Roman Abramovich Biography: Age, Child, Wife, Net Worth, Wikipedia, Songs, Album, Girlfriend, Pictures, Family
Even if you were unaware of Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich’s middle name, his name is one that is invariably brought up when discussing Russian football. The 51-year-old entrepreneur has revolutionized Chelsea since purchasing the English team in 2003, when it was on the verge of bankruptcy. He has presided over an incredible period of success that has included a Champions League trophy and five Premier League victories.
The mogul is also known as one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet, with a portfolio of holdings valued at over £5.8 billion.
Even so, he usually avoids the spotlight despite his recognition and success, which has led some people to wonder how he got to where he is now. He may be well-known, but few people are familiar with his life story.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about the early years of one of football’s greatest mysteries, go no further.
Life in the Soviet Union
Abramovich’s early years were spent in an area far different from the opulence of his current Knightsbridge house in London. The young Russian was reared by his grandparents in Komi, a dismal region of Siberia where grey clouds and harsh elements rule supreme, after losing both of his parents, Irina and Arkady, before he was four.
He dropped out of two institutions during his formative years, and according to accounts, his academic performance was below mediocre. In 2012, he admitted, “I never insisted that I was an excellent student.” Regardless, he demonstrated symptoms of being an entrepreneurial prodigy in the making at an early age and was undoubtedly innovative. This was especially evident during his time in the service, where he gained money by selling stolen gasoline to army officers.
His first ventures
Even though it was challenging to accumulate wealth in the Soviet Union, Abramovich began his career by making a sizable profit by selling rubber ducks from his Moscow flat. The Russian’s business was a success, but he was still looking for more.
So, after getting married to his first wife Olga, Abramovich invested the 2000 roubles his in-laws’ had given them as a wedding gift in a very “unique” way, specifically by expanding his stock to include outlawed goods like deodorant and perfume. Illegal? Yes. Profitable? Absolutely.
After having great success with illegal goods, he was subsequently able to branch out into other ventures like bodyguard hiring and the production of plastic toys and car parts.
Making a name for himself
But Abramovich started to shape himself into the tycoon he is now at the height of the perestroika reforms.
Abramovich was eventually able to make his firms lawful, which led to enormous profits. This was made possible by Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev releasing the Union from the restrictions placed on privatization. In fact, he continued to flout the law, and in the early 1990s he was apprehended for stealing government property after he used fake documents to steal a train carrying 55 diesel tanks. Nevertheless, the allegations were swiftly withdrawn, and just three years later, after he was appointed Boris Berezovsky’s right-hand man, his circumstances altered.
In addition to running the state-owned automaker Lada at the time, Berezovsky was also a significant part of President Boris Yeltsin’s inner circle. As a result, Abramovich was given access to one of the most powerful people in his country, which was necessary to succeed in post-Soviet Russia. Abramovich moved into an apartment inside the Kremlin a year after they first met.
He swiftly rose to prominence in high society as a result, and it was during the ruthless division of the Soviet Union’s economic assets that he amassed his first billions, most notably through the purchase of the significant oil giant Sibneft. Despite Sibneft’s market value being $600 million, Berezovsky and Abramovich were able to acquire the company for just $100 million thanks to Russia’s contentious loans-for-shares program and the privatization of Sibneft by president Yeltsin.
The foundation for the enormous wealth that Abramovich possesses now was laid by this, and when he initially sold his Sibneft holdings 14 years ago, he reaped an estimated £1.8 billion.
Abramovich, today
The sandy-haired billionaire has pursued a variety of interests since he started to amass his wealth in the early 1990s, including politics (he was elected governor of the remote Chukotka region in 2000 after receiving 92 percent of the vote), philanthropy (he has donated $180 million to Chukotka’s schools, new homes, and infrastructure), real estate (the Russian has spent $96 million on four properties in New York), and, most notably, football.
As a result, even though many people may have unsettling impressions of him, there is no denying that his journey from a culture where making money was frowned upon to becoming one of the richest and most successful people in the world is a singular one.
And it’s reasonable to say that Abramovich hasn’t done badly for someone whose parents didn’t leave him with a single rouble, as seen by his ownership of a Premier League club, inclusion on the Sunday Times rich list, and net worth of almost £5.8 billion.