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Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, owner of Halter Ranch Winery in California, could buy Chelsea Football Club. The current owner, Russian Roman Abramovich, confirmed his intentions to sell after the attack on Ukraine. He and other Russian oligarchs have been hit with sanctions.
Abramovich said in a statement that the net proceeds from the sale of the club would go to "all victims of the war in Ukraine". According to the statement, he intends to write off the loans of 1.5 billion pounds (1.8 billion euros) that he granted to Chelsea FC.
Hansjörg Wyss, who made his fortune of an estimated 5.2 billion euros by manufacturing medical devices, produces "sustainably grown Bordeaux and Rhone-style wines" on Halter Ranch in Paso Robles on the Central Coast. Wyss is said to have joined a consortium with Todd Boehly, the co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, he said: "Like all other oligarchs, Abramovich is panicking. He is trying to sell all his villas in England and also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. I and three other people received an offer to buy Chelsea FC on Tuesday. I can well imagine starting with partners at Chelsea."
(al / Source: drinksbusiness; Photo: Halter Ranch)