yacht roman abramowitsch

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed

• Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed on x (opens in a new window)
• Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed on facebook (opens in a new window)
• Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed on linkedin (opens in a new window)
• Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed on whatsapp (opens in a new window)

Robert Smith , Cynthia O’Murchu and Arash Massoudi in London and Max Seddon in Riga

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owns or is linked to a collection of five yachts estimated to be worth almost $1bn, including several vessels whose ownership remained secret until this week.

A Financial Times investigation into the billionaire’s assets has lifted the veil of secrecy he maintains over his wealth, even after the UK and EU imposed sanctions on him following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for his allegedly close relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

Authorities in the UK and EU are attempting to identify all of the assets owned by sanctioned oligarchs. Abramovich was already widely reported to be the owner of Solaris and Eclipse — worth $474mn and $437mn, respectively, according to yacht data service VesselsValue. But the FT revealed this week that he also owns Halo and Garçon, which are both moored in Antigua.

The Antiguan government was unaware of the ownership of the boats docked on the island before inquiries from the FT, highlighting the scale of the challenge UK and EU authorities face in enforcing sanctions.

Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank said governments, banks and other institutions trying to enforce sanctions had to navigate a world where “ownership trails run cold and morph into a haze of front companies, nominees and cut-outs”.

Halo and Garçon are valued at $38mn and $20mn, respectively, and are now at risk of being seized.

In a letter to the British high commissioner to Barbados regarding the yachts, Antiguan minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene said the island would “provide full assistance to the government of the United Kingdom” if it receives a request under the two nations’ Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The letter noted that Antigua had requested information on the company that owns the two boats — British Virgin Islands-registered Wenham Overseas Limited — after “persistent allegations by the Financial Times that the vessels could be owned by Mr Roman Abramovich”.

In response, the British high commission provided Antiguan authorities with a letter, seen by the FT, “from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.

The letter also shows the billionaire’s address in Switzerland is listed simply as “Immeuble, Gatzby Le Magnifique”, which translates as “The Great Gatsby Building”.

Keatinge described the UK’s ability to demand full ownership information of companies registered in any of its overseas territories or crown dependencies as its “most powerful global weapon” in combating financial secrecy.

However, he asked: “How much is that weapon being used?”

A person with knowledge of Abramovich’s boat collection and documents seen by the FT indicate that the oligarch may also still be the owner of Sussurro, the first yacht he bought in 1998, despite reports he had given it to an ex-wife in a divorce.

The person who correctly identified the two yachts in Antigua as belonging to Abramovich told the FT the oligarch still owned Sussurro.

The vessel’s owner is listed in maritime registers as Vesuvius International Limited in the British Virgin Islands. BVI documents show this company was deregistered there in 2017. Another Vesuvius International was registered in Jersey the same year.

The owner of Jersey-based Vesuvius International is listed as Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited. This entity — which shifted from the BVI to Jersey in 2017 — is also the owner through a subsidiary of a helicopter that has been photographed landing on Abramovich’s Solaris several times.

Maritime tracking services show Sussurro, which means “whisper” in Italian and is valued at $11mn, is moored in La Ciotat in the south of France — the same port where the French government last month seized a $116mn superyacht belonging to a company tied to Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil group Rosneft.

Sussurro’s management company is Blue Ocean Management, a Cyprus-based company that also manages Le Grand Bleu, a 113-metre superyacht that Abramovich reportedly gave to his business associate Eugene Shvidler.

The UK placed Shvidler under sanctions last week.

The letter from the BVI’s financial investigation agency to its British counterparts also reveals that the owner of Le Grand Blue — Ashchurch Holdings Limited — is owned by “Zarui Shvidler”. Shvidler’s wife is commonly known as Zara Shvidler.

VesselsValue pegged Le Grand Bleu’s market value in a range of $110mn-$130mn, noting that the boat had last been tracked this week in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Representatives for Abramovich and Shvidler did not respond to requests for comment.

Promoted Content

Follow the topics in this article.

