Ekaterina Rybolovleva

Ekaterina Dmitrievna Rybolovleva (born 4 June 1989, in Perm, Soviet Union) is a businesswoman, equestrian and socialite. She is the daughter of Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev.[1] A competitor in equestrian competitions,[2] she is also the owner of several businesses and properties, including those on the islands of Skorpios and Sparti. Rybolovleva owns the football club AS Monaco FC via a trust in her name, although her father serves as the president.[3]

Equestrian career

Rybolovleva began riding horses at age 11 and has been trained by British show jumper and three-time Olympian Ben Maher.[4][5]

On 17 March 2007, she took part in the Officiel d’Evordes showjumping competition, where she placed in the first round R2/L2. In August 2007, she participated in a show jumping competition in Verbier, where she took the third position R3/M. In 2008, she placed in the first round E3/M1 in the Officiel d’Evordes, riding her mare, Eole Perruques. In addition to Eole Perruques, Rybolovleva owns several other horses which she rides in competition, Uropo, Cherubin van de Helle, Lucky the Man, Obelix du Thot, and Celesto Z.[5]

She first participated in the Gucci Masters in 2009, and became a winner in December 2010, with Malin Baryard-Johnsson, after performing to the music track "Rasputin" by Boney M.[6][7] In 2011, she participated in the new Gucci Masters with Kevin Staut, with a choreography to musical "Moulin Rouge".[8] She won the Gucci Masters in 2012.[9]

Investments

In 2011, a trust acting in the interest of Rybolovleva acquired a 627 square meter (6,700 square feet) apartment in New York for $88 million.[10][11] The price for the penthouse apartment at 15 Central Park West was, at the time of the transaction, a record for the city.[12][13] The apartment has served as Rybolovleva's home in the US whenever she attended psychology and finance classes at Harvard Extension School.[14] That same year, a trust acting in Rybolovleva's interest purchased a Hawaiian mansion, on Kauai's North Shore, from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.[15] At the time, the property was 7 acres. The trust added a 21-acre adjacent lot, quadrupling the size of the oceanfront property.[16]

In 2013, a company belonging to a trust acting in the interest of Rybolovleva completed the purchase of a group of companies formerly owned by Athina Onassis, the granddaughter of shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Amongst the assets of this group of companies were the islands of Skorpios and Sparti, an uninhabited island 2 kilometers North of Skorpios.[17] The 74-acre island of Skorpios, the second-most valuable private island in the world,[18] was made famous by Aristotle Onassis's wedding to Jackie Kennedy there in 1968.[19] Rybolovleva has said that she views the acquisition of the islands, which she referred to as her "private shelter" and "home away from home", as a "long-term financial investment" which she plans to develop using "environmentally friendly technology."[20][21] The current plans for the island include the development of a green luxury accommodation complex with a multi sports facility, including an Olympic-sized horseback riding arena, a cinema, a spa and a large artificial lake.[22][23][24] The development is projected to cost up to €165 million.[25]

The mayor of neighboring Lefkada, Kostas Aravanis, and other local officials met with Ryobovleva and her father shortly after the sale was announced.[26] Aravanis said that Rybolovleva's investment in Skorpios "could help the local economy, because some people will be employed there, and it will promote the area internationally."[27]

Onassis stated in his will that the island would remain in the family as long as they could afford to cover its maintenance expenses. According to the will, if his descendants could not cover the expenses, the island would be donated either to Olympic Airways or to the state.[26] Therefore, the island is now leased to the heiress for 99 years time, still under the ownership of Athina Onassis.[28][29]

Rybolovleva's ownership of some assets, including the New York apartment and Skorpios, was challenged by her mother, Elena, during her divorce from Rybolovlev.[30] In a major ruling in May 2014, a Geneva court confirmed the validity of the trust structures through which Rybolovleva owns these assets, meaning they are immune from legal challenge in the case.[31]

AS Monaco

On 28 February 2023, Ekaterina Rybolovleva was elected AS Monaco’s vice-president. She replaced Oleg Petrov, who had been in the office since 2019.[32] Rybolovleva has been a member of the ASM Board of Directors since 2011.[32] Her husband Juan Sartori is currently also a board member, and vice president of AS Monaco Football Club, since 2021.[32]

Personal life

Rybolovleva married Uruguayan businessman and politician Juan Sartori on October 21, 2015, in a private ceremony in Skorpios,[33][34] one day after her parents announced that they had reached a settlement in their 7-year divorce battle.[35] The wedding was only the second one on the island since that of Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968.[36] Rybolovleva met Sartori in Lausanne, while he was studying at HEC Lausanne.[37]

The couple has two children together and live in Uruguay, where Sartori is currently a Senator.[38][39] In 2019, Sartori was a candidate for the National Party's primaries for the 2019 Uruguayan presidential election and obtained 20% of the votes.[40] Rybolovleva supported him during his campaign trail. During the presidential election, Sartori and Rybolovleva visited an animal shelter and adopted a two-month-old puppy, Esperanza.[41] 

Sartori is one of the major shareholders of EFL Championship football team Sunderland AFC.[42][43]

