The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has sent not just the markets but even billionaires in a panic mode. Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss has claimed that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is looking to sell the football club Chelsea.
Calling Abramovich Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “one of closest advisers and friends”, Wyss revealed that he was one of the people who received his offer to buy the Premiere League club.
“Like all other oligarchs, he is also in a state of panic. Abramovich is trying to sell all his properties in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy the club from Abramovich,” he told a Swiss newspaper.
55-year-old Abramovich’s decision came after the parliament called for him to face sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
On being asked if he would be interested in taking charge of the club, Wyss said, “I have to wait four to five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much. You know, Chelsea owe him £2bn. But Chelsea has no money, which means that whoever buys the club has to compensate Abramovich. As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price.”
Wyss added if he buys Chelsea, it won’t be alone but with a consortium consisting of six to seven investors. Chelsea’s declined to comment on Wyss’s claims.
Abramovich has a net worth of about $13.9 billion, which is down by nearly $5 billion this year.
Russia’s rich losing wealth
Meanwhile, Russia’s other billionaires are also starting to feel the heat of the Ukraine invasion. Since the country launched a full-blown invasion of its neighbour country, Russia’s ultra-rich who rank among the world’s 500 wealthiest people have lost a combined $83 billion this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Gennady Timchenko, one of the first oligarchs to be sanctioned by the UK, witnessed his wealth getting almost half this year, with his fortune falling $10.6 billion.
Novatek shareholder Leonid Mikhelson also saw $10.2 billion erased from his wealth in 2022.