• War in Ukraine Add to myFT
• Russian business & finance Add to myFT
• Chelsea FC PLC Add to myFT
• British Virgin Islands Add to myFT
• Igor Sechin Add to myFT

International Edition

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Costa Palmas
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Scott Dunn Travel
• Wilson Audio
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich’s Two Superyachts Are Sailing Towards Each Other in the Mediterranean

Ship tracking platforms show that the billionaire’s yachts "eclipse" and "solaris" are relocating to the mediterranean, with no port destination specified., emma reynolds, emma reynolds's most recent stories.

• This Palatial Italian Renaissance-Style Estate in South Florida Can Be Yours for $60 Million
• This Serene Penthouse Is a Verdant Refuge in the Heart of One of India’s Top Tech Hubs
• Home of the Week: Inside a Funky, Technicolor Home on the Greek Island of Ios
• Share This Article

Russian oligarch and billionaire Roman Abramovich is on the move—and so are his superyachts.

After being slapped with sanctions in response to Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine, the billionaire was last seen on March 14 at an airport in Israel, where he has dual citizenship, according to Reuters .

Abramovich, who is currently worth an estimated $7.1 billion, according to Forbes , appears to be moving his yachts to safer waters. His 533-foot superyacht Eclipse , normally anchored year-round in the Caribbean, has been sailing east towards the Mediterranean since February 21, according to global ship tracking platform MarineTraffic. As of Wednesday, the ship is located off the coast of Algeria and is still sailing east with no port destination specified. The yacht, estimated to be worth over $600 million, is one of the largest and most expensive in the world , and seems to be cruising towards Abramovich’s other yacht, Solaris , in the Ionian Sea.

Related Stories

• This Ultra-Rare Porsche 911 Was the First of Its Kind in the U.S. and Now It’s up for Grabs

David and Victoria Beckham Spiced Up Their Family Easter on This 130-Foot Superyacht

• This Massive New Electric Motorcycle Has a Range of 450 Miles

Roman Abramovich’s “Solaris” superyacht.  Courtesy of Lloyd Werft

The 461-foot Solaris  is currently located in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and heading south. Solaris was most recently at a port in Barcelona, where it had reportedly been receiving repairs since late 2021 . The ship left without declaring a destination. However, it’s possible both Solaris and Eclipse are heading towards each other and are even eyeing ports in Israel where Abramovich is considered safe from sanctions.

Though a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich has denied having close ties to the Kremlin. This hasn’t stopped dozens of nations, including the US, UK and several EU countries, from implementing sanctions and asset freezes on the oligarch. The sanctions are part of a concerted multinational effort to pressure Russia’s wealthiest and most powerful individuals to help bring Russia’s war on Ukraine to an end.

Perhaps sensing the economic pressures to come, Abramovich made headlines just days after the Ukraine invasion for stating his intention to sell his beloved Chelsea Football Club in London for $2.5 billion. The billionaire said all proceeds would benefit Ukrainian refugees and “victims of the war,” which, notably, may also include Russian soldiers.

Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich appears to be seeking cover from international sanctions in Israel, where he has dual citizenship.  Associated Press

Russians own up to 10 percent of the world’s megayachts, so Abramovich is just one of many Russian billionaires who are moving their assets to avoid seizure by international authorities. This week, Italian police seized Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko’s 486-foot Sailing Yacht A, and earlier this month, France impounded the yacht Amore Vero , owned by Russian oil billionaire Igor Sechin. Other Russian billionaires have had their yachts impounded in other EU countries.

This isn’t the first time Russian oligarchs’ whereabouts have been made public. Florida teen Jack Sweeney, who once tracked Elon Musk’s jet, created a Twitter account —@RUOligarchJets—dedicated to tracking the private jets of Russian oligarchs, which is updated daily.

Read More On:

More marine.