References

  1. Greco, Patti (December 7, 2012). "The Best Young Equestrians in the World, in Photos". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 2020-04-06.
  2. "Results of Ekaterina Rybolovleva". Longines Global Champions Tour. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. Conn, David (September 20, 2013). "Monaco have plenty of money and ambition but not many supporters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20.
  4. "Ekaterina Rybolovleva: redefiniendo a los oligarcas". Reporte Indigo (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  5. Ramsay, Arnaud (2018). Dmitry Rybolovlev: The Man Behind Monaco's Football Renaissance. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785902949.
  6. "The Billionaires and Blue-Bloods Behind The London Olympic Equestrian Team". Forbes. July 31, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03.
  7. "Charlotte Casiraghi et sa mère Caroline de Hanovre illuminent le Gucci Masters !". fr.news.yahoo.com (in French). Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  8. "The Style and Competition Challenge for AMADE" (Press release). EquestrianProfessional.com. December 3, 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05.
  9. "Ahlmann wins for the men at Paris Masters". Eurosport. 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  10. Dana, Rebecca (16 January 2012). "Ekaterina Rybolovleva, Russia's Latest Mini-Oligarch in America". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2018-02-11.
  11. Chibber, Kabir. "Stay calm, New York has its first $100 million apartment". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  12. Matthews, Laura (20 December 2011). "Who is Ekaterina Rybolovleva? 5 Things to Know About Billionaire Russian Heiress". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2012-12-21.
  13. Kroll, Luisa. "Billionaire's Daughter Pays Record Sum For NYC Pad". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  14. Barrionuevo, Alexei (5 April 2012). "Divorce, Oligarch Style". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-04-07.
  15. Taylor, Candace (2015-07-16). "Russian Heiress Lists Large Kauai Estate, Formerly Owned by Will Smith". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  16. Fowler, Brittany. "The Russian heiress who bought Will Smith's former Hawaiian estate is selling it for $29.5 million". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  17. "24-Year-Old Russian Billionaire Heiress Is The Buyer Of Greece's Most Famous Private Island". Business Insider. April 19, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20.
  18. Abrams, Margaret (2020-08-11). "The luxury private islands owned by Beyonce, Leo and more". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  19. Brennan, Morgan. "Confirmed: Russian Billionaire Heiress Buys Famed Greek Island Of Skorpios". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  20. Anderson, Steve (April 13, 2013). "Greek island where Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy sold for '£100m' to Russian socialite Ekaterina Rybolovleva". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11.
  21. Dangremond, Sam (2015-10-20). "The Daughter of a Russian Billionaire Is Getting Married on the Same Greek Island Where Jackie Onassis Was Wed". Town & Country. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  22. "Russian Billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev Vows to Turn Skorpios Into a "Greek Island Paradise"". GreekReporter.com. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  23. "A Plan for Skorpios: The Future of the Island Once Owned by Onassis". Greece Is. 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  24. "The new owner of the island of Scorpios will make it an elite resort". Grekodom Development. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  25. E.Tsiliopoulos. "Skorpios island, the former Onasis retreat, upgraded by the Rybolovlev family". newgreektv.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  26. "The Greek state is investigating the sale of Skorpios". Grreporter.info. 28 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14.
  27. Malkoutzis, Nick (May 30, 2013). "Greek Islands for Sale". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2020-04-07.
  28. Hider, James (April 30, 2013). "Helicopters, horses and happiness: what happened to Athina Onassis". The Times.
  29. economia. "Billions of euros to be invested in new tourism resorts around Greece". economia.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  30. Fernholz, Tim. "It will take the world's biggest divorce to learn who owns the most expensive real estate in the US". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  31. Kroll, Luisa (19 May 2014). "Billionaire's Ex-Wife Awarded Record-Breaking $4.5 Billion But Battle For The Money Is Far From Over". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2014-05-21.
  32. Entwistle, Luke (2023-02-28). "AS MONACO: Oleg Petrov leaves, Ekaterina Sartori Ryboloveva becomes vice-president". Monaco Life. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  33. Dangremond, Sam (20 October 2015). "The Daughter of a Russian Billionaire Is Getting Married on the Same Greek Island Where Jackie Onassis Was Wed". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27.
  34. ElPais. "Uruguayo se casó en la isla de Skorpios con millonaria rusa". Diario EL PAIS Uruguay (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  35. Ward, Vicky (20 October 2015). "T&C Exclusive: Inside the World's Most Expensive Divorce". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27.
  36. "Ekaterina Rybolovleva Weds on Skorpios Island in Private Ceremony". GreekReporter.com. 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  37. "Η κόρη του Ριμπολόβλεφ έριξε μαύρη πέτρα στον Σκορπιό | newsbreak" (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  38. "Зять российского миллиардера выдвигается на пост президента Уругвая: прогнозы и шансы — LACRUS" (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  39. "Juan Sartori set to star in a behind the scenes documentary - as confusion over his Sunderland role continues". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  40. "Lacalle Pou ganó la interna del Partido Nacional". canal10.com.uy (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  41. "Sartori propuso exoneraciones tributarias para ONGs protectoras de animales y la creación de un Hospital Veterinario". Diario La República (in Spanish). 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  42. "Sunderland AFC takeover: Fresh Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori ownership share claim". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  43. "Louis-Dreyfus completes Sunderland takeover". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
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