Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s divorce pot to get £100m dividend fillip

The decision by Russian steel firm Evraz to start paying dividends again couldn’t have come sooner for its largest shareholder, Roman Abramovich, who is heading for a costly divorce.

The FTSE 250 company, in which Abramovich has a 31% stake, surprised investors when it said it would pay an interim dividend worth $430 million (£331 million), meaning a $130 million (£100 million) payday next month for the Chelsea owner.

Russia’s second-largest steelmaker, which has not paid a divi since 2014 amid mounting debts, was not expected to return to one this year. The company said the decision was a result of its stronger financial position.

Revenues in the first half of the year jumped 44% to $5.1 billion thanks to strong steel and coal prices, which helped profits soar to $831 million from $333 million last year.

Abramovich, 50, and his wife Darya “Dasha” Zhukova announced this week that they are to separate after 10 years together. The tycoon, worth £6.4 billion according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List, has been divorced twice already.

Evraz’s shares rose 1.5% to 273.6, valuing Abramovich’s stake at £1.2 billion.