

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A view of Russian metals and petroleum magnate Roman Abramovich’s superyacht Solaris anchored in Tivat, Montenegro, Saturday, March 12, 2022. President Joe Biden has warned Kremlin-aligned oligarchs that the U.S. and its European allies are coming for their superyachts. But actually seizing the behemoth vessels often worth hundreds of millions of dollars could prove challenging. Many of the boats are flagged and registered in secretive banking havens used by the ultra-rich to shield their wealth from taxes or seizures. Abramovich’s superyacht Solaris, stands eight stories tall, and features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.

• Risto Bozovic / AP Photo
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Chelsea owner Abramovich’s luxury yacht docks in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A yacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in Turkey’s Aegean Sea resort of Bodrum, Turkish media reports said Monday, amid international moves to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen with close links to the Kremlin.

This article is over a year old, and the information within may be out of date.

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A view of Russian metals and petroleum magnate Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris anchored in Tivat, Montenegro, Saturday, March 12, 2022. President Joe Biden has warned Kremlin-aligned oligarchs that the U.S. and its European allies are coming for their superyachts. But actually seizing the behemoth vessels often worth hundreds of millions of dollars could prove challenging. Many of the boats are flagged and registered in secretive banking havens used by the ultra-rich to shield their wealth from taxes or seizures. Abramovich's superyacht Solaris, stands eight stories tall, and features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.

Turkey’s private NTV television said the Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht Solaris docked at the southern port in Turkey — which has not joined sanctions on Russia — after departing from Montenegro.

A group of Ukrainians carrying Ukrainian flags with the words “No War” emblazoned on them boarded a small motor boat and tried to prevent the yacht from docking, the Sozcu newspaper reported.

It was not known if Abramovich was aboard the yacht or if it was moved to Turkey to avoid sanctions.

Last week, the European Union imposed sanctions on Abramovich as it updated a list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, which has sent the Russian military to invade Ukraine. Abramovich had already been punished in Britain.

NATO-member Turkey has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine. It has criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but has also positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate between the two.

Turkey has closed the Turkish Straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to most Russian warships but has not imposed sanctions on Russia or shut down its airspace to Russian flights.

Last week, Abramovich arrived in Istanbul from Jerusalem aboard his private jet before departing for Moscow the next morning.

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From ‘Solaris’ to ‘Eclipse’, comparing Roman Abramovich’s yachts by size and amenities

If one has to get a glimpse of what money can buy, the yachts of Roman Abramovich would perhaps be an excellent indicator. The Chelsea football club owner is renowned for his love of some of the world’s most beautiful sailing vessels whose majestic interiors can rival those of European palaces.

Roman Abramovich can buy any number of ships or yachts he wants. After all, Forbes estimates his net worth at around US$14.6 billion (or RM68 billion as of 31 August, 2021).

Besides Chelsea FC, the Russian-origin Israeli citizen has stakes in steel giant Evraz and mining company Norilsk Nickel. In 2005, Abramovich made US$13 billion (RM54 billion) by selling his 73 percent stake in the Russian oil firm, Sibneft, to Gazprom.

Abramovich was the governor of the Chukotka region in the Russian Far East from 2001 to 2013. During the period, he spent US$2.5 billion (RM10.4 billion) on the development of the region.

The billionaire’s fascination with gigantic luxury yachts is a reflection of the automotive toys , ranging from supercars to some of the swankiest private jets, the ultra-rich love to splurge on .

While Abramovich’s fleet will soon have a new member, Solaris , the current crown jewel among his vessels is Eclipse — one of the world’s three largest yachts. There are others, which he either owns or has sold off.

The boats are examples of excellent design. They are sleek, powerful, easily manoeuvrable, well-balanced and technologically advanced.

Roman Abramovich is only 54 years old and consistently adding to his wealth from investments and ownerships. While he narrows down to his future spectacle, let’s take a look at some of the past and present gems of his private collection of superyachts.

Roman Abramovich’s superyachts ranked by size and amenities: 

( Main and Featured images: Feadship )

Jump To / Table of Contents

• Le Grand Bleu

Superyacht Solaris is close to completion and will be Roman Abramovich’s new craft on the waters once it is launched. Though not much is known about the boat, the Solaris was photographed during the second of its sea trials in the North Sea and attracted media attention.

