March 13 – Everton, majority owned by British Iranian Farhad Moshiri, a close associate of sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, has pledged £250,000 to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Moshiri (pictured) and club chairman Bill Kenwright (who sold his majority control to Moshiri), have said they will match that figure taking the sum to £500,000.
Monaco-based Moshiri is believed to have a net worth of about $2 billion, much of it achieved through his association with Usmanov. Between 2006 and 2013, he was the chairman of Russian mining company Metalloinvest which is 100% owned by USM, a diversified Russian holding company with interests in metals and mining, telecoms, and digital technology.
Usmanov has control of USM, owning 60%. Moshiri is chairman of USM and owns 10% of the company.
Everton was one of the first clubs to cut sponsorship ties with Russian companies, ending deals with USM as well as USM-owned Megafon and Yota.
Kenwright said: “The images we have all seen of the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine are heartbreaking. And Wrong.
“Simply and horribly wrong!,” he continued.
“Football has an incredible power to unite people and we are eager to do everything we can to show our support for the innocent victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We are all praying for peace – but we are also determined to help the humanitarian effort right now in a bid to save lives. The toll this war is exacting on Ukrainian families is horrendous.”
While Kenwright condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was no comment from Moshiri, who like Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich, was quick to pledge money to humanitarian aid but was silent on the morality of the war itself.
However, Moshiri did specify the sum he was donating. Moshiri of course is not Russian, but his wealth comes from the privileges of Russian oligarch Usmanov (who himself was born in Georgia).
Another Russian oligarch, Dmitry Rybolovlev, president and majority owner of France’s AS Monaco and Cercle Brugge in Belgium, has also committed to donating club money to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. He also said he would donate money “in a personal capacity”. What he didn’t say was how much he would be donating. Nor did he condemn Russia’s actions.
Rybolovlev is not on the French or EU list of sanctioned Russian oligarchs. He left Russia after he had to sell his majority stake in fertiliser producer Uralkali in 2010 to close acquaintances of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
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