Work From Sea? This New 197-Foot Superyacht Doubles as a Floating Executive Suite

This 112-Foot Superyacht Has an Interior That’ll Make Your Manhattan Condo Jealous

This New Superyacht Comes With a Motorized Rescue Buoy That Can Cruise to Anyone Overboard

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

Unica 40 in Photos

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Wayfinder,’ a 224-Foot Catamaran With a Helipad That Doubles as a Pickleball Court

More from our brands, cher wears vintage chrome hearts pants with bedazzled top to perform with jennifer hudson at iheartradio music awards 2024, mlb union head tony clark sees pay jump $2m to $4.25m, korea box office: ‘exhuma’ holds off ‘troll factory,’ ‘godzilla x kong’ for its sixth weekend win, activists stage pro-palestine demonstration at pace gallery opening for israeli artist, the best exercise mats for working out, according to fitness experts.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Pricing Plan
• Superyacht Insight
• Product Features
• Premium Content
• Testimonials
• Global Order Book
• Tenders & Equipment

After five years of intensive design, development and construction, Eclipse left the Blohm+Voss yard in Hamburg on the 9th December 2010, to formally take her place as the largest superyacht in the world. Managed by Blue Ocean Yacht Management, Eclipse features a diesel-electric propulsion system with generators powering rotating Azipod drives, dramatic exterior styling and a stunning interior design by London-based Terence Disdale Design, which has been responsible for all aspects of aesthetic design and layout, including the superstructure design, deck layouts, interior design and construction supervision.

Her accommodation includes an owner’s deck of 56 metres in length. The interior boasts hundreds of custom finishes exclusively developed for this project, while her deck areas include a 16 metre swimming pool, whose base can be raised to transform the area into a dance floor. The yacht can also accommodate three helicopters, one on each of the two helipads and the third in a storage hangar below the foredeck.

Eclipse was voted Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards in 2011.

About ECLIPSE , brought to you by BOAT Pro

ECLIPSE, a 162.5 m Motor Yacht built in Germany and delivered in 2010, is the flagship of Blohm & Voss .

Her top speed is 21.5 kn, her cruising speed is 20.0 kn, and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 6000.0 nm at 21.0 kn, with power coming from four MTU diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 36 guests in 18 staterooms, with 66 crew members. She has a gross tonnage of 13564.0 GT and a 22.0 m beam.

She was designed by Terence Disdale , who also designed the interior. Terence Disdale has designed 42 yachts and designed the interior of 78 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

The naval architecture was developed by Blohm & Voss , who has architected 8 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database - she is built with a Teak deck, a Steel hull, and Aluminium superstructure.

ECLIPSE is the 3rd longest yacht in the world. She is one of 70 motor yachts longer than 100m, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her cruising speed is 3.95 kn above the average, her top speed 1.64 kn above the average, and her volume 6351.31 GT above the average.

ECLIPSE is currently sailing under the Bermuda flag (along with a total of other 37 yachts). She is known to be an active superyacht and has most recently been spotted cruising near Turkey. For more information regarding ECLIPSE's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

Specifications

• Name: ECLIPSE
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Builder: Blohm & Voss
• Naval Architect: Blohm & Voss
• Exterior Designer: Terence Disdale
• Interior Designer: Terence Disdale
• Refits: 2021-11-19

Yacht featured in

Yachts like this, from our partners, sponsored listings.

The Stunning Ritz Carlton EVRIMA Yacht

Gliding Across Tokyo’s Sumida River: The Mesmerizing Zipper Boat

CROCUS Yacht: An 48 Meter Beauty by Admiral

PHI Yacht – Royal Huisman’s $45 Million Superyacht

• Zuretti Interior Design
• Zuretti Interior
• Zuccon International Project
• Ziyad al Manaseer
• Zaniz Interiors. Kutayba Alghanim
• Yuriy Kosiuk
• Yuri Milner
• Yersin Yacht

• Superyachts

ECLIPSE Yacht – Epic $600M Superyacht

The ECLIPSE yacht was once the largest yacht in the world at an impressive length of 162.5 metres (533 ft) but currently ranks in second place after AZZAM.

