Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich won "substantial damages" and a formal apology from an Italian newspaper which falsely claimed that he had a "serious gambling problem," the High Court in London was told Thursday, DPA reported.
The legal action arose from allegations published in an article in the La Repubblica newspaper last May, entitled "A black year for Abramovich as he loses a yacht at poker."
His lawyer, John Kelly, told a judge in London that the claims had caused the "internationally well-known and wealthy" Russian businessman" distress and embarrassment."
He told High Court judge David Eady that the newspaper's publisher, Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, had agreed to pay Abramovich "substantial damages" which he intended to donate to charity. The sum was not disclosed.
Kelly said that although La Repubblica was primarily circulated in Italy, copies were also distributed in Britain.
Kelly said the report alleged that Abramovich, 43, had "suffered a heavy loss in a poker game and had been forced to hand over a luxury yacht worth half a million euros to cover his gambling debt."
It also alleged that Abramovich's gambling habits had led to a crisis with his partner, Russian fashion designer Dasha Zhukova, and that he was now "gambling online."
Abramovich, who owns Chelsea football club, divorced his wife Irina in 2007. He has been with Zhukova, an international socialite, for three years.