The World in Front

Abramovich: An Oligarch in the Shadow of Putin (2023x13)

Air date: May 14, 2023

The story of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich intricately intertwined with the twists and turns of Russian politics. From Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika to the economic hardship of the Yeltsin years, Abramovich made his way to becoming an insider in Vladimir Putin’s mafia state. This film traces his life from his childhood as an orphan in the Soviet era, to his role as an oil magnate with his yachts, his villas, including in the South of France. Not to mention his time as the owner of Chelsea Football Club, which he was forced to sell due to sanctions. His life is like the story of a perfect tightrope walker, balanced between Putin and the West, shrouded in secrecy and ambiguity.