Though she is known as the billion-dollar yacht, it is estimated that her true value lies between US $500 – $700 million.

The vessel can host 36 guests and is even rumored to feature a state-of-the-art anti-paparazzi system to protect the privacy of those on board.

ECLIPSE yacht interior

The interior (and the exterior) was designed by Terence Disdale , who has become one of the top names in the industry despite having no formal design education.

ECLIPSE was his largest project to date, and he also worked on prominent vessels such as A+ and AL SALAMAH. The interior of ECLIPSE is classically designed in a style that is to be expected from one of the largest yachts in the world.

The upholstery and furniture follow a beige and crème color palette with wooden accents.

The yacht’s 18 cabins can welcome 36 guests as well as 70 crew members, which is an unusually large number even for a vessel of this size.

A large dance floor, several fireplaces, two swimming pools, and two helipads are also included onboard.

The ECLIPSE yacht interior is so large that there is even a cinema dedicated exclusively to crew members. In 2015 the interior of ECLIPSE was refitted by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg.

Specifications

The ECLIPSE yacht is the second-largest yacht in the world with a length of 162.5 meters (533 ft), a beam of 22 meters (72.2 ft), and a draft of 5.9 meters (19.4 ft).

She was built by the German shipyard Blohm & Voss and delivered to her owner in 2010.

Four MTU engines power ECLIPSE and allow her to reach top speeds of 25 knots, although her average cruising speed lies at 22 knots.

Her total volume lies at 13564 tons making her not only one of the longest but also the heaviest yachts in the world.

Like the interior of ECLIPSE, the interior was designed by Terence Disdale. According to rumors, Abramovich fitted her with an anti-paparazzi system that detects electronic light sensors from digital cameras.

However, there is no proof of this, although many newspapers report its existence.

On deck are several swimming pools and jacuzzis, and the aft of the vessel features a sizeable beach club. The yacht has a sleek design that attests to Terence Disdale’s classical style.

ECLIPSE came to fame as being the most expensive yacht ever built at the time for an approximate price of US $500 million.

She has seen further improvements since her purchase by Abramovich in 2010 and it is often widely reported that she is worth US $1.2 – $1.5 billion.

Do you have anything to add to this listing?

• Blohm + Voss
• Terence Disdale

Love Yachts? Join us.

Related posts.

Meamina Yacht – Elegant $35 M Superyacht

AMEVI Yacht – Surreal $125M Superyacht

FAITH Yacht – Impeccable $200 M Superyacht

LADY M Yacht – The Awesome $55 Million Superyacht

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

A $600 million superyacht linked to the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has left a Spanish shipyard after undergoing repairs since 2021

• A superyacht linked to Roman Abramovich has left a Spanish shipyard, according to MarineTraffic.
• The $600 million yacht had been docked there for repairs since late 2021, one person told Reuters.
• Abramovich hasn't yet come under sanctions imposed by the US or European Union.

A superyacht with ties to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich departed from Barcelona in Spain on Tuesday after undergoing repairs since last year.

The yacht's departure was first reported by Reuters .

The vessel, named Solaris, left the shipyard of the Spanish yacht-maintenance firm MB92 in Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon, according to the ship-tracking site MarineTraffic .

Related stories

Solaris, which spans 140 meters, or 460 feet, has a price tag of $600 million and can hold up to 36 guests, according to SuperYachtFan , which said that Abramovich owns the yacht .

The yacht was finished in 2021 after being built by the German company Lloyd Werft, according to SuperYacht Times .

A person in the industry told Reuters that the yacht had been docked at the Barcelona shipyard since late 2021, but it wasn't clear where it was headed next.

"We never comment on the movements of the yacht or any other vehicles or vessels," a spokesperson for Abramovich told Reuters.

MB92 declined to comment to Reuters and Insider.

The news comes as the wealthiest Russians sought to move their yachts  and  private jets to different locations after the invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to protect their assets.

