Inside Roman Abramovich’s new life 12 months on from forced Chelsea sale

Roman Abramovich was a fiercely private man even during his 19-year-old ownership of Chelsea – and that remains the case after the Russian oligarch sold the Blues last year.

However, some details about his whereabouts have emerged, with the billionaire spending time in Turkey, one of the few countries that has retained close ties with Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich has reportedly been renting a luxurious property on the Asian side of Istanbul. According to the head of the Istanbul Real Estate Brokers Club, he started paying £40,000 a month for the house owned by renowned stock market trader Ahmet Okumus late last year, reports the Mirror. Okumus is said to have paid £20m for the mansion more than a decade ago.

It has become widely known in the area that Abramovich has been renting the house, with one local media outlet even flying a drone over the property recently in a bid to secure close-up pictures.

READ MORE: English billionaire nearly bought Chelsea before Roman Abramovich arrived in 2003

Abramovich’s presence in Istanbul led to the suggestions he could buy one of the sprawling city’s football clubs, although a spokesman quashed those rumours, branding them “entirely false”.

Despite the sanctions that were meted out to the likes of Abramovich following the invasion of Ukraine, he is sure to still have properties in other parts of the world.

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However, Turkey has become something of a safe haven for Russian billionaires, with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin agreeing close economic ties.

As a result, there has been massive investment in Turkey, with the number of Russian property deals in the country trippling last year compared to 2021. Meanwhile, the number of businesses registered in the country by Russians grew by a staggering 800%.

In turn, the price Turkey pays Russia for natural gas has remained stable while individuals who spend vast sums in the country are automatically entitled to a Turkish passport.

Erdogan insists his stance allows him to act as a mediator between the West and Russia. However, as the war in Ukraine continues to rage, there is little evidence Turkey’s closeness to Putin will help end the conflict.

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