SuperYacht Times reports that the Solaris is designed by Australian interior designer Marc Newson and built by Lloyd Werft, a German shipyard. It has a helipad and outdoor beach club setup at the stern (rear of a sailing craft). It also has a swimming pool.

It has two nine megawatts Azipods, which, according to SuperYacht Times , are the most powerful ever fitted on a yacht. The Solaris has eight decks, and it can reportedly accommodate a staff of 60 and 36 passengers in its 18 super luxurious cabins. It is estimated to cost US$600 million (RM2.5 billion).

Nonetheless, the Solaris , which measures around 140 metres, is not the largest yacht in Abramovich’s armada — that credit goes to Eclipse .

The superyacht Eclipse measures a massive 162.5 metres. Abramovich bought the ship in 2010 and is still in his possession. The most unique feature of the Eclipse is that it has a missile detection system, and the master suite has bulletproof windows.

Designed by Terry Disdale and made by German shipbuilder Blohm+Voss, it took about five years to build the Eclipse . It was the world’s biggest yacht till the 180-metre-long superyacht Azzam , which is owned by UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took away the crown in 2013.

The Eclipse is a technological marvel. One of its two swimming pools can be used as a dance floor by bringing up the granite floor at deck level with the touch of a button. It can carry three helicopters at the same time — one each on its two helipads and one in the hangar below the foredeck. It has a submarine, which can dive to a depth of around 50 metres.

The giant vessel has nine decks with a range of luxurious services to opt from. The Eclipse features many amenities — including a cinema hall and a sauna — that one can expect in a superyacht. The Eclipse cost Roman Abramovich US$590 million (RM2.4 billion) at the time of purchase, and its beach house style interiors showcase the finest in Art Deco, lending it a timeless feel.

The Eclipse is powerful. It can attain a maximum speed of 21 knots and travel 6,000 nautical miles on a full tank. The yacht can house up to 36 guests in its 18 cabins and needs 70 people for operations.

It underwent a refit in 2015. Reports indicate that it is still counted among the priciest yachts of the world with a valuation ranging between US$600 million (RM2.48 billion) to US$1.5 billion (RM6.2 billion).

Before Eclipse became a prized possession of Roman Abramovich, it was this 112.8-metre luxury yacht which was the finest in his collection. Built in 2000 by now-bankrupt German shipbuilder Bremer Vulkan, it has 10 guest cabins which can house 20 guests. It has a crew of 35 supporting operations.

Abramovich bought the Le Grand Bleu from its previous owner US telecommunications baron John McCaw. The Chelsea FC owner then had it remodified, adding a pool measuring 5 metres. In 2006, the billionaire sold it to his friend, oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, who is its current owner.

The Le Grand Bleu comes with its own fleet of smaller boats, a landing craft and two 11-metre sports boats. It was in the news in 2017 when some tourists were unable to see the Statue of Liberty because the superyacht blocked the view.

The Ecstasea was designed by De Voogt Naval Architects and built at The Feadship Royal Van Lent Shipyard in the Netherlands in 2004. According to Superyacht Times , the yacht measures 85.95 metres and has four MTU engines alongside one General Electric engine. The combined power gives the Ecstasea an incredible top speed of around 33 knots.

It has state of art rooms designed in Asian decor by Terence Disdale, and an array of luxurious amenities accentuate its plush eight cabins. The Ecstasea is designed for the stay of 15 occupants, with a supporting squad of 27 to man the boat.

It also has a helipad at the front, where the platform can be lowered and doors on either side can be closed over the helipad to turn it into a hangar.

The Ecstasea was sold by Abramovich in 2009.

The Sussurro was designed for speed. According to its maker, Feadship, the machine, which was built in 1998, has two Paxman diesels and twin TF40 gas turbines that power three water jets. The combined 15,000 HP can take the all-aluminium craft to a top speed of 46 knots — enough to ensure that the owner can reach remote diving spots quickly.

De Voogt Naval Architects and Don Shead were responsible for its exterior design. Terence Disdale did the interiors, which look like a mix of culturally infused objects he has collected during his travels to places in Africa and Asia, such as Zulu and Bali, respectively.

Lightweight to near-weightless materials have been used to make the total weight of the boat within prescribed limits to meet the speed factor. The 162.5-metre-long Sussurro can accommodate 12 guests in its six cabins. It also has five cabins for 12 supporting staff to operate the boat.

