Meet Hansjorg Wyss, the Swiss billionaire who may be Chelsea's new owner
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has reportedly claimed that he has received an offer to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.
FollowSwiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss reportedly claimed to have received an offer to buy English football club Chelsea, from Roman Abramovich, alongside several others. The Russian-Israeli billionaire has come under immense pressure over the ownership of the Blues since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Abramovich has already released a statement stating that the trustees of Chelsea's charitable foundation would take the Blues 'stewardship from him indefinitely. However, according to reports, 86-year-old Wyss has now admitted interest in purchasing the Stamford Bridge club from the Russian billionaire, but only as part of a consortium.
Abramovich is understood to want to retain his ownership of Chelsea, but that could be next to impossible should the British Government impose sanctions on the 55-year-old, who has owned the west London club since 2003.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine crisis: Abramovich hands Chelsea 'stewardship' to charitable foundation
Who is Hansjorg Wyss?
Wyss is a Swiss-born business tycoon who currently resides in the United States after making a fortune as founder and former President and Chairman of a medical device manufacturer, Synthes USA.
The 86-year-old has a reported net worth of over 5 billion dollars and features as one of "the most philanthropic people in the world" by Forbes magazine.
Reports suggest the Swiss billionaire has donated millions to environmental causes, and his charity organisation, Wyss Foundation, has over 2 billion dollars in assets.
Wyss has now reportedly admitted that he would look into the details of any possible deal to buy Chelsea, with the asking price thought to push beyond 2 billion pounds.
What has Wyss said about the Chelsea offer?
In an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick, Wyss said, "Abramovich is one of Putin's closest advisers and friends. 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."
"Three other people and I 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 owe him £2 billion. But Chelsea has no money. Means: Those who buy Chelsea should compensate Abramovich," Wyss added.
"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: I'm not doing something like this alone. If I buy Chelsea, then with a consortium consisting of six to seven investors," the Swiss billionaire concluded.
Meanwhile, Abramovich's spokesperson told the PA news agency on Monday that the Russian-Israeli businessman was attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine crisis: Chelsea's Roman Abramovich barred from living in Britain?
Abramovich, whose net worth is now estimated to be 8.4 billion pounds, made his fortune in Russia's oil industry in the 1990s. In 2003, the billionaire bought the Chelsea football club and transformed the team to become one of Premier League's giants with the help of Jose Mourinho. From 2000 to 2008, Abramovich served as a regional governor in Russia and was also ranked 142nd in Forbes magazine's 2021 list of the globe's billionaires.
Abramovich also owns a series of superyachts, including the 450 million-pound Solaris, which has a missile detection system. Reports suggest a bulk of the Russian's UK wealth is in Evraz, a steel and mining giant listed on the London stock market.
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