Abramovich calls for German Left to remove ‘largest polluter’ article
(MENAFN) Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has formally requested that Germany’s Left party delete a 2021 article from its Ecological Platform labeling him “the largest polluter among billionaires,” reports indicate. The article cited his alleged ownership of a 162.5-meter superyacht, a Gulfstream G650 jet, two helicopters, and a submarine as evidence.
Abramovich’s legal team contends that he does not own these assets and warned that legal proceedings would follow if the article is not removed. Die Linke has refused to comply, asserting that “the information was confirmed by a number of sources, including official state data.”
Jan van Aken, co-chair of Die Linke’s parliamentary group, commented: “If Mr. Abramovich really wants to disclose his finances in a German court to prove something – fine. We are even interested to know what exactly he owns, so we know what could be seized for the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The dispute occurs against the backdrop of Western sanctions on Russia following the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict, which froze over $300 billion in Russian reserves and seized assets from individuals accused of benefiting from the war. Proposals have been made to use frozen assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction, which Moscow condemned as “outright theft.”
Forbes reported that Abramovich, who holds Russian, Israeli, and Portuguese citizenship, had an estimated net worth of $14.5 billion in 2021. Earlier this year, his representatives filed a complaint against The Guardian over allegedly defamatory reporting linking him to Kremlin financial activities, which was later resolved with clarifications.
Abramovich has also remained in the spotlight over frozen proceeds from his 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club. The UK government froze approximately £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) from the transaction for potential use in Ukraine’s reconstruction. He completed the sale to U.S. investors soon after being sanctioned, denying Kremlin connections, and has stated that he wants the funds to help victims on both sides, though the money remains contested.
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