“One day I will buy the whole world,” said 22-year-old Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich, sitting in the small, modestly furnished kitchen of his one-room apartment on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in Moscow. No one then suspected that these words would become almost prophetic. At that moment, they could cause a slight laugh, but it is possible that subsequently those present more than once recalled that phrase and asked the rhetorical question: “And what kind of person is this?”

In general, as a child, Abramovich drank to the fullest. First, Roman’s mother died before one day before her son’s first birthday, then his father died. The boy was raised first by Uncle Leib in Ukhta, then by Uncle Abram in Moscow. In such a situation, it is no wonder that Abramovich grew up as a closed person and from childhood learned to adapt to any circumstances and any environment, that is, to think indirectly. It should be noted that in the families where he lived, Roman was loved, but these were stepfamilies. “Roman was very worried about the death of his parents,” recalls Olga Abramovich, our hero’s first wife, “but he rarely talked about them. Being an orphan forced him to grow up early and made him who he is. Fate took his parents away from him, and he wanted to build something that no one could ever take away from him.” Those around Roman at that time remember him as a quiet and laconic person. But, despite his outward modesty, serious passions and ambitions were seething inside him, his nature strove to the very top. He often repeated that he would definitely be rich, as if giving himself an instruction. He always, every minute, dreamed of wealth and was sure that he would achieve it. And in those moments when his classmates began to make fun of him, he answered that they would hear about Roma Abramovich, after which an explosion of laughter always followed. One day, according to the stories of their classmates, they all went to the cinema together, where they showed some film about the rich and their luxurious life. After the session, Roman was silent for a long time, and then said: “This is how you have to live.”

…if there is no dream, then nothing will come true.

At Moscow school No. 232, located on Trubnaya Street, Abramovich is now spoken of with great warmth. Of course, at the instigation of Roman Arkadyevich, a new gym, a computer class and a kitchen appeared there, and good repairs were made. The mere fact that Abramovich studied at this school attracts potential students, or rather their parents, to the school like a magnet, and for some time now this educational institution has received the unofficial status of an elite one. The Ukhta school, where Roman still studied, albeit for a short time, did not receive a penny from him, although the staff turned to him for help. However, his charity was never random, unmotivated and always carried some kind of message. Apparently, he had nothing to remember about the Ukhta school. At school, according to eyewitnesses, Roman did not show remarkable abilities in science, he did not show himself as a leader, but was a quiet and modest boy with a signature smile. However, he did not allow himself to be offended: despite the fact that he came to Moscow from a remote province, and children from good families studied at that Moscow school, Roman was not offended, but was accepted almost immediately. Soon his first talent emerged - the ability to organize important events. If Roman took on the task, the turnout was, as a rule, one hundred percent; no one else in the class was capable of this. His former classmate Natalya Sturm recalls an example of Roman’s non-trivial intelligence. It was in the Moscow region, where the whole class, led by the class teacher, went on an excursion, and where during the trip the village punks became attached to them, demanding to empty their pockets. Suddenly, Roman took the hooligans aside and said something to them, after which they ran away. All his classmates, of course, rushed to him with questions about what he told them, and Roman replied that he had warned them that the children of high-ranking justice officials were studying in the class. The phrase hit the mark. Although the family of Uncle Abram, in which he was raised, was quite wealthy, Roman could not help but succumb to the call of his soul. Abramovich (like, indeed, many other future oligarchs) worked part-time as a black marketeer, for which he could then get five years in places not so remote. For example, in high school, he did not hesitate to buy cigarettes at the same price and resell them at a much higher price (also perfume, chocolate, jeans). After school, Abramovich joined the army, where terrible hazing reigned at that time. However, Roman managed to do the impossible here too: he established good relations with everyone, both with the “grandfathers” and with the officers, after which he received an excellent position - marking permits at the entry and exit of cars. And, according to the stories of some colleagues, during those two years he managed to organize a football team and an amateur art club. Abramovich was demobilized at the very peak of perestroika. For some time, he continued to swindle, which brought in a small income, he even purchased goods in Moscow and flew to sell them to distant Ukhta, where the first family lived, who sheltered him after the death of his parents.

Almost immediately after the army, Abramovich got married. By the way, Abramovich’s determination was also evident in his relationships with women and future wives. He was immediately sure that he needed this particular woman, and did not hesitate in his choice. They began living with Olga a week after they met. He and his second wife, flight attendant Irina, got married a few months after their first meeting.

...you must not only know what you want, but also strive to combine desires and goals, and only then not hesitate in decisions and actions.

