Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich (Russian: Роман Аркадьевич Абрамович; Hebrew: רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a self-made Russian-Israeli billionaire businessman and former regional governor, who amassed his fortune through trading and ownership of natural resources companies, most notably acquiring the state oil firm Sibneft in 1995 during Russia's privatization auctions and selling a controlling stake to Gazprom for $13 billion in 2005. Orphaned young and raised by relatives in the Soviet Union, Abramovich entered business in the late 1980s with small-scale trading before capitalizing on the chaotic economic transitions of the 1990s to build a diversified portfolio in steel, investments, and energy.

In politics, he served as a member of Russia's State Duma and then as Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug from 2000 to 2008, personally funding infrastructure and social projects in the impoverished far-eastern region to an estimated $1 billion, which contributed to measurable improvements in local living standards despite its isolation and harsh conditions. Abramovich gained international prominence in 2003 by purchasing Chelsea Football Club for £140 million, investing over £1 billion in transfers and facilities that led to multiple Premier League titles, UEFA Champions League victories, and a transformation of the club's global stature before selling it in 2022 amid UK sanctions.

Roman Abramovich was born on 24 October 1966 in Saratov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, to parents of Jewish ethnicity, with his paternal grandparents originating from Belarus and maternal ones from Ukraine. His mother, Irina Vasilievna Mikhaylenko, a music teacher, died from complications related to blood poisoning or an abortion in 1967 when he was one year old.