Abramovich, who has a net worth of $13.6 billion , according to a Bloomberg estimate, hasn't yet come under US or EU sanctions, which have been imposed on other Russian oligarchs and billionaires with ties to President Vladimir Putin since his troops invaded Ukraine.

Last week, Abramovich announced he was selling the English Premier League team Chelsea FC, with an asking price of $2.5 billion, The New York Times reported. 

• Main content

Abramovich flies into Moscow as yachts are seized and caviar banned in hit to Russia's rich

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Additional reporting by Liz Piper, Yesim Dikmen, Madeline Chambers; Editing by Leela de Kretser and Rosalba O'Brien

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Portugal-based multimedia correspondent reporting on politics, economics, the environment and daily news. Previous experience in local journalism in the UK., co-founded a project telling the stories of Portuguese-speakers living in London, and edited a youth-led news site.

Francesco leads a team of reporters in Vietnam that covers top financial and political news in the fast-growing southeast Asian country with a focus on supply chains and manufacturing investments in several sectors, including electronics, semiconductors, automotive and renewables. Before Hanoi, Francesco worked in Brussels on EU affairs. He was also part of Reuters core global team that covered the COVID-19 pandemic and participated in investigations into money laundering and corruption in Europe. He is an eager traveler, always keen to put on a backpack to explore new places.

Israeli strike kills foreign aid workers, Hamas-run media office says

At least five employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) non-governmental organisation, including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said late on Monday.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Marina Granovskaia linked to secret payments by former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

Powerful chief executive of Chelsea under Abramovich appears in documents showing offshore payments by oligarch

The former chief executive of ­Chelsea, once described as “the most powerful woman in football”, is ­facing ­questions about what she knew of secret payments made under the club’s former owner Roman ­Abramovich, amid a continuing investigation into alleged breaches of football spending rules.

Details of millions of pounds in fees, funded by offshore investment vehicles belonging to the Russian ­oligarch, emerged last year as a result of the Cyprus Confidential leaks ­project, published by the Guardian and international partners.

Documents from the files ­indicate that Marina Granovskaia, a close associate of Abramovich who ran Chelsea until he sold the club in May 2022, knew about some of the ­transactions, including a fee paid to the agent of star player Eden Hazard.

She also appears to have ­benefited personally from some of the ­payments, raising questions over whether she received extra money from Abramovich for her work at the club, on top of her Chelsea salary. The files suggest offshore companies in the Abramovich network made loans to Granovskaia worth £7.5m to finance the purchase of a house in Fulham, near the club’s Stamford Bridge stadium, and a payment of £1.63m for “financial, tax and legal due diligence”.

The Premier League is ­investigating whether ­Abramovich secretly subsidised his team by using offshore companies to make payments which should, under rules designed to ensure fair competition, have been made by the club itself from its own bank accounts.

The material raises questions about oversight of the club’s affairs by its board, which was chaired by the American lawyer Bruce Buck ­during Abramovich’s highly ­successful reign. Buck was a partner at the law firm Skadden, which acted for Chelsea and Abramovich for two decades, and held senior positions at the Premier League, which acts as both regulator and promoter for its member clubs.

The Premier League ­investigation was triggered after the club’s new owners, a consortium whose ­figurehead is the US investor Todd Boehly, reported suspected breaches by previous management. An ­independent panel of sports law experts will be convened that could summon former club ­executives to give evidence. Should the panel find Chelsea guilty, it has the power to impose financial or ­sporting ­punishments, such as a points deduction.

No details of the transactions under investigation have been publicly disclosed by the club, or the Premier League and Football Association.

However, a leak of documents from an accounting firm in Cyprus which acted for Abramovich revealed a series of payments over a decade to managers, scouts and football agents connected to Chelsea. The ­information, published as part of the Cyprus Confidential series, was shared with the Guardian by the International Consortium of ­Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Germany’s Paper Trail Media.

Beneficiaries of secret payments included the agent of Hazard, the files suggest, while other transactions appear to have been connected to the purchase of the Brazil forward Willian and the Cameroonstriker Samuel Eto’o.

