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 entrepreneur, Dmitry Rybolovlev.[1] A keen competitor in equestrian competitions around the world,[2] she is also the owner of several businesses and properties, including those on the islands of Skorpios and Sparti. Rybolovleva is the owner of football club AS Monaco FC via a trust in her name although her father serves as the president.[3]

Equestrian career

After many years of instruction, on 17 March 2007 Rybolovleva 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.

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.[4] In 2011 she participated in the new Gucci Masters with Kevin Staut, with the choreography to musical "Moulin Rouge".[5]

Acquisitions and properties

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.[6] The price for the penthouse apartment at 15 Central Park West was, at the time of the transaction, a record for the city.[7] The apartment has served as Rybolovleva's home in the US whenever she attended classes at Harvard Extension School.[8]

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.[9] The island of Skorpios was made famous by Aristotle Onassis’s wedding to Jackie Kennedy there in 1968. Rybolovleva has said that she views the acquisition of the islands as a “long-term financial investment” which she plans to develop using “environmentally friendly technology.”[10] Sparti is an uninhabited island 2 km north of Skorpios.

The mayor of neighboring Lefkada, Kostas Aravanis, and other local officials met with Ryobovleva and her father shortly after the sale was announced.[11] 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."[12]

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.[11] Therefore, the island is now leased to the heiress for 99 years time, still under the ownership of Athina Onassis Roussel.

Rybolovleva's ownership of some assets, including the New York apartment and Skorpios, was challenged by her mother, Elena, as part of an ongoing divorce case involving her parents. However, 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.[13]

Rybolovleva told Paris Match in May 2014 that she planned to hold a gathering on Skorpios of around one hundred friends to celebrate her 25th birthday.[14]

Philanthropy

Rybolovleva revealed in Paris Match, in the same May 2014 interview that she has established a foundation dedicated to the welfare of children, particularly those with disabilities.[14] In June 2014, she held an event on the island of Skorpios to celebrate her 25th birthday. Instead of accepting gifts for her birthday, Rybolovleva requested that her guests make a donation to a number of children's charities in Lefkada, through her foundation.[15]

Personal life

Rybolovleva married Uruguayan businessman Juan Sartori on October 21, 2015 on Skorpios,[16] one day after her parents announced that they had reached a settlement in their 7-year divorce battle.[17]

References
  1. Greco, Patti (7 December 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 (20 September 2013). "Monaco have plenty of money and ambition but not many supporters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20.
  4. "The Billionaires and Blue-Bloods Behind The London Olympic Equestrian Team". Forbes. 31 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03.
  5. "The Style and Competition Challenge for AMADE" (Press release). EquestrianProfessional.com. 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05.
  6. Dana, Rebecca (16 January 2012). "Ekaterina Rybolovleva, Russia's Latest Mini-Oligarch In America". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2018-02-11.
  7. 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.
  8. Barrionuevo, Alexei (5 April 2012). "Divorce, Oligarch Style". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-04-07.
  9. "24-Year-Old Russian Billionaire Heiress Is The Buyer Of Greece's Most Famous Private Island". Business Insider. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20.
  10. Anderson, Steve (13 April 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.
  11. "The Greek state is investigating the sale of Skorpios". Grreporter.info. 28 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14.
  12. Malkoutzis, Nick (30 May 2013). "Greek Islands for Sale". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2020-04-07.
  13. 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.
  14. Coupérie-Eiffel, Virginie (21 May 2014). "L'héritière Rybolovlev - La nouvelle muse de Skorpios". Paris Match (in French). Archived from the original on 2014-05-25.
  15. "The big day for Katia's party on Skorpios island has come". Crash Magazine Online. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-06-13.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
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