Abramovich had bought it from its original Middle-Eastern owner. According to a November 2020 report by Boat International , Sussurro is currently valued at around US$22 million (RM91 million) only.

Measuring 115 metres, Luna was built at Lloyd Werft and delivered to Roman Abramovich in 2010. While its exteriors were designed by German ship designer Newcruise, the Luna ’s tasteful interiors have been done by Donald Starkey.

Known as an “explorer yacht”, its steel hull can cut through ice floes. It has two helipads, a covered swimming pool, a beach club that goes down to the swim platform and designated areas for sunbathing.

The Luna has nine decks. It can accommodate a 50-member crew and take up to 18 guests in its nine staterooms. It has two diesel electric engines that give it a top speed of around 22 knots.

When it was delivered to Abramovich, he took it for a cruise with his family around the Kristiansand Archipelago.

Azerbaijani businessman Farkhad Akhmedov bought it from Abramovich for about US$300 million (RM1.24 billion) in 2014. Then, it underwent a refit for an estimated US$50 million (RM207 million). Today, it is at the centre of the divorce case between Akhmedov and his former wife Tatiana Akhmedova.

Currently owned by billionaire and Hong Kong property tycoon Samuel Tak Lee, Pelorus was originally commissioned for a Saudi Arabian businessman who quickly sold it to Abramovich in 2003.

Pelorus has two Wärtsilä engines and can reach a top speed of 20 knots. It can house 18 guests in nine cabins and requires around 40 people for maintenance and operations.

Measuring 115 metres in length, the Pelorus was built at the Krogerwerft shipyard of German shipbuilder Lurssen. Its exterior has been designed by Tim Heywood while Disdale’s style is evident from the interiors, which exudes a luxurious beach house vibe.

Heywood made the best use of the size of the vessel and built two helipads, two swimming pools, a lido and a transom that opens to form a sea-level platform. The master suite has a private deck that can’t be seen from any part of the Pelorus .

Abramovich had once lent the vessel to Chelsea FC players John Terry and Frank Lampard after the club’s English Premier League win. Additionally, Terry took his wife Toni on their honeymoon on the Pelorus in 2007.

In 2011, American film mogul David Geffen purchased the Pelorus for US$300 million (RM1.24 billion). Geffen then sold it the same year for US$214 million (RM888 million) to a royal family in the UAE.

Manas Sen Gupta

Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.

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Roman Abramovich's superyacht has missile defence system and anti-paparazzi lasers

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's yacht, Eclipse, has modern tech to protect guests, from bullet-proof windows toa missile-detection system and even a mini escape submarine

• 12:26, 11 Mar 2022

Roman Abramovich has two prized assets that look out of reach - his enormous superyachts.

The Chelsea owner has been hit by sanctions from the UK government and faces the prospect of having £3.2billion of assets in this country frozen after being identified as having links to Vladimir Putin and the Russian state.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said yesterday that oligarchs like Abramovich have "no place in our society or economy", adding: "The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame."

Abramovich, who according to The Sunday Times Rich List is worth a staggering £10.2billion, has a property empire across the world, including a west London mansion, Colorado ski-ranch and chateau on the French Riviera.

The Chelsea owner has a collection of helicopters and commercial-sized planes valued at around £400m, which includes his customised jet nicknamed "Bandit".

Abramovich also boasts a huge collection of supercars worth more than £16m and even splashed out £285,000 just on a number plate.

But the Russian billionaire is really known for being the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts, maintaining a fleet which was dubbed 'Abramovich's Navy'.

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Abramovich, who used to have a vast collection of super yachts, now only has two but they completely dwarf his old ones in size.

The crown jewel is Abramovich's 533ft super yacht Eclipse, which at the time of launch was the largest privately owned superyacht in the world.

Eclipse was originally contracted at a price of around £500million but is now known as 'the $1.5billion yacht'.

Winning the record Euromillions jackpot of £189million five times over would still not give you enough cash to purchase Abramovich's vessel.

Weighing in at 13,564 tons, Eclipse was the world'largest private yacht for around three years until the Azzam was built in 2013.

Designed by French architect Hermidas Atabeyki, it was built by Blohm and Voss in 2010, with the interior kitted out by Terence Disdale.

