Abramovich’s yacht fleet expands: “2 new yachts discovered by UK police”
The yacht fleet of the Jewish oligarch who recently clashed with Putin is now already worth more than $ 1 billion in light of discoveries by a pair of new ships registered in Antigua
The Russian oligarch’s super-yacht fleet, Roman Abramovich, was unveiled on Friday as more extensive than previously known following the discovery of two more luxury ships in Antigua – both now facing seizure.
British authorities have determined that Abramovich is the owner of the Halo and Garçon yachts, which were the subject of constant scrutiny while moored in Antigua, when Western countries attacked the wealth of wealthy Russians since the invasion of Ukraine.
Halo is valued at about $ 38 million, while Garçon is worth about $ 20 million, according to data from yacht rating company VesselsValue.
Abramovich’s ownership of the other two super-yachts was revealed following a comprehensive investigation by the Financial Times. A senior Antigua official said the island was looking for information on Wenham Overseas Limited, a company linked to Abramovich and based in the British Virgin Islands registered as the owner of Halo and Garçon – the company is on the UK sanctions list.
In a letter to the Antigua government, British officials said an investigation had established that “the owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.
Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s ambassador to the United States, said the country was ready to stop and seize the two vessels if it received a formal request from the British government.
“The only way we can (seize the vessel) is if the British in their request for mutual legal assistance determine that this is a person they see as having committed some crime,” Sanders told Reuters. Abramovich was already known as the owner of $ 600 million in Solaris and $ 700 million in Eclipse, each of which escaped to sea last month, when the two yachts recently docked in Turkey.
The Russian billionaire may also own a fifth yacht, the $ 11 million Susorro, which he first purchased in 1998.
While it has been reported that Abramovich gave the yacht to his ex-wife following their divorce, a source with knowledge of his fleet and other documents show that the oligarch is still tied to the vessel through another company. Abramovich and other oligarchs fought to protect their wealth during the operation.
Sanctions in the UK froze Abramovich’s assets and forced him to sell his ownership of Chelsea Football Club.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that Abramovich may have been poisoned alongside Ukrainian officials last month while taking part in peace talks aimed at ending the invasion – a sign that the oligarch’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has deteriorated.
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