Roman Abramovich is ‘asking all his friends in the US to let him borrow $1m’
Sanctioned Oligarch Roman Abramovich has been asking for millions in loans to ensure he can pay staff on his payroll.
The Chelsea owner has been asking friends in Hollywood and Wall Street to give him cash, in order to ensure his existing projects, including the building of his new Tel Aviv mansion, can continue.
This comes after the tycoon, who is worth a cool $8.2bn, was sanctioned by the UK government last month, due to his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin. His assets, including Chelsea and his yachts, were frozen.
The New York Post says the sanctions left him short of money and “Roman is asking all his powerful friends to let him borrow $1 million.”
It quoted an unnamed source which said he “never missed a payroll” for his staff, which sits at three quarters of a million dollars a week.
The Russian businessman had his visa revoked by the UK in 2018, and gained Israeli citizenship through his Jewish heritage. Israel has not placed any sanctions on Russian-linked firms and businesses yet.