Alexandre Gaydamak is the owner and chairman of Portsmouth football club. He is the son of billionaire businessman Arcady Gaydamak, who is wanted in France for his alleged involvement in illegal arms trafficking to Angola. Alexandre claims he has made his own money but at least 7 of the companies he owned have been dissolved and it is almost certain his father started him in business with his own private funding.

Gaydamak bought Portsmouth on the 6th of January 2006 paying £35m for the club after receiveing an introduction from Israeli super-agent Pini Zahavi. He had previously encouraged his father to buy Beitar Jerusalem in Israel where the pair had become resident since the warrant for Arcady’s arrest was issued in France and despite being a Marseille fan settled upon buying Pompey after watching a game at Fratton park.

As of February 2008 a number of rumours have circulated that Gaydamak is willing to consider offers in the region of £60m to relinquish his controlling stake in Portsmouth  but the club have been quick to refute this as mere speculation.

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