Profile: Alisher Usmanov, Arsenal's new oligarch
Alisher Usmanov has a reputation as a hard man of business even among RussiaÂ’s oligarchs and once acknowledged that shares were his favourite possession. Rated RussiaÂ’s 18th richest man and worth an estimated $5.5 billion, the metals and mining mogul has shown no previous interest in football. His only prominent involvement in sport until now has been as president of the Russian and European fencing associations.
But Mr Usmanov has been building up a media empire in Russia, with Kremlin approval, and may see a stake in Arsenal as a way to boost audiences by screening matches to football-crazy fans.
Like other billionaire businessman in Moscow, nervous of a sudden turn against them by the Kremlin, he may also have concluded from Roman AbramovichÂ’s ownership of Chelsea that a stake in a high-profile foreign club helps to protect other assets at home from official prying.
Mr Usmanov, who is married and has two children, was born in Uzbekistan but is a Russian citizen. He is linked to the Kremlin as general director of Gazprominvestholding, the subsidiary that manages the debts of the state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom.
He has enjoyed a privileged position during Mr PutinÂ’s presidency to the extent that he was forced to deny speculation that he had bought Kommersant, one of RussiaÂ’s most influential papers, at the KremlinÂ’s request.
With Mr Putin due to stand down as President in March, Mr UsmanovÂ’s involvement with Arsenal may be an insurance policy against any unexpected downturn in relations with his successor as president.