EXCLUSIVE Oligarch Usmanov 'scrambled' to sell his £50million mansion
EXCLUSIVE Billionaire oligarch Alisher Usmanov ‘scrambled’ to sell his £50million mansion in London before the UK government sanctioned him
- EXCLUSIVE
- Alisher Usmanov, 68, had hoped to sell Beechwood House to a tycoon friend
- Whereabouts of the Uzbek-born oligarch and Putin ally are currently not known
- He ‘scrambled’ to sell the £50 million mansion before the UK imposed sanctions
Billionaire oligarch Alisher Usmanov ‘scrambled’ to sell his £50 million mansion in London before the UK government imposed sanctions on him, MailOnline can reveal.
The former major Arsenal shareholder launched a desperate mission to offload Beechwood House – one of London’s most expensive properties – in the days running up to Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine.
The whereabouts of the fabulously-rich Putin ally were unknown today but sources say his wife Irina Viner and nephew Sarvar Ismailov are preparing to leave the UK.
Billionaire oligarch Alisher Usmanov (pictured with Vladimir Putin in 2017) ‘scrambled’ to sell his £50 million mansion in London before the UK government imposed sanctions on him
The former major Arsenal shareholder launched a desperate mission to offload Beechwood House
Uzbek-born Usmanov, 68, who is one of Britain’s richest men, was said to have hoped to sell the mansion in Highgate, north London, to a tycoon friend.
Usmanov – who has long been seen as a close friend and a business fixer for Putin – made frantic efforts to protect his huge fortune and began moves to sell the property in recent weeks.
Earlier this month a member of staff at Beechwood House told MailOnline the sale of the property was ‘a matter for the estate manager’.
But Usmanov’s attempts appear to have failed after the Government revealed the property was among his assets.
Usmanov – who is also a major financial backer of Premier League club Everton – was named alongside Igor Shuvalov as the latest leading oligarchs with links to the Kremlin to be placed on Britain’s sanctions list.
On Thursday the Government announced a full asset freeze and travel ban had been imposed on the oligarch who is worth an estimated £14 billion.
Announcing the measures, the government said that his assets included Beechwood House and the 16th century Sutton Place estate in Surrey – the former home of American oil tycoon J Paul Getty. He can no longer visit either property or sell up.
The oligarch’s £437million 156-metre-long superyacht Dilbar was impounded by Germany days earlier at a yard in Hamburg.
Usmanov bought Beechwood House for a knockdown £48million in 2008.
The previous year the Grade II listed Georgian mansion was put on the market by the Emir of Qatar when it was listed for sale at £65 million – making it London’s most expensive property at the time.
The purchase was shrouded in secrecy with only one published picture of the estate being released. One property expert commenting at the time, said: ‘It’s magnificent.’
The oligarch protected his property with state-of-the-art security systems including motion detectors surrounding the entire property along with thermal and night vision cameras.
Dog handlers also patrol the site.
Land Registry records show that the Regency-style mansion which was built in 1840 has been owned since March 2008 by an Isle of Man registered company called Hanley Limited.
Company records suggest the firm, registered in Douglas, was dissolved last October, shrouding the exact ownership of the eight bedroom house in mystery.
The previous year the Grade II listed Georgian mansion was put on the market by the Emir of Qatar when it was listed for sale at £65 million
Set in 11 acres, the property boasts Hollywood star Jude Law as a neighbour and pop star Harry Styles also has a house nearby.
George Michael and supermodel Kate Moss also used to be neighbours.
The estate – which was formerly owned by prominent politicians and the late King Khalid of Saudi Arabia – includes a three bedroom guest bungalow, eight room staff quarters, a squash court and a six-room pool house.
Usmanov and his wife, rhythmic gymnast coach Iriva Viner-Usmanova attend the State Awards Ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow in 2018
In 2010 a planning application was filed for a ‘Roman-style bathing complex’ in the grounds that would include a new indoor swimming pool, sauna, and gym.
The following year further redevelopment work was planned for a ‘super basement’ that would increase the size of the property by a third.
Usmanov was named in the Sunday Times Rich List last May as Britain’s sixth richest person.
Usmanov – who made his fortune in mining and telecoms – owned more than 30 per cent of Arsenal before selling up to current owner Stan Kroenke in 2018, has been sanctioned.
The whereabouts of the Putin ally were unknown today but sources say his wife Irina Viner and nephew Sarvar Ismailov (pictured with his wife Aziza) are preparing to leave the UK
Alina Kabaeva shakes hands with Vladimir Putin during a meeting with other gymnasts in Kremlin
Sarvar (pictured), 26, appeared in court last year after he was accused of assaulting Edmond Krasniqi at a flat in Hyde Park Gate, London, on 11 June
He then developed commercial links with fellow Premier League club Everton through his firm USM, but these were suspended on Wednesday.
His biggest asset is his stake in the Russian metals giant Metalloinvest, which has the world’s second biggest iron ore resource.
His ties with Putin go beyond business. Wife Irina, 73, is the head coach of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team.
She helped Alina Kabaeva, widely believed to be Putin’s mistress, win the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
Usmanov headed Gazprom Invest holding, a subsidiary of the world’s biggest extractor of natural gas Gazprom, from 2000 to 2014.
The oligarch was jailed in 1980 for corruption and served six years but the Uzbek supreme court later quashed his conviction, saying the case had been politically motivated.
His nephew Sarvar was a former Everton director who stood down on November 2 for ‘personal and health reasons’.
Announcing the measures, the government said that his assets included Beechwood House and the 16th century Sutton Place estate (pictured) in Surrey
He was also the sporting and commercial director of Everton’s women’s team.
Sarvar, 26, appeared in court last year after he was accused of assaulting Edmond Krasniqi at a flat in Hyde Park Gate, London, on 11 June.
In December the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Usmanov’s spokesman Grigory Levchenko refused to confirm or deny that Beechwood House was being sold earlier this month.
His nephew Sarvar (pictured) was a former Everton director who stood down on November 2 for ‘personal and health reasons’
He was asked by MailOnline if a swift sale was underway, and if so whether it was related to concern over any new laws targeting business people with Russian links.
Mr Lecvchenko replied: ‘Thank you for your call and for your questions. Please tell the publication that we have no comment on this list of issues.’
Lürssen who turned his family’s 150-year-old shipbuilding firm into the world’s leading superyacht builder, did not respond to a request for comment from MailOnline.
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