No confirmation billionaire Roman Abramovich immigrating to Israel

Chelsea-owning Russian-Jewish tycoon is having issues with his British visa, but he’s not on the aliyah list, Israeli official says

Following Britain’s failure to extend his visa, the Russian-Jewish billionaire businessman Roman Abramovich is seeking Israeli citizenship, an Israeli daily reported. But an Israeli official disputed the claim.

Abramovich, who owns London’s Chelsea Football Club, was rumored to have landed Thursday in Israel to finalize his aliyah, or immigration to Israel. But a spokeswoman at Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption told Russia’s state-owned Sputnik news agency that she had no such information.

“We know the names of people arriving at airports today, we receive this information,” the spokeswoman said, according to the Daily Mail. “Abramovich’s name is not [on the list].”

She added that there was no indication as to whether Abramovich intended to move to Israel.

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, center, applauds at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Sunday, May 21, 2017. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Abramovich’s British visa expired last month. His previous visa was granted before more rigorous regulations were instituted in April 2015.

Abramovich formally has residency in Jersey in the Channel Islands, a tax haven, but has never taken it up. The Sunday Times put his wealth at 9.3 billion pounds ($12.5 billion) on its Rich List this year. He has owned Chelsea since 2003.

Abramovich, who is Jewish, is a frequent visitor to Israel and owns a hotel in Tel Aviv.

Abramovich will have to explain the source of his wealth to receive a new British visa, according to reports. There is no evidence that Abramovich has done anything wrong, but the United Kingdom has scrutinized Russian businesspeople and diplomats more carefully since the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in March. Several Russian diplomats were expelled following the incident.

Abramovich missed Chelsea’s Football Association Cup final victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London last Saturday night. He has owned the team since 2003 and has been present at nearly every game, until his visa problems began.

In 2017, Forbes estimated Abramovich’s net worth at $9.1 billion, making him the 139th richest person in the world. He is Russia’s 12th richest person.