There is more accommodation for crew than guests, with 35 of the 53 cabins for the workers, who also get their own private cinema.

The superyacht has enough space on board for two helipads, an aquarium, multiple hot tubs, disco hall and two separate swimming pools.

One of the pools is the biggest ever placed on a private yacht and can be drained out to become a dance floor.

But most interesting of all is the modern technology Eclipse is kitted out with to give its guests privacy and protection from all sorts of threats.

Abramovich's yacht has anti-paparazzi lasers, which can detect the electronic light sensors that cameras use before they even flash.

They target the cameras with beams of infrared light which overexposes the photos, rendering them useless to anyone trying to get a snap, although it doesn't work on an old-fashioned mechanical camera.

There is also bullet-proof glass and armour-plating around Abramovich's personal quarters and a mini submarine that fits three people and could be used as an escape pod.

The newest addition to his fleet is the £430million Solaris, a 430ft vessel which took to the seas for the first time last year.

It is the most costly custom-made superyacht ever built with 48 cabins across eight decks, a crew of 60 and space for 36 guests.

To put into perspective how large Solaris is, the superyacht is bigger and taller than Buckingham Palace.

Abramovich has cut down to just two superyachts, but previously owned an entire fleet which he would loan out to his pals.

The two biggest were Pelorus and Luna, which were both 377ft and cost £274million and £276million respectively.

Pelorus was given to his second wife, Irina Vyacheslavovna Abramovich, as part of their divorce settlement in 2009 while Luna was sold to a close friend, Azerbaijani-born billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov, in April 2014.

Luna had been his replacement for the £110million and 371ft Le Grand Bleu, as both were expedition yachts with stronger hulls capable of providing comfort while navigating through high seas and inhospitable climates such as the North and South Poles.

Other vessels owned by the billionaire include the £110million Ecstasea (282ft) and £16million Sussurro (162ft).

Some of the yachts have been loaned out to some of Chelsea's players, including John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

After Chelsea won the Premier League in 2005, Terry and Lampard were given use of the Pelorus as a 'bonus', then two years later Terry and his wife Toni set sail on the yacht for their honeymoon.

On Thursday it was announced that a further seven oligarchs would be sanctioned by the UK government over their links to Putin amid his war on Ukraine .

Giving a warning, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine.

"We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies."

One of the oligarchs, Igor Sechin, has already seen his 289-ft yacht 'Amore Vero' seized by French custom officers near Marseille after being sanctioned by the European Union .

But it seems Abramovich is making sure that no one will be able to get their hands on his superyachts.

Eclipse was moored in Barcelona last week but is now in open sea off the coast of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.

While Solaris was last spotted off the Sicily coast and is now believed to be heading to Israel, which is where Abramovich holds citizenship.

A spokesperson for the Russian billionaire said: "We never comment on the movements of the yacht or any other vehicles or vessels."

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Offshore cash and huge loans: leak reveals how Roman Abramovich funded Chelsea’s success

Exclusive: Network of companies used to route fortune made from the oil fields of Siberia into Stamford Bridge

• How Cypriot firm helped ‘Orthodox oligarch’ after sanctions
• Family firm that helped pour Abramovich’s millions into Chelsea

As Chelsea’s players celebrated victory in the 2021 Champions League final, Roman Abramovich made one of his rare public appearances.

The club’s owner had been unable to attend home matches at Stamford Bridge for three years, after the UK government indicated it was unlikely to renew his visa.

But that year’s Champions League final was held at the Estádio do Dragão in Portugal, a country that had granted Abramovich citizenship just months earlier. Grinning in the warm Iberian night air, he hugged his players and drank in the fans’ gratitude.

The oligarch hadn’t just transformed Chelsea .

His free-spending strategy was among the factors that forced the footballing authorities to overhaul the regulation of the game, via financial fair play rules.

More recently, it has reignited debate over who is “fit and proper” to run a football club, particularly since 2022, when sanctions were imposed on Abramovich over “clear connections” to the Kremlin, jeopardising Chelsea’s very existence.

Back in 2003, the year that Abramovich bought the club, the rules governing football investment were virtually nonexistent and few observers queried the mystery man ready to save Chelsea from punishing debts.

Even then, it was well known that his fortune derived from Sibneft, an oil and gas giant created from the privatisation of state assets, amid the tumult of Russia’s journey out of communism.

