Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich cuts a lonely figure as he relaxes on his £312million luxury yacht, days after announcing he is set to divorce for the third time.
The Russian oligarch, 50, was pictured in Antibes, the popular Mediterranean resort between Cannes and Nice where he owns a villa, Château de la Croë, which he has spent £30million renovating since he bought it in 2001.
Abramovich, who is worth an estimated £7billion, has ‘amicably’ agreed to part ways with his magazine editor wife Dasha Zhukova, 36.
Sources close to the couple claim they have been living separate lives for several months, but both appear to be using the villa, as Dasha was pictured there in June.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is pictured on a boat on his way to spend time on his luxury yacht at Abtibes, where he owns a villa
Sources close to the couple claim they have been living separate lives for several months, but both appear to be using the villa, as Dasha was pictured there in June
The Eclipse, the second largest privately owned yacht in the world boasts two helicopter pads, cabins for 24 guests, two swimming pools and a dancefloor
Abramovich owns a lavish villa in Antibes, which he has reportedly spent £30million refurbishing since he bought the property in 2001
Darsha, Abramovich’s wife of 10 years, was pictured on the lawn of the Antibes villa, named Château de la Croë, in June this year
They will both continue to work together for their joint businesses and two children.
He has taken some time out on his 164metre yacht, The Eclipse – the second largest private yacht in the world.
It boasts two helicopter pads, cabins for 24 guests, two swimming pools and a disco hall, as well as missile detection system.
The Eclipse reportedly requires 70 staff members to operate it and serve guests. Celebrities including Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry are among those who have partied on the boat, which is reputed to cost £50 million each year.
He reportedly charges the rich and the famous £175,000 a day to rent the vessel.
The Eclipse reportedly requires 70 staff members to operate it and serve guests. Celebrities including Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry are among those who have partied on the boat, which is reputed to cost £50 million to operate and maintain each year
The Russian oligarch, 50, was pictured in Antibes, the popular Mediterranean resort between Cannes and Nice
His yacht, the second largest private yacht in the world, was pictured surrounded by those of Abramovich’s billionaire friends, including lavish vessels owned by entrepreneur Vladimir Potanin
The billionaire Chelsea FC owner has retreated to his luxury yacht, which reportedly costs around £50 million each year to operate and maintain
Football club owner Abramovich could be set for a costly divorce battle, experts have warned.
Ayesha Vardag, President of family law firm Vardags, said that everything Abramovich built during his 10-year marriage will be shared equally with Dasha.
She said: ‘Roman Abramovich is by far the most prominent of Britain’s Russian billionaires and like many of his fellow countrymen he will be well-aware that a divorce in the London courts could be far more costly than one in Moscow.
‘The English courts start from the position that marriage is a partnership – and the starting point will be that everything built up during the marriage will be shared equally.’
The Chelsea owner announced earlier this month that he and wife Dasha Zhukova are set to divorce after 10 years of marriage
No trophy wife: Born to a scientist and an oil trader, Abramovich’s popular socialite ex is ‘exceptionally wealthy in her own right’
Born in Moscow, to a scientist mother and oil trader father, Darya or ‘Dasha’ moved to US with her mother at the age of 10 when her parents split up.
No trophy wife, Dasha attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with honours with degrees in Slavic Studies and Literature.
Dasha met Roman in 2005 when he was married to his second wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina, reportedly at a New Year party organised by her oil magnate father.
She was dating former Russian tennis star Marat Safin at the time.
The power couple became officially linked in 2007 after Roman had divorced.
In happier times: The couple pictured together during a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, which Abramovich owns
In February 2009 Dasha, who previously owned her own fashion label Kova & T, was made editor of avant garde fashion magazine, POP.
However, she got everyone talking when she sensationally quit after just three issues.
Then in 2014 she caused uproar by posing for a photograph, in which the chair she sat in was formed from a black female mannequin, in online fashion publication Buro 24/7.
Both Dasha and the publication were accused of racism and she later released a statement saying: ‘This photograph, which has been published completely out of context, is of an art work intended specifically as a commentary on gender and racial politics.
‘I utterly abhor racism and would like to apologise to those offended by my participation in this shoot.’
A popular socialite, Dasha has regularly been seen out and about with some of society and fashion’s finest.
She now runs her own magazine Garage – as well as an arts centre in Russia – which is part-funded by her husband.
Sources close to the couple claim they have been living separate lives for months before announcing that they are divorcing
The Chelsea FC owner was pictured relaxing at the Mediterranean resort, where he has a villa and a luxury yacht
Fiercely private, the couple’s 2008 marriage — which produced Aaron, seven, and Leah, four — was kept secret for six years. Indeed, Dasha has since refused to talk about either her enigmatic husband or their life together.
In a joint statement, the couple said: ‘After ten years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close friends, parents and partners in the projects we developed together.’
The oligarch consulted his second wife, Irina, about the split.
A neighbour, who previously lived near Abramovich and his ex in their Fyning Hill estate near Rogate, in West Sussex, revealed the tycoon had been working out details of his latest separation for ‘some time’.
The man, who declined to be named, but remains on good terms with Irina — who got the estate as part of her 2007 settlement, said to be worth around £150 million — told the Mail: ‘I’m assured that Abramovich and his wife split after Christmas, and have essentially been living separate lives for most of this year.
‘Apparently, it has been a bit of a nightmare because they had to tell their two children and he had to also find an appropriate occasion to tell the five children he has with Irina.’