Granovskaia appears to have been sent copies of agreements relating to those payments.

The Russian, 49, rose from ­working as Abramovich’s executive assistant to overseeing Chelsea’s financial and sporting affairs on the oligarch’s behalf, a job that saw her dubbed the “most powerful woman in football”.

Less than a month after she became chief executive of the club in October 2014, the ­British Virgin Islands-registered Ovington Worldwide – owned by ­Abramovich – agreed to make three loans to Granovskaia worth a ­combined £12.5m, documents in the leak reveal.

According to credit agreements, two of the loans, dated November 2014 and worth a combined £7.5m, were to finance the purchase of a property.

Less than six months later, Land Registry filings show, Granovskaia bought a home in London for £5.05m.

At least £7.5m of the debt to ­Abramovich was due to be waived under subsequent debt ­forgiveness deeds.

On top of the loans, between 2010 and 2019 Ovington Worldwide agreed to pay her at least £1.63m under an advisory services ­agreement for “financial, tax and legal due diligence”.

Leading sports lawyers have ­previously told the Guardian that any payment for services to Chelsea ought to have been borne by the club and that any failure to disclose them in the club’s accounts might be seen as a breach of Premier League rules.

The documents also suggest that Granovskaia may have known of ­payments made by one of ­Abramovich’s offshore vehicles to a football agent and an adviser, both of whom did business with Chelsea.

In April 2013, the Cyprus-based financial services firm MeritServus, which managed offshore companies for Roman Abramovich , wrote to Granovskaia at her postal address at Chelsea’s stadium.

MeritServus said it had enclosed a copy of an “advisory services ­agreement” with Gulf Value FZE, a company owned by John Bico, the former agent of Hazard. As the ­Guardian has previously revealed , the agreement involved Bico’s ­company receiving a £7m fee from ­Leiston Holdings, an offshore ­company owned by Abramovich.

A year earlier, MeritServus also sent Granovskaia a copy of an ­advisory agreement between Leiston and the former Dutch football coach Piet De Visser, who became one of Abramovich’s most trusted advisers during his ownership of Chelsea.

Under the ­agreement, Leiston agreed to pay De Visser a €48,000 “retainer” and a further €4,000 a month for “scouting and other ­football related advice”, over 12 months.

Granovskaia did not return requests for comment.

Chelsea’s free-spending strategy under Abramovich has long attracted concern within football, with the then Arsenal ­manager Arsène Wenger describing it as “financial doping” in 2005. The former Uefa president Michel Platini warned in 2008 that “the ones who cheat [with debt-fuelled spending] are going on to win”.

But the Premier League, which oversees top club’s finances, did not open an investigation into Chelsea until last year, after the club’s new owners reported that “incomplete financial information” had been ­submitted during Abramovich’s tenure.

In 2012, while Buck was chairman of Chelsea and the Premier League’s pay committee, he promised Chelsea would comply with Uefa’s “financial fair play” spending limits, imposed in 2011, via legitimate means.

These, he said, would include ­cutting ­spending and increasing sponsorship ­revenues. The following year, he criticised FFP rules, which he said risked maintaining the “status quo” in football. The Premier League imposed its own spending limits two years later.

Leaked files indicate that ­Skadden, the law firm where Buck was a ­partner, may have performed work for Leiston Holdings, the offshore vehicle owned by Abramovich that was the source of many of the ­payments likely to be investigated by the Premier League.

In a document that describes ­Leiston as the “customer” and ­Abramovich’s personal investment firm Millhouse as the “executor”, Skadden is listed among companies to have provided services requiring “transfer outside Russian federation” during 2014. Buck’s name does not appear in the document.

Lawyers for Buck did not return requests for comment. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom did not return requests for comment.

Chelsea FC has previously said that the payments pre-date the current ownership regime and that the club had self-reported “potential financial irregularities” from that period to the football authorities.

• Cyprus confidential
• Roman Abramovich

Most viewed