But as the years passed, Chelsea’s financial accounts offered scant insight into the origin of the ballooning interest-free loans that Abramovich pumped into the club.

Now, the Oligarch files – a cache of leaked documents from Cyprus-based offshore financial services provider MeritServus, which was hit with sanctions last week after revelations in the Guardian about how it moved money for Abramovich – laid bare how the Russian billionaire turned Chelsea into world-beaters.

They reveal a labyrinthine network of offshore companies used to route money from enclaves of Abramovich’s empire into Stamford Bridge.

They also demonstrate how this money derived from two transformative Russian business deals struck under the watchful eye of the Kremlin.

Huge spending brings success

At the time of Abramovich’s £140m takeover of Chelsea, in July 2003, the Labour MP and Chelsea fan Tony Banks was a rare sceptic.

“We need to look at the source of his money, what his track record has been in Russia, to establish whether he is a fit and proper person to take over a football club in this country,” the Labour MP told newspapers. “At the moment I don’t like it.”

In the end, the Office of Fair Trading waved through Abramovich’s takeover, in line with a broader climate in which the British establishment embraced new Russian money.

Businesses and politicians were enthusiastic in hailing Vladimir Putin as Yeltsin’s successor as president of Russia, seeing the opportunity to charm this young and dynamic leader of a sleeping economic giant.

“The red money carpet had been rolled out and people were welcome to bring their money to the UK,” Tom Keatinge, the director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, said.

“I doubt anyone was in the mood to ask questions about where this money was coming from.”

Accounts for Chelsea’s parent company, Fordstam Ltd, show an initial interest-free loan of £224m after the takeover but there was no obligation to document the origin of the funds.

Companies House filings stated only that the auditor KPMG believed “sufficient funds will be provided to finance the business for the foreseeable future”.

The Oligarch files offer new insight. Leaked documents show that the initial loan to Fordstam, Chelsea’s new parent company, came from Kelvedon Worldwide Ltd, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and owned by Abramovich.

Kelvedon’s cash was transformational.

In the first two years of Abramovich’s ownership, £382m was routed via this BVI company into Chelsea, funding deals for players including the mercurial winger Arjen Robben and the free-scoring striker Didier Drogba.

Chelsea’s £230m transfer spend in those first two seasons outstripped the combined outlay of European giants Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

The investment paid off quickly.

Fifty years after Chelsea’s only English title, the club won two in succession, in 2005 and 2006. Three more titles followed, as well as two Champions League trophies, in a prolonged period of success that few English clubs have matched.

But MeritServus files do not only show how the oligarch’s cash flowed into Chelsea during that golden era, they shed new light on the source.

Putin’s influence

The year 2003 was pivotal not just for Chelsea, but for Abramovich, Putin and Russia. In the spring, Abramovich had agreed a merger between his oil and gas business Sibneft and its rival Yukos, which would have created a new global oil giant.

The prospective $36bn mega-merger triggered excitement in financial circles , symbolising Russia’s emergence as a democratic economy of global significance.

But by the end of the year, the Yukos-Sibneft deal stood for something else entirely – Putin’s iron grip on power and brutal suppression of his opponents.

In October 2003, the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky – the billionaire who had built Yukos – was arrested on an airport runway in Siberia and charged with fraud and tax evasion.

Khodorkovsky would spend 10 years in prison, targeted – according to international humanitarian observers – for increasingly vocal opposition to Putin’s illiberal reign.

Soon after, Abramovich called off the Sibneft-Yukos merger . Yukos was instead seized by the Kremlin and broken up for auction.

“Khodorkovsky’s arrest was a warning sign to the other oligarchs that Putin meant business,” said John Lough, an associate fellow of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, who worked at the Anglo-Russian oil venture TNK-BP. “They could enjoy a level of wealth, they could run these businesses responsibly but their loyalty wasn’t to shareholders or employees, it was to the Kremlin.” As one oligarch fell, another rose.

Abramovich, Lough said, had always been regarded as showing the requisite fealty.

He had become governor of the Siberian region of Chukotka in 2001, using his own wealth to bankroll investment in the underresourced region. Indeed, when Abramovich bought Chelsea, the deed of incorporation filed at Companies House gave his address as a nondescript apartment block in Anadyr, a frozen, windswept town that is Chukotka’s administrative capital. “Someone as shrewd as Abramovich would have understood the new rules of the game,” Lough said. “He would have known that you have to stay on the right side of these people.”

