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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Michelle Cullen

Who is Chelsea owner and oligarch Roman Abramovich? From orphan to billionaire and alleged poisoning

Roman Abramovich has hit the headlines since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Chelsea Football Club owner came under scrutiny for his alleged connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which led to the UK government freezing his assets, including property, artworks and Chelsea FC.

Born in Saratov in south-western Russia in 1966, Mr Abramovich became an orphan at a young age after his mother, Irina, died of blood poisoning when he was just one, followed by his father, who died two years later after an accident with a construction crane.

READ MORE: Roman Abramovich ordered not to eat or touch surfaces at first meeting since 'poisoning'

Mr Abramovich then moved in with relatives in northwest Russia, where his family led a modest life.

He left school at 16 and worked as a mechanic, later serving in the Red Army before selling toys in Moscow. From there, he continued his retail work, moving on to perfumes and deodorants.

PORTO, PORTUGAL - MAY 29: Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea smiles following his team's victory during the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Estadio do Dragao on May 29, 2021 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) (UEFA via Getty Images)

Here, Mr Abramovich found his nose for business and began to build what would someday become a billion euro enterprise.

The collapse of the Soviet Union gave a young Mr Abramovich further opportunity.

In a rigged auction in 1995, he seized the oil company Sibneft from the Russian government for around $250m (€225m). He then sold it back to the government for $13bn (€11bn ) in 2005.

Mr Abramovich's lawyers have said there is no basis for alleging he obtained his substantial wealth through criminality. However, in 2012, he admitted in a UK court that he had made corrupt payments to help get the Sibneft deal going.

He amassed further wealth in the "aluminium wars" and became an ally of President Boris Yeltsin.

From here, he became further involved in politics and even stayed in an apartment in the Kremlin.

After the president resigned, Mr Abramovich is said to have backed the prime minister and former KGB spy, Vladimir Putin, for the role.

In 2000, Mr Abramovich was elected as governor of a relatively poor region of Russia, Chukotka. He gained popularity after he invested some of his own money to better the social services in the area.

The superyacht, Solaris, owned by Roman Abramovich (Getty Images)

In 2003, he made a name for himself in Eastern Europe after he decided to buy Chelsea for £140m.

The now partially seized assets of one of the wealthiest men in the world is reportedly worth more than £150m and is said to include a flat in Chelsea; a ranch in Colorado; a holiday home on the French Riviera, two yachts, a private jet and even more.

The billionaire is believed to have been contacted by Ukraine for support in achieving a peaceful resolution to the ongoing war. A Chelsea spokesperson said: "he has been trying to help ever since."

However, during peace talks, Mr Abramovich was allegedly attacked by Russian agents who wanted to disrupt the discussions, as reported by the Wall Street Journal .

Abramovich's symptoms of his alleged poisoning included "red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands."

Abramovich's symptoms are believed to have started after a meeting in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

It was claimed just before the symptoms developed, Mr Abramovich and three delegates had eaten some chocolate and drank water. However, one member of the four experienced no adverse effects.

READ MORE: Roman Abramovich pictured for first time since Chelsea owner was 'poisoned'

READ MORE: Ukrainian peace negotiators suffer suspected poisoning as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich also struck down

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