Does Roman Abramovich have Israeli citizenship, what’s his net worth and when did he and Dasha Zhukova divorce?
CHELSEA boss Roman Abramovich is at the centre of furious speculation after his entry to the UK was barred.
But who is the suave tycoon, why couldn't he make his team's FA Cup final and does he have Israeli citizenship? Here's the lowdown.
Why is there a row over Roman Abramovich's visa?
The owner of Chelsea FC was not at Wembley to see his club win the FA Cup on Saturday.
It emerged he was in Russia and unable to travel to his home in the UK because his visa has not been renewed.
British government officials were being "slow" with the paperwork and gave no explanation for the delay, it was claimed.
The move threatened to plunge diplomatic relations with Russia to a new low following the Salisbury spy poisoning scandal.
Britain blames the Kremlin for the attempted hit on former MI6 informant Sergei Skripal and has vowed to review the visa status of hundreds of wealthy Russians.
Overseas tycoons can pick up an investor visa if they vow to spend more than £2million on the UK economy.
Separately, ministers have been accused by MPs of risking national security by “turning a blind eye” to Russian “dirty money” flowing through the City.
Does Roman Abramovich have Israeli citizenship?
The Chelsea FC tycoon has been granted Israeli citizenship, sources have claimed, in the latest twist of his visa saga.
Israel’s interior ministry confirmed the offer of citizenship on a local television station on May 28, 2018.
An Israeli government spokesperson told Channel 10: “Roman Abramovich arrived at the Israeli embassy in Moscow like any other person.
“He filed a request to receive an immigration permit, his documents were checked according to the law of return, and he was indeed found eligible.”
Abramovich is believed to be building a superhome in a suburb of the capital Tel Aviv.
Israel allows citizenship to any Jewish person wishing to move there, and can issue passports immediately.
What is Roman Abramovich's net worth?
Forbes lists the 51-year-old oligarch as having a fortune of more than £8.5billion.
Meanwhile the 2018 Sunday Times Rich List estimates his wealth at £9.3billion.
Despite his visa problems, the tycoon splashed out £30million on a penthouse at the Chelsea waterfront development overlooking Stamford Bridge - an indication that he doesn't want to quit the UK.
Apartments in the complex start at £2million and Mr Abramovich’s is by far the biggest.
It has floor-to-ceiling windows with 360-degree views up and down the Thames and directly over Stamford Bridge, where he recently halted a £1 billion renovation project because of his visa issues.
He made his fortune through oil export deals in the 1990s and took over oil firm Sibneft with the help of Boris Berezovsky.
He sold a 73 per cent stake in the company to Russian state-owned gas titan Gazprom for £9.9billion in 2005.
Along with Chelsea FC he also owns stakes in steel company Evraz and mining firm Norilsk Nickel.
When did he divorce Dasha Zhukova?
Dasha Zhukova was the third Mrs Abramovich after the couple wed in secret following his second divorce in 2007.
The private pair, who have two children, Aaron and Leah, reportedly met in 2005 and married in 2008,
Abramovich married his first wife Olga Yurevna Lysova in 1987 and divorced her in 1990.
A year later he tied the knot with former Aeroflot stewardess with Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina.
They remained married until 2007 after having five children together.
A year later he married Zhukova in a private ceremony.
The couple announced their split in August 2017, saying they "remain close friends, parents and partners in the projects we developed together" and were committed to jointly raising their two children.
They will also continue to work together as co-founders of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow and the New Holland Island cultural centre in Saint Petersburg.
Reports in Russia suggest the pair had rowed over competing plans for an island in the centre of St Petersburg which Abramovich ploughed £360million into.
The couple had planned to turn it into a tourist attraction but differed on its style - with Abramovich reportedly wanting to build a cultural centre, while Zhukova is said to have wanted it to include a superclub and become an Ibiza-style open air party venue.
How big is Abramovich's yacht and what else does he own?
Abramovich owns the world's second largest private yacht named Eclipse.
The oligarch bought her for just over £300million in 2010.
She is more than 533ft long putting it just under 57ft off the world record held by Azzam's vessel.
The luxurious boat has two helipads, two swimming pools, a number of hot tubs, 24 guest cabins and a disco hall.
As well as Chelsea Football Club, he and his wife own homes together in London, Moscow, Colorado, the Caribbean and the South of France.
He travels in a £55million private Boeing 767 and drives a £1.5million custom-built Ferrari.
MOST READ NEWS
What is Abramovich's Jewish charity work?
In April 2018, The Federation of Jewish communities of Russia announced that Abramovich had contributed over $500million into Jewish communities over a 20-year period.
His extensive philanthropic contributions towards Jewish causes in Russia, Israel and beyond earned the Chelsea owner a special award from the organisation.
The same month, Abramovich launched a Chelsea partnership with the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in a bid to combat anti-semitism in sport.
The move will see Chelsea work closely across three projects designed to encourage fans, the public and government officials to treat anti-Semitism more seriously.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.