The new climate for oligarchs under Putin was precarious.

The result, Lough believes, is that Abramovich could not have bought Chelsea if the Kremlin had disapproved. Abramovich has always denied seeking Putin’s approval for the purchase and his lawyers said any such allegation was false.

Cyprus-based companies

Abramovich emerged from the chaotic collapse of the Yukos deal a much richer man.

The merger had been structured mostly as an exchange of shares but it also included a cash component, with Yukos paying $3bn for 20% of Sibneft.

Yukos shareholders would fight for years to retrieve that payment, but to no avail.

According to legal documents submitted during later arbitration between the shareholders and the Russian state, a first instalment of $1.25bn was paid in May 2003. As the majority owner of Sibneft shares, the money inflated Abramovich’s fortune just as he prepared for the costly business of buying and funding Chelsea.

The entity that received that first billion-dollar instalment, according to leaked files, was the Cyprus-based Kravin Investments.

One email, sent in May 2005 from Kravin’s auditor Deloitte to an employee of several Abramovich companies, suggests Kravin may have gone on to play a role in the Chelsea takeover.

In the email, the Deloitte employee questioned why there was “no mention of the Chelsea deal Kravin was involved with”, speculating that this might be “disclosed at a later stage”.

Kravin was ultimately owned by the Cyprus-based Sara Trust, of which Abramovich was the beneficiary, an ownership structure chart shows.

There is no evidence as to what role, if any, Kravin may have played in the takeover and it is not possible to show a direct relationship between the Yukos instalment and the funds used to buy Chelsea.

But Kravin’s immediate parent company was Kelvedon Worldwide, which went on to pump more than £1bn of interest-free loans into Chelsea.

Files detailing Kravin’s accounts refer to “money actually paid” by Kravin to Kelvedon, describing an amount of $1.288bn. Lawyers for Abramovich declined to comment on the relationship between these companies. Chelsea said these matters were for the club’s former owners to address.

Gazprom cash

The abortive Yukos deal swelled Abramovich’s fortune.

But the landmark deal came in 2005, when the Russian state oil and gas company, Gazprom, bought his remaining 73% stake in Sibneft for $13bn.

Information reviewed by the Guardian suggests Abramovich used the proceeds to bankroll Chelsea to new heights, via an international network of offshore companies.

One key document, from 2012, is a “declaration of beneficial ownership”, drawn up by document certification company based on the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Aruba.

It provides more detail about Kelvedon, which had been renamed Lindeza Worldwide Ltd in 2011. Lindeza’s source of funds, it said, was the “sale of OAO Siberian Oil Company (Sibneft)”.

Massive resources

That lucrative deal owed much to Abramovich’s talent for thriving under successive Russian leaders.

It was Boris Yeltsin who presided over the post-Soviet carve-up of Russia’s natural resource assets. Abramovich and his allies lobbied Yeltsin and his inner circle furiously during the privatisation process, gaining control of Sibneft via a series of auctions.

Less than a decade later, when he sold the company back to the state, the deal took place in Putin’s new Russia, where oligarchs such as the Chelsea owner could prosper as long as they showed loyalty.

How Abramovich made $13bn from Sibneft stake

Roman Abramovich’s sale of a 73% stake in Sibneft to Russian state-owned gas business Gazprom was the landmark deal of his life, making the Chelsea FC owner $13bn in one fell swoop. Abramovich had developed “very good relations” with and “privileged access to” Vladimir Putin in the years leading up to the sale, according to a 2012 high court judgment. That same judgment accepted that Abramovich had never been part of Putin’s inner circle and that there was “no evidential basis supporting the contention that Abramovich was in a position to manipulate, or otherwise influence, President Putin”.

But the ruling, the culmination of a bitter courtroom battle, told the story of how Abramovich got hold of Sibneft in the first place. 

The judgment charted the history behind an acrimonious financial dispute between Abramovich and his former ally, Boris Berezovsky. Abramovich characterised his relationship with Berezovsky, in evidence to the court, as the provision of  krysha  (meaning “roof” in Russian), namely political influence and protection to support his business interests. As the case revealed, Abramovich paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Berezovsky for that  krysha.

