RUSSIA:Just a few months after hotly denying the rumours, one of Russia's wealthiest and best-known oligarchs, Roman Abramovich, has been divorced from his wife, Irina, writes Conor Sweeneyin Moscow.
Worth about €14 billion, Abramovich has a wide variety of business interests, though he is best known internationally through his ownership of Chelsea Football Club in London and his expensive taste in yachts and houses.
The split was described as "amicable" by a spokesman for the couple, though the precise terms of the settlement are not yet known. "Mr and Mrs Abramovich have divorced in Russia on a consensual basis and have agreed terms in respect of arrangements for their children and a financial settlement," he said.
However since five months ago the rumours of a divorce were dismissed as "incorrect and hurtful", it is not clear if further details may yet emerge.
With his business, sporting and political roles spanning Russia and Britain, the divorce revelation was big news last night on Russian TV, radio stations and websites.
Most followed up British reports about the alleged relationship between Abramovich and a young Russian model, Daria Zhukova, and speculated on how much money Ms Abramovich would make from the split.
The publication of photos of the businessman with younger women has encouraged a "keen interest" in his personal life, noted Echo Moskvy, the talk radio station in Moscow last night.
"Indeed, especially in recent times, Abramovich has not been shy to appear with his girlfriend at receptions and football matches," it reported.
Another Russian gossip columnist claimed the writing was on the wall since the new year, when he celebrated with his new girlfriend on one yacht, while his wife and five children were on a second yacht.
As they were divorced in Russia, all assets accrued since they were married 16 years ago would normally be split in two.
However, since Abramovich's spokesman insisted it would not affect the financial structures of their current shared wealth, it is presumed Ms Abramovich will not receive an equal half.
In a similar recent split, the first wife of steel magnate Alex Mordashov received about €500 million, although his overall wealth is estimated at about €10 billion.
Abramovich grew up in near poverty after being orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives. Married since 1991, the couple have five children and met just as he was beginning to establish himself in the first chaotic days of capitalism in Russia. Irina was an air hostess on Aeroflot and met Abramovich on a flight to Frankfurt.
Although there were multiple sources for his affluence, the sale of oil firm Sibneft two years ago is believed to have netted Abramovich about €11 billion, before paying off loans and other costs linked to the sale to state-owned energy firms. Abramovich also sold off his aluminium interests, but continues to control the rapidly globalising steel firm, Evraz.
Contrary to other oligarchs like Mikhail Khodorkovsky or Boris Berezovsky, the Chelsea owner has not fallen out with the Kremlin.
Instead, he was appointed as governor of the remote Chukotka region.
He has invested more than €200 million of his own funds in this desolate Siberian region of the far north, where just 55,000 people live in an area larger than France.
President Vladimir Putin has refused to let Abramovich quit, despite at least two requests to be allowed resign, indicating that his ongoing benevolence towards the region is expected to continue. Chukotka is also reputedly the least corrupt and most efficiently administered area of the country and the local people want him to stay on.
Abramovich's spending has been ostentatious, including a London mansion worth €41 million, a vast country estate in the south of England, a 767 business jet and huge yachts. Yet people who have met Abramovich in private noted how unassumingly he behaves, without the arrogance of many other "new rich" Russians.