Both of Roman Abramovich’s superyachts have been moved to Turkish shores as the Russian billionaire contends with sanctions and the prospect of asset seizures from the European Union and UK.
The Eclipse, a 533-foot superyacht owned by the 55-year-old billionaire, was located in waters off of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey as of Tuesday, according to vessel data compiled by Bloomberg. The 458-foot Solaris, which departed Barcelona on March 8, was nearby in waters outside the tourism resort of Bodrum.
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Abramovich has been hit with sanctions by both the EU and UK in the past two weeks as governments target Russia’s wealthy elite in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
His two yachts, which collectively cost well in excess of $1 billion, left port earlier this month before he faced penalties from any Western government.
Turkey hasn’t joined the EU and US in imposing sanctions, cutting off travel from Russia or seizing Russian billionaires’ assets. That makes it one of the nearest international destinations for Russian jets and yachts seeking to avoid impounding or seizure.
Abramovich’s private jet has also made at least two stops in Turkey since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, flight-tracking data shows.
Abramovich is in the process of selling Chelsea FC, the UK football club he’s owned for almost two decades. Bids were due on Friday for one of the world’s biggest sports assets and a bevy of buyers has already lined up to make offers.
Among the latest entrants: Centricus Asset Management Ltd., which partnered with Cheyne Capital’s Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital’s Bob Finch. The offer values Chelsea at more than 3 billion pounds ($3.9 billion), including commitments for further investment, a person familiar with the matter said.
Abramovich is the largest shareholder of Evraz, Russia’s second-biggest steelmaker, and also owns a stake in metal producer Norilsk Nickel. He is Russia’s eighth-richest person with a net worth of about $13.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
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