Shamed Russian Oligarch begging celeb friends for $1m handout

Filthy rich Russian Roman Abramovich is reportedly grovelling to his celebrity friends for handouts as his life continues to fall apart.

Filthy rich Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has been begging celebrity pals to lend him cash to stay afloat.

The 55-year-old of English Premier League giant Chelsea has been starved of roubles after his assets were frozen around the world.

Now he has reportedly asked VIP pals for loans of $1 million each — about £765,000 — to help him pay his staff, The Sun reports.

Rush Hour director Brett Ratner is among those Abramovich has asked, according to reports in the US.

It is claimed he has gone to contacts in Hollywood and Wall Street — and to tech tycoons.

Abramovich is also said to have approached the wealthy Rothschild family after his assets in the UK and the US were seized.

No one is thought to have agreed to give him the money.

Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP.

The hits have continued to come for Abramovich, who last week reportedly suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning including going “blind for hours” in an attack that’s been blamed on Russian hardliners.

Abramovich’s private jet was also grounded in the United States last month when around 100 planes with ties to Russia were unable to leave because all services were denied to them.

His greatest concern remains that he is being forced to sell his beloved football club following his country’s invasion of Ukraine and the seizing of his assets in the UK.

Abramovich, whose fortune was valued to be worth nearly $19 billion before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, wants around $5.4 billion for his club — but experts claim he will be lucky to get half that amount.

Now he is going to friends in America, cap in hand, desperate for a handout.

Vladimir Putin’ and Roman Abramovich.

It is unclear what the repercussions would be under international law due to the sanctions against Russian oligarchs in response to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Abramovich is rumoured to fork out £600,000 a week for staff.

He is well known for keeping a circle of celebrity friends. Names invited to his New Year’s eve bash in 2016 included film star Leonardo DiCaprio, director George Lucas and late pop star Prince.

Princess Beatrice was also believed to be on the guest list — along with Jen Meyer, the wife of actor Tobey Maguire, who is a close friend of Abramovich’s wife.

Putin crony Abramovich has lost an estimated $7.6 billion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, according to wealth ranking experts Forbes.

But he is still believed to be worth more than $9 billion despite being hit by sanctions.

Abramovich — who has been involved in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine — has now been linked to five yachts worth more than £740 million.

— This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk and has been republished with permission

Originally published as Shamed Russian Oligarch begging celeb friends for $1m handout