Roman Abramovich’s ex-wife is said to “live in fear” that her £500m fortune could be frozen if she falls under sanctions.
Irina Abramovich, a 54-year-old former Aeroflot flight attendant, has reportedly gone into hiding in one of her palatial UK homes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Irina, the mother of five older children of the oligarch under fire, has not been sanctioned by the UK or the EU, unlike her ex-husband.
But one of her former bodyguards says she fears her lavish lifestyle could be threatened by her wealth stemming from her divorce from a Russian-born billionaire.
The exact size of her fortune is unknown, but it is known that she owns a rich portfolio of real estate, including houses in London, West Sussex, Moscow and Saint Tropez.
Roman Abramovich’s ex-wife is said to “live in fear” that her £500m fortune could be frozen if she is sanctioned.
Irina Abramovich, a 54-year-old former Aeroflot flight attendant, has reportedly gone into hiding in one of her palatial UK homes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Irina, the mother of five older children of the oligarch under fire, has not been sanctioned by the UK or the EU, unlike her ex-husband.
Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was spotted in a VIP lounge on Monday before leaving Tel Aviv for Istanbul. Flight tracking data shows that his Gulfstream flew from Istanbul to Moscow on Tuesday, where it is believed to remain.
Abramovich’s lavish lifestyle is being curtailed by EU and UK sanctions, and now the US has taken action to ban his Gulfstream jet from international flights.
Rumors initially circulated that Irina was to receive a payout of over £2 billion after she and Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich separated in 2007 after a 16-year marriage.
But the couple chose to divorce in Russia, where settlements are kept secret and often much smaller than those awarded by British courts.
The respected Russian business newspaper Vedomosti later reported that she received £155m, including former marital homes, a yacht and plane, and separate child allowances.
According to some estimates, thanks to a wise investment, her fortune could have grown to 500 million pounds.
The homes she has received include Fyning Hall, located on a 450-acre estate near Petersfield, West Sussex, and two neighboring Georgian mansions in Chester Square, London’s Belgravia.
MailOnline can report that the Land Registry records that Irina is still the owner of all three properties, as ownership was transferred to her after her divorce in 2007.
One of the five-story houses in Chester Square was originally bought in 2006 for £10.37m, making it over £20.8m today after house price inflation.
The house next door was said to have been purchased for £9.3 million in 2005, valued at over £19.5 million at today’s prices.
The Fining Hall estate, which Abramovich bought from Australian media mogul Kerry Packer in 1999 for £12m, is now valued at at least £18m.
Abramovich made his fortune buying up depreciated state assets after the fall of the Soviet Union and was one of the oligarchs who made up Russia’s wealthy elite. The West imposed sanctions against them in an attempt to put pressure on Vladimir Putin
The main house is said to have eight bedrooms and five luxuriously furnished living rooms, as well as five additional houses and nine staff cottages on the estate.
The villager told MailOnline that the estate also has extensive equestrian facilities, used by Abramovich’s 27-year-old horse-loving daughter Sofia, as well as polo fields and a swimming pool.
A disgruntled next door neighbor described it as “a home of unimaginable levels of comfort and luxury” with “menacing security personnel who roam the neighborhood in a fleet of black SUVs.”
He added: “Personally, I would like the police to come there today to remove all of them, and then they could turn the whole thing into a shelter for displaced Ukrainians.”
Roman Abramovich’s property empire will be included in the Chelsea deal, but the Blues are determined to lose Antonio Rudiger for free… as Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is keeping a close eye on the sale.
The new Chelsea owners will also acquire a significant property portfolio around Stamford Bridge, worth tens of millions of pounds, as a legacy of Roman Abramovich’s attempts to redevelop the pitch.
The Russian bought numerous properties, including two hotels, an apartment and a mansion on Fulham Road, when Chelsea sought permission to redevelop the ground five years ago – and all these assets are believed to be included in the sale of the club. .
The building permit expired in 2020, but ownership of the land around Stamford Bridge will be critical for future owners as they seek to revive the redevelopment project.
A Paradise Papers leak showing interlocking investments by some of the world’s richest people revealed in 2017 that Irina had undisclosed assets in a former Maltese registered company called Gabriel Malta Ltd.
The company was incorporated in 2014 and has since been liquidated.
Another data leak in 2021 revealed that Irina was one of 851 wealthy Russian women who applied for Maltese citizenship under the controversial program.
The scheme promised to grant successful applicants an EU passport in just 12 months after due diligence, transferring €650,000 and renting or buying property in Malta.
It is not known if her application for a Maltese passport was successful or what her current citizenship status is, although she has been living in the UK for many years.
The UK Companies House records relating to a company of which she was once a shareholder only describe her as a UK resident.
A former soldier who traveled the world for years defending Abramovich and his family told the Sun how Irina “lived in fear” of the prospect of being sanctioned in the future.
An unnamed source told the newspaper: “There is wealth and wealth, and then there is money inspired by Roman Abramovich. It ignited luxury going wild.”
Describing her shopping habits, he added, “She has always been the #1 shopper at Harrods.” She got tons of designer clothes. This is Imelda Marcos from London.
A personal security officer who worked for Team Fusion, which provided security for Abramovich and his family, added: “Usually, Irina leaves for the city every night.
“Now she doesn’t know where to turn. She fears her days in the UK are over forever.”
He continued: “Russian oligarchs are to blame in Ukraine. We need to stop seeing blood money pumped into London and fund their lavish lifestyle.”
It is said that after the collapse of the marriage, Irina found solace in the Orthodox Church, although she still leads an elite lifestyle.
In a rare interview with Russia’s Tatler in 2018, she spoke about her life away from Abramovich, saying: “I can’t accept that my lifestyle is too closed.
“Yes, he lacks the brilliance of the beau monde, but there is enough light in him.
Abramovich’s Gulfstream tops the list of 100 authorized aircraft released by the US Department of Commerce on Friday. Officials said this effectively means he cannot leave Russia.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft, bearing an LX-RAY tail mark, departed Istanbul, Turkey for Moscow and Russian safe airspace on Tuesday.
“And this light comes from the interactions within my family, meeting friends, traveling the world frequently, meeting people from different cultures.
“Perhaps you rarely see me at public events, but we can often see each other in church, at an exhibition, in a museum or theater.”
Irina emphasized: “My house is always open to my friends. I prefer house parties to restaurants.
“It is much more valuable for me when I can share the events of my life with people spiritually close to me, rejoice next to them, complain about something, ask for their prayers.
“Many of them are well-known public people who highly value friendship and sincere relationships. It’s mutual.
Abramovich married his first wife, 56-year-old Olga Yuryevna Lysova, in 1987, before he made his ghostly fortune in privatized former state energy assets after the collapse of the old Soviet Union.
But three years later, the couple broke up, and Irina became his second wife after he met her on an Aeroflot flight to Germany.
He and Irina had five children: Anna, 30, a philosophy graduate living in the United States, aspiring businessman Arkady, 28, equestrian Sofia, 27, who hung out with the Beckhams, and Arina, 21, and 19 Ilya. .
Abramovich also has two younger children with his third wife Dasha Zhukova, 40, but the couple announced their divorce in 2017.
He was said to be worth an estimated £9bn before the UK government sanctioned him for his “overt ties” to the Kremlin, and is now said to be dating 25-year-old Russian actress Alexandra Korendyuk.