How Roman Abramovich is treated like Putin’s ‘favourite son’ and thrusts lavish gifts on the Russian leader
The Chelsea owner's business dealing are under scrutiny once again after his UK visa was delayed
ROMAN Abramovich became one of Russia’s richest men with the help of Vladimir Putin while being described as the leader’s “favourite son”.
The Chelsea owner, 51, and his business dealings are under the spotlight once again after his UK visa was delayed amid a government probe into Russian oligarchs living in Britain.
The rumours surrounding the diesel tankers have never been substantiated.
By the early 1990s, Abramovich reportedly set up and liquidated at least 20 companies in industries as diverse as tyre retreading and bodyguard recruitment.
But it was during a Caribbean holiday in 1993 where he would meet Kremlin insider Boris Berezovsky and forge one of the most significant relationships of his career.
Abramovich admitted in court that he paid Berezovsky a total of $2.5bn for political access inside President Boris Yeltsin's 1990s government.
In the mid-90s, the pair were able to buy Siberian oil giant Sibneft for less than $200 million despite the firm being valued at $15billion (£11billion) in 2003
Through Berezovsky, Abramovich was able to forge an alliance with Yeltsin ally Vladimir Putin.
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