French authorities froze Abramovich’s villa on the Cote d’Azur

French authorities seized the villa Roman Abramovich in the south of France, which once belonged to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, according to The Wall Street Journal. Located in one of the most prestigious parts of the French Riviera, Cap d’Antibes, the Chateau de la Crau is valued at around £90 million (over $117 million) by local real estate agents.

Abramovich has spent around £30m rebuilding the mansion after he bought it in 2001, building a 15m rooftop swimming pool and building in a huge gym and home theater system in the basement.

Over the years, the castle belonged to actress Greta Garbo, King Leopold II and billionaire Aristotle Onassis. The former King of England Edward VIII and the American socialite Wallis Simpson also rested here in the status of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
On the eve of Abramovich’s assets worth $ 7 billion, the authorities of the island of Jersey, the crown territory of Great Britain, froze. This is equivalent to about half of his fortune: according to the publication, he has $ 13.9 billion, in the Forbes rating for 2021, his assets were estimated at $ 14.5 billion.
The billionaire came under UK sanctions on March 10, and on March 15 under EU sanctions. The island of Jersey has its own administration, but is a possession of the British Crown. The island authorities said they would follow the UK sanctions.