Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has pleaded with his Hollywood and American friends to lend him $1 million each to keep him afloat as his assets are frozen by global authorities.
Page Six has learned exclusively that Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich – whose bank accounts are frozen in the US and UK – is desperate for loans from his high-powered friends to keep his payroll of $750,000 a week – which includes the minions keeping his multiple luxury super-yachts afloat.
But while Abramovich – who has hosted a string of star-studded celebrity soirees on his boats and at his sprawling St Barths estate – has many close friends in Hollywood, Wall Street and the tech world, we’re told that his associates are reluctant to lend him money, even though he is taking part in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
A source told Page Six, “Roman is asking some of his closest powerful friends to let him borrow $1 million.
“He says he has never missed pay for his staff, which is $750,000 a week, and with his assets frozen he cannot pay his staff.
“He reached out to Hollywood producer and director Brett Ratner and the Rothschild family, among many others, for money, but – while they are good friends with Roman – they didn’t. agreed to give him money, because either they don’t have that in cash, or moreover it is not clear what the repercussions are under international law”.
Ratner declined to comment and the Rothschilds could not be reached. Neither gave Abramovich any money.
The UK and EU have sanctioned Abramovich – who has a net worth of $14.3 billion, according to Bloomberg — early March after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Abramovich then had his assets frozen by US hedge funds. The penalties too prevented Abramovich from taking advantage of the $3 billion sale of Chelsea Football Club.
Meanwhile, Abramovich is still doing what he can to keep his assets afloat, including himself in peace talks to end Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He was invited to the peace talks by Ukraine which believes it has a direct line to Putin, which he denies.
Abramovich, 55, is said to have made his fortune in the rush to privatization after the end of the Soviet Union and was the owner of Millhouse Capital, an investment firm with stakes in nickel mines and steelmakers.
In 2018, Abramovich transferred $92.3 million worth of Upper East Side properties to his ex-wife Dasha Zhukova, according to city property records.
He recently survived an attempted poisoning during the peace talks, which reportedly hurt his eyes and peeled his skin. Two Ukrainian peace negotiators were also reportedly hit and the alleged poisoning was planned by Russian hardliners who wanted to sabotage the talks.
The irony is that Abravmovich owns at least four yachts, totaling nearly $1,400,000. Plus a sprawling $700 million estate in St Barths, right on the island’s most beautiful Gouvenour beach.
And its multiple luxury superyachts remain afloat. Just days ago, the government of Antigua confirmed that two yachts in its waters were linked to the tycoon.
He would have in Antigua the superyacht Halo and the support vessel Garcon, which are valued at around $40 million and $20 million respectively, according to the Financial Times.
Abramovich also owns the $700 million ship Eclipse – one of the largest yachts in the world, at 550 feet long and with 24 cabins, with a crew of 70, with bulletproof glass and a fender system anti-missile, which seems rather extreme, (unless you have a Russian president on board).
His $600 million yacht Solaris is slightly smaller but more modern in design. The two Solaris and Eclipse are docked in Turkey, where authorities are not applying sanctions against Russia, but they are said to be a safe haven for oligarchs and their money.
A representative for Abramovich could not be reached.
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