Chelsea owner Abramovich splits from wife: Spokesman

Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and his partner, gallerist Dasha Zhukova, have separated, a spokesman for Abramovich confirmed to AFP. “After 10 years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close friends, parents, and partners in the projects we developed together,” the two said in a statement sent to AFP Monday by Abramovich’s spokesman John Mann. Abramovich, 50, is Russia’s 12th richest businessman, according to Forbes magazine, with a fortune of $9.1 billion. He has owned Chelsea football club since 2003. The statement on Monday did not make clear whether Abramovich and Zhukova, 36, are married, although this has been previously reported. Abramovich and Zhukova have two children together, a son and daughter. In the couple’s joint statement, they said that “We are committed to jointly raising our two children.” —AFP