Berezovsky claimed that the relationship was different, that the duo had acquired vast swathes of Russia’s natural resources as equal business partners, only for Abramovich to intimidate him into selling his share in their joint enterprise.

Berezovksy’s claim, for £3bn, was unsuccessful. The judge found for Abramovich, concluding that the allegation of intimidation was entirely false, that the relationship was founded on the provision of  krysha  and was not a 50:50 business partnership.

Evidence given during the case offers a glimpse into the history behind Abramovich’s fortune.

It was Putin’s predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, who began the process of creating Sibneft in August 1995, when Abramovich was a moderately successful but highly ambitious 29-year-old businessman.

As Russia abandoned its Communist past, Yeltsin privatised a collection of state-owned Siberian oilfields, refineries and distribution networks – inviting bids from private buyers.

During the court case, Abramovich gave evidence that securing Kremlin support for the creation of Sibneft had involved handing $10m to Berezovsky so that he could pay one of Yeltsin’s trusted advisers. The judge said this explanation was “wholly consistent with the payment being of a  krysha  nature”.

In the end, the plan to build a new Russian oil giant worked. After a complex series of auctions between 1995 and 1997, which involved a rival bidder being persuaded to withdraw on one occasion, Abramovich took control of 88% of Sibneft for about $240m. He may have contributed as little as $18.8m of his own capital, the judgment records, with the remainder coming from bank loans.

Within a decade, Abramovich’s initial investment had been returned more than a thousandfold, courtesy of that $13bn deal with the Kremlin-controlled Gazprom, which made him one of the world’s richest men. 

Now Abramovich had practically limitless resources at his disposal.

The loans from Kelvedon began to increase rapidly, reaching £578m by 2007 and more than £1bn by 2014.

As the cash poured in, English footballing authorities, UK regulators and politicians showed little interest in where it had come from.

A report by the parliamentary culture, media and sport select committee in 2011 pondered chiefly whether such lavish spending might distort the transfer market.

The Premier League introduced an “owners and directors” test for prospective owners only after the Chelsea takeover, in 2004.

In the absence of any significant scrutiny of its funding, Chelsea threw its proprietor’s cash around freely.

The club broke the English transfer record in July 2006 with a £31m deal for Andriy Shevchenko, then again in 2011, tempting Fernando Torres from Liverpool.

Chelsea became the first London club to win the Champions League, in the 2011/12 season. During the 2017/18 season, Chelsea spent more than a €250m on players.

“Abramovich turned football from a millionaire’s plaything into a billionaire’s plaything,” Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert and the author of The Price of Football, said.

“The acceleration in wages, transfers and management compensation set new benchmarks against which other clubs had to commit themselves.”

As the spending racked up, KPMG wrote repeatedly to A Corp Trustee Ltd, a Cyprus-based company that managed trusts that administered Abramovich’s wealth.

On at least six occasions, documents show, KPMG sought assurances that funds would be available to keep the loss-making club afloat.

Each time, a trustee promised that funds would keep coming, first from Lindeza and, after 2015, from a fellow BVI company, Camberley International Investments.

One such letter, sent in September 2014, informed KPMG that Lindeza had “increased the [loan] facility to £1,150,000,000”. The lending would top £1.4bn by the end of Abramovich’s reign. KPMG declined to comment.

Meanwhile, UEFA, the European footballing authority, had become increasingly concerned about benefactor-backed clubs’ unsustainable spending, described by the then Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger as “financial doping”.

The outcome of a Uefa review was financial fair play (FFP), a system of regulations introduced in 2011 that, in theory, would rein in spending.

“Without Abramovich and [Manchester City owner] Sheikh Mansour we wouldn’t have financial fair play,” Maguire said. “They changed the industry.”

A source close to Chelsea said it had acted professionally and in good faith at all times and that “where appropriate, transactions and interactions between Chelsea and any club involved external professional advisers to ensure full compliance with all laws, rules and regulations”.

By the time FFP arrived, Chelsea’s “Roman empire” was already self-sustaining.

When UK sanctions forced him to sell the club in 2022, Abramovich wrote off his loans .

His lawyers said: “The sale of Chelsea FC was conducted under licence from the UK government and our client stated that the full proceeds of the sale will be donated to a charitable foundation when he announced the sale of the club, prior to the imposition of sanctions.”