Witnesses to the scene mentioned at the beginning in the kitchen, when 22-year-old Roman Abramovich so prophetically outlined his fate, were Vladimir Tyurin and Abramovich’s first wife Olga. Tyurin at that time was a mediocre entrepreneur - he owned a business in Kislovodsk producing rubber children's toys. He met Roman by chance, and the modest young man with a burning gaze immediately hooked him. Soon Abramovich was already working for Tyurin, selling goods produced in Kislovodsk in Moscow, receiving 20% of the proceeds. Roman knew his business: first the toys appeared on trays in hotels, then at metro stations, then in stores. The workshop did not have time to produce, there was not even a need for a warehouse, all products were instantly sold. At the beginning of 1989, Tyurin bought the Uyut cooperative in Moscow and appointed Abramovich as its chairman. Roman behaved like a master and, in all conscience, had the moral right to do so - it was mainly through his efforts that half of Russia was overwhelmed with goods produced in Uyuta. It was during that period that the backbone of Abramovich’s future team began to be put together, its first members being Evgeniy Shvidler, Valery Oif, Andrei Blokh. Here's an interesting detail. Tyurin was a man of the old school and believed that for a career it is necessary to get an education. Abramovich only answered that he did not need this, he already sees everything ten years in advance, and education only provides a specialty and nothing more. He also had some other characteristic features of the future oligarch. For example, many note that Roman was very touchy; out of resentment, he could not talk to a person for several days. He was extremely clean, loved to wear a small beard, believing that without a beard he looked undignified and was not taken seriously. When money appeared, Roman always bought expensive perfume. He regularly donated part of his salary to the synagogue. Even then, Abramovich demonstrated an iron grip; he was ready to work from dawn to dusk just to find a new place to sell goods, even if this meant traveling hundreds of kilometers a day. Arriving home after midnight, the next morning Roman got up early and went to work. This extremely irritated his wife Olga, who wanted to see her husband at home. The country was then in a state of wild capitalism, when everyone traded everything they could, no taxes, confusion with customs duties, in a word, complete leapfrog and chaos - a paradise for people like Abramovich. And he, as we will see later, did not miss his chance. Over several “toy” and “cooperative” years, Abramovich managed to accumulate some capital. Indeed, when the whole country received 100–200 rubles a month, Abramovich’s income was 3,000–4,000 rubles. He diligently saved money in order to further put it into circulation for further development. According to Tyurin’s former employer, he saw that Roman was becoming cramped in that business. Soon the toys were forgotten for the sake of a more profitable business - the resale of petroleum products. It is possible that the industry was chosen on the advice of comrades, because Shvidler, Bloch and Oif were graduates of the Institute of Oil and Gas. “Toys were never the goal. This was one of the available means to reach the goal. And the goal was to create a business that could develop,” Abramovich said years later.

…save funds for further development.

In the early 90s, Roman Arkadyevich was already the founder and co-founder of a number of companies, according to the charter, engaged in “the production of consumer goods and intermediary activities.” Here are just a few of them: Runicom Ltd., P.K.-Trust CJSC, Mekong CJSC, Centurion-M CJSC, Agrofert LLC, Multitrans CJSC, Oilimpex CJSC, Sibreal CJSC ", CJSC "Forneft", CJSC "Servet", CJSC "Branko", LLC "Vector-A", LLC "Financial Oil Company", CJSC "Rifine Oil" and CJSC "Firm Sinks" - and this is only an incomplete list companies created by Abramovich for his business schemes. The main scheme for making a profit for Roman even then was the purchase of oil from Russian producers at local prices, its processing and sale abroad at much higher prices. The most important thing was to obtain an export license. Both pure oil and petroleum products were exported, the profitability was at least 100%. He started with the Ukhta oil refinery, where his uncle Leib had some connections, then gradually Roman made new necessary contacts. I bought petroleum products at the refinery at the same price, resold them abroad at a higher price, since I already had the initial capital. Abramovich was helped into serious oil circles by his friend Andrei Gorodilov, whose father, Viktor Gorodilov, was the head of Noyabrskneftegaz, at that time one of the largest oil and gas producing enterprises in the country. (By the way, Andrei Gorodilov will then organically fit into “Abramovich’s team”, and subsequently his main task will be the noble mission to revive Chukotka.) Perhaps, at first, Abramovich was content with the resale of petroleum products from the Omsk Refinery, where Noyabrskneftegaz oil was processed. Let us remind you that both Noyabrskneftegaz and the Omsk Oil Refinery were the second most powerful in the world at that time! — were then part of the state-owned Rosneft.

It is quite possible that even then, at the sight of all this splendor, some plan began to emerge in Roman’s head. Indeed, it was difficult for such an ambitious person to get used to the fact that most of the oil from Noyabrskneftegaz (three quarters) was exported not to him, but to a certain company “Balkar-Trading”, whose roots were in the Kremlin. Yes, Abramovich was already a successful entrepreneur at that time, but still one of many who was engaged in similar activities. And he wanted more. Inevitably, the understanding came that serious success requires some serious breakthrough, and it is unlikely to happen without influential support, or, as they say, without a “roof,” preferably with connections at the highest levels. Moreover, it was necessary to hurry up with decisive actions, since reforms in the oil industry were brewing in the country, and it was planned to give oil enterprises the right to sell oil abroad themselves. Before this, only special exporters with a license, like Abramovich’s offices, had this right. Roman Arkadyevich could remain out of work. Moreover, according to insider information that Andrei Gorodilov revealed to Abramovich, Noyabrskneftegaz and the Omsk Oil Refinery were planned to be withdrawn from Rosneft for transfer at a symbolic price to the same Balkar-Trading. A plan matured, according to which Abramovich was to recruit the management of the above-mentioned oil enterprises and enlist the support of the Kremlin.

...try to build chains: how, where and through whom you can meet the right people. And patiently achieve your goal, without expecting quick results.

Chapter 1. Call of the Soul