Roman Abramovich

Bloomberg reports that a court on the offshore island of Jersey in the English Channel has frozen a total of $7.3 billion in assets that could be related to Roman Abramovich. That’s more than half of the billionaire’s current fortune – now estimated at $13.9 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Last month, the European Union and Britain sanctioned Abramovich for the situation in Ukraine. Western states are now actively freezing the assets of Russian businessmen believed to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was noted that the police also searched offices that were allegedly “associated” with Abramovic. Jersey’s Justice Department, which has a reputation as a tax haven, said it could not comment on the information at this time.

Part of the Channel Islands, Jersey is a self-governing British Crown Territory 22 miles from France. The island has long been a real magnet for wealthy people looking to reduce their tax payments. 40% of Jersey’s economy is in the international financial and legal services sector.

Earlier, due to the sanctions, Abramovich had already lost some of his assets, including the Chelsea football club, which he owned since 2003. Recently, rumors appeared in the press that the oligarch was forced to borrow money from acquaintances. Abramovich’s representatives later denied this information.

The billionaire, who has been seriously affected by the sanctions of Western governments, is actively involved in the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Thus, at the end of March, Abramovich was present at the talks in Istanbul.