Abramovich had built a giant in his image, a globe-straddling colossus that drew on ruthless opportunism to leapfrog rivals, funded by a fortune amassed amid the chaos of post-Soviet Russia.

Yet until Putin’s war on Ukraine made Abramovich into persona non grata, the football authorities and governments around the world asked no questions.

By then, football had changed for ever.

Additional reporting Harry Davies

• Roman Abramovich
• Oligarch files

More on this story

‘Our credibility must be safeguarded’: Cyprus in turmoil after Russia sanctions

Roman Abramovich business associate loses appeal against UK sanctions

The Cyprus connection: the family firm that helped pour Abramovich’s millions into Chelsea

Revealed: how Cypriot firm helped the ‘Orthodox oligarch’ after he was placed under sanctions

Abramovich hit by multibillion-pound crackdown on assets in Jersey and France

Abramovich-linked yacht in Netherlands changed hands on day of Ukraine invasion

UK imposes sanctions on ‘enablers’ accused of helping Russian oligarchs

From Marylebone to Caribbean: wealth of Abramovich’s business partners revealed

Roman Abramovich secretly bankrolled Dutch football club, leaked documents suggest

London-based port operator accused over Abramovich $600m superyacht

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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s £1bn super-yacht Eclipse includes missile defence system and needs £40m a year upkeep

• Mark Fleming
• Published : 12:30, 26 Jan 2020
• Updated : 13:26, 26 Jan 2021
• Published : Invalid Date,

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH will be in need of a holiday after counting the cost of the coronavirus lockdown.

But at least he'll be able to do it in style on his £1billion super yacht, Eclipse.

It cost just shy of £300million when he ordered it in 2010 – and at the time it was the biggest private yacht in the world.

But by the time the Russian billionaire finally got the keys, the luxury extras and security measures had trebled costs to close to £1billion.

It is probably the most extravagant boy’s toy ever imagined.

Built by renowned German shipbuilder Blohm & Voss in the Hamburg shipyards that built the Bismarck, Eclipse was launched after five years of design, development and testing.

For starters it is 533ft long – more than twice the size of the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

The fuel tanks are said to be able to hold a million litres, meaning it can travel 6,000 miles before it needs topping up.

Eclipse boasts nine decks, the top one containing two helipads and a garage.

The forward helideck opens out to allow for a Eurocopter EC155 to be stored in a hangar underneath. The eighth deck features a swimming pool and a sundeck, with a pull-out barbecue and pizza oven and a built-in wood burning fire pit.

The main saloon boasts a fireplace and a massive driftwood sculpture from Bali in Indonesia.

There is another pool on the seventh deck with an adjustable depth feature that sees the floor rise and fall, so that it can be converted into a dance floor.

There is also a huge gym and spa area with a beauty salon, sauna and massage room.

The lower decks contains the suites and cabins that can house 32 guests and 100 crew.

Each cabin in the yacht reportedly comes with a private 6ft home cinema screen, a Jacuzzi, spa and specialised security systems.

Designer Terry Disdale remembers the day his amazing creation was launched.

“Although you design every part of it and you see it being built, nothing prepares you for the feeling you get when you actually see it in the flesh,” he told Boat International.

“The tug pulled it out and there was the thickness of a mattress between the wing stations and the shed walls.

“Literally they tied mattresses to the stations. When it appeared I was gobsmacked.”

The walls are covered in black wood, with silver rubbed into the open grain.

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Abramovich’s baby comes with a host of security gadgets that would make a James Bond villain green with envy.

The glass is armour-plated to repel bullets and the vessel is protected by an anti-ballistic missile defence system installed by German experts AST.

And should that not be enough, Eclipse is also equipped with a three person submarine that can descend to a depth of 160ft, should the oligarch need to make a hasty get-away.

The superyacht, which is currently docked in Hamburg, is however very expensive to maintain.

Running costs are estimated to be around £40million a year.

But he is still spoilt for choice for somewhere to call home.

The Chelsea chief has owns three houses in France, including a £30million chateau, four residences in Russia, three in the USA including two in Aspen, Colorado, a hotel in an exclusive area of Tel Aviv, and a luxurious retreat on the Caribbean island of St Barts worth £56million.

• Roman Abramovich