Roman Abramovich Transferred Millions in NYC Assets to His Kids Prior to Sanctions
By: Serach Nissim
Billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich transferred millions in assets to his children days before the U.S. sanctions against him were set.
As reported by the NY Post, court documents revealed that the United States government was largely unsuccessful in seizing most of Abramovich’s assets, including his pricey planes and jets, as he had foreseen the events which would unfold and had protected his interests by transferring them to the names of some or all of his seven children. Abramovich has an estimated net worth of $8.9 billion in 2022, as per Forbes. The 55-year-old was famously known as the owner of Chelsea, a premier football club in London. He owned the club since 2003, but it has recently found a new owner, after he was disqualified by the league, after his assets were frozen in the U.K. and abroad for “close ties to kremlin”, amid Russia’s war against Ukraine. The U.S. endeavored to seize his assets for being a longtime ally of Vladimir Putin.
Last week, an affidavit was filed in Southern District of New York federal court, by FBI Special Agent Alan Fowler, who wrote that Abramovich transferred The Europa Trust to his children before the sanctions hit.
This was a shell company which included Abramovich’s jets, multiple yachts, a helicopter, and other high priced assets. He had also used that shell to purchase two phenomenal aircraft — a bespoke Gulfstream G650ERa worth about $60 million, and a customized Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner valued at $350 million—which is one of the world’s most expensive private jets. Mr. Fowler wrote in the affidavits that this Trust was all transferred to Abramovich’s children in February 2022 — only days prior to Putin’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
The custom Dreamliner, which was seized last week, is said to be one of the most technologically advanced and fully loaded private jets on earth. It includes amenities like: a dining room large enough to host a banquet, movie-theater-style viewing experiences and private bedrooms with walk-in closet space. It also includes safeguard measures, including space for a whole security detail, which can be rivaled only by the likes of Air Force One.
Abramovich, who made his fortune in the years after the Soviet Union collapse in the 1900s by purchasing state-owned assets, including Russian energy, steel and nickel firms, at prices well-below market value. He had formerly served as Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug He holds citizenship in Russia, Israel and Portugal. He has four daughters and three sons between the ages of 8 and 30 — all of whom hold dual citizenship in Russia and either the US or United Kingdom. It was previously reported that Abramovich had also transferred assets, including New York City real estate, to his last ex-wife Dasha Zhukova, an art collector he was married to from 2008 to 2018, with whom he has two children. He has five children from another ex-wife, Irina Malandina, whom he was married to from 1991 to 2007. Irina’s former security guard told “The Sun” newspaper of the United Kingdom, that she is “living in fear” that her posh “UK days are over for good.”
