Roman Abramovich, one of the richest men in the world, is now officially a citizen of Israel. According to multiple sources, Abramovich landed in Israel on Monday (May 29) and received an identity card as a citizen under the Law of Return. Abramovich’s UK investor visa expired a few weeks ago and has not been renewed.
The Russian-Jewish billionaire, aged 51, is the owner of Chelsea football club, and his business partner is diamond tycoon Lev Leviev. He will reside in a former hotel he bought from actress Gal Gadot, a 100-million NIS residence in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood.
According to Forbes 32nd annual ranking of the world’s billionaires, published in March 2018, Abramovich is worth $11.5 billion. He is the richest person living in Israel, the 11th-richest person in Russia, and 40th-richest person in the world. The Forbes list features 22 Israelis, among them three diamantaires: Dan Gertler, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, is number 1991 on the list; Lev Leviev, with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, is placed at number 2189; and Beny Steinmetz, with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, reached number 2190.
