Of course lah, if you had seen what happen to Mikhail
Khodorkovsky a Russian businessman who became one of Russia's most
powerful oligarchs.
Khodorkovsky was the wealthiest man in Russia, richer than
Abramovich and was the 16th wealthiest man in the world yet he was
later convicted for fraud and tax evasion and received a 9-year
sentence.
As of 2004, much of his wealth evaporated because of the collapse
in the value of his holding in the Russian petroleum company YUKOS.
At the time of his arrest, he was considered the most powerful of
the Russian business oligarchs.
Abramovich see also sure got scare what... Abramovich said that he
would not run for governor again after his term of office expired
in 2005, as it is "too expensive".
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin changed the law to
abolish elections for regional governors, and on October 2005
Abramovich was reappointed governor for another term cos in
September 2005 Abramovich sold off his money making petroleum
company Sibneft cheaply to the Russian-government controlled
Gazprom.
The transaction is interpreted as indicating that he remains on
good terms with President Vladimir Putin, unlike fellow-oligarch
Mikhail Khodorkhovsky, who was recently jailed for nine
years.
Abramovich, Of Jewish background, is a firm supporter of Jewish and
Israeli causes, seen his funding of several projects in the
Abramovich neighbourhood in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv... He probably
thought it was safer to put his money in England & Israel, far
away from the Russian government.
