Report: Paso Robles winery owner could buy Russian oligarch’s soccer team
Hansjorg Wyss
– The United Kingdom Mirror reports –
‘I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea,’ says Hansjorg Wyss
– Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, owner of Halter Ranch Winery in Paso Robles, could offer Roman Abramovich a route out of west London after he claimed to have been offered the chance to purchase the European champions.
The Russian has found himself in the spotlight after handing over “stewardship and care” of the team he’s owned since 2003. There is now a genuine belief that the oligarch could sell to Wyss. The 86-year-old made his fortunes in the medical market and would lead a consortium of “six or seven investors” if he were to purchase the team.
The soccer team, Chelsea, remains an immensely attractive proposition given their London location and success over the past two decades. “Abramovich is one of Putin’s closest advisers and friends,” Wyss told Blick.
“Like all other oligarchs, he is also in a panic. Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.
“I have to wait four to five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much. You know, Chelsea owes him £2 billion ($2.67 billion). But Chelsea has no money. Anyone who buys Chelsea must compensate Abramovich. As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price. I can well imagine starting at Chelsea with partners. But I have to examine the general conditions first.”
“But what I can already say is that I’m definitely not doing something like this alone. If I buy Chelsea, then with a consortium consisting of six to seven investors,” Wyss said, according to the report.
A potential hurdle to any possible sale would be if Abramovich were sanctioned before the end of the week with other oligarchs seeing their assets frozen.
Read the full story by Samuel Meade in The Mirror
Abramovich says net proceeds will go to victims in Ukraine
CBS News reports – As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich announced Wednesday he is selling the Chelsea soccer club. Abramovich said the sale will “not be fast-tracked but will follow due process,” and that the net proceeds will go to victims in Ukraine.
See related story from The Washington Post: Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich says he will sell English soccer team Chelsea
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