Yesterday, the owner of the Chelsea Football Club was negotiating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Today, reports have emerged suggesting that the billionaire has been trying to off-load his assets in London, including the ownership of Chelsea.
According to Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, Abramovich has begun talks with him and three others to sell the club, with the price set at £2 billon.
While speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick, the 87-year old billionaire said, “Abramovich is one of Putin’s closest advisers and friends. 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 Chelsea from Abramovich.’
When asked if he will take up the offer, Wyss replied by saying: ‘I have to wait four or five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much.
‘You know Chelsea owe him £2billion? But Chelsea has no money, which means that whoever buys Chelsea has to compensate Abramovich.
‘As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price.
‘I can well imagine starting at Chelsea with partners, but I have to examine the general conditions first. But what I can say for sure is that I’m definitely not doing something like this alone. If I buy Chelsea, then it would be with a consortium consisting of six or seven investors.’
The potential new owner of Chelsea, Hansjorg Wyss, is the founder and former president of Synthes USA, a medical equipment manufacturer. According to Forbes, Wyss currently has a net worth of $5.1 billion, placing him #451 on Forbe’s list of billionaires.
Currently, Wyss holds stakes in biotech companies such as NovoCure and Molecular Partners. He’s also known for his charitable contributions, with assets of over $2 billion.
Meanwhile, the 55-year-old Abramovich has come under increasing scrutiny due to his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin. To ease the pressure, the Russian, recently handed over the stewardship of the Chelsea football to a charitable organization.
According to UK Labour MP Chris Bryant, Abramovich is said to be “terrified” of having his assets, which includes multiple properties along with Chelsea and Stamford Bridge, being seized.
While Bryant has revealed that the UK Home Office has identified Abramovich as a person of interest due to his links with the Russian government over ‘corrupt activity,’ the billionaire has time and again denied any such allegations.
