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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and his wife announce separation — media

Roman Abramovich and Darya Zhukova got married in 2008

Roman Abramovich and Darya Zhukova Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Roman Abramovich and Darya Zhukova

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. Russian billionaire, Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and his wife Darya Zhukova have announced their separation after ten years of marriage, the Daily Mail reported on Monday citing the couple’s statement.

"After 10 years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close friends, parents and partners in the projects we developed together," the statement reads.

"'We are committed to jointly raising our two children," Abramovich, 51, and Zhukova, 36, said. The couple has two children - Aaron Alexander (born in 2009) and Leah Lou (born in 2013). Besides, the billionaire has five children with his second wife Irina Abramovich [nee Malandina], to whom he was married between 1991 and 2007.

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"We will also continue to work together as co-founders of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow and the New Holland Island cultural center in Saint Petersburg," Abramovich and Zhukova added.

Roman Abramovich and Darya Zhukova got married in 2008, but did not make a public announcement at the time. It was only in 2014 that the Wall Street Journal provided the details of their relationship.

According to the British media, Abramovich, who has a fortune of $9.1 bln, ranks 139th in the Forbes Global Billionaire list.

In 2001-2008, Abramovich was the governor of Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous District.

In 2003, he bought the Chelsea Football Club and, according to the Daily Mail, has invested over ·3 bln (around $4 bln) in it.

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