Roman Abramovich: Chelsea tycoon scrambling to save empire

The UK government's decision to freeze his assets cripples the activities of Chelsea Football Club, the jewel in Abramovich's crown, and delivers another crushing blow to his business realm. As speculation swirled that he was about to be targeted over his alleged Kremlin links, Abramovich announced he was selling the Premier League side "in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club's sponsors and partners".

Read AlsoUK says Chelsea can keep playing after Roman Abramovich sanction, sale halted

Britain's government said on Thursday it would enable football club Chelsea to continue playing matches after it imposed sanctions on its owner, Roman Abramovich, halting his plan to sell the Premier League side.

The asking price was believed to be about £3 billion ($3.9 billion, 3.6 billion euros), but those plans are now in chaos. Abramovich, 55, was one of the businessmen working in the shadows following the collapse of the Soviet Union, seizing control of lucrative state assets at bargain prices. In Abramovich's case, a controlling investment in the oil company Sibneft provided the vehicle for his rise. He had made money early on with a firm making rubber toys, after growing up an orphan from a Jewish family in the harsh far north. He is now worth $12.4 billion, according to Forbes magazine, and as well as turning Chelsea into a European powerhouse has stakes in steel giant Evraz and Norilsk Nickel. His property holdings include a 15-bedroom mansion in London's exclusive Kensington area, and he also owns one of the world's largest yachts, the 533-foot (162-metre) Eclipse. A newer vessel in Abramovich's luxury fleet, the Solaris, is a little smaller. Both yachts reportedly come equipped with