Roman Abramovich has today announced he is to separate from his third wife after 10 years of marriage - in a move which could potentially spark the world's most expensive divorce.

The Russian oligarch, 50, who is worth £7billion, and his magazine editor wife Dasha Zhukova, 36, have 'amicably' agreed to part ways, but will continue to work together for their joint businesses and two children.

It comes one week after Abramovich, 50, attended a social event in St Petersburg without Zhukova, as locals took selfies with the billionaire.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old was seen enjoying herself with wealthy New York socialites and was spotted on a quiet dinner with the boyfriend of supermodel Karlie Kloss - Joshua Kushner.

She spent her birthday in New York with her two children and was photographed not wearing her wedding ring on June 8.

It is not clear at this stage if they have a prenuptial agreement. The daughter of Russian oil magnate Alexander Zhukov, she is extremely wealthy in her own right.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and his wife Dasha Zhukova (pictured) have separated

The couple today confirmed their separation in a joint statement, describing it as a 'difficult decision to separate'. A care-free Zhukova is pictured here beaming in a friend's social media post in Antibes last month

A smiley-looking Dasha (pictured, far right) spent last week without her husband on David Geffen's yacht Rising Sun, with guests including Oprah, Diane Von Furstenberg and Disney boss Bob Iger

Zhukova looked care-free as she partied with Katy Perry (left) and Derek Blasberg on July 4

Another friend shared a photo of a laughing Dasha (centre) with friends including model Karlie Kloss (second from the left) two days ago during a meet-up in the Hamptons

Dasha wasn't wearing a wedding ring when she posed for this photograph while drinking coffee on June 8

Businessman Roman Abramovich at the 2017 Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi in June

Abramovich's divorce settlement of £150million with his second wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina in 2007 was the fourth largest break-up bill in the world at the time.

And experts believe he will try to get the divorce settled in Russia to minimise his payout of assets, which includes luxury mansions, yachts and supercars.

While Abramovich has been spotted looking downbeat at recent events, art dealer Daria has been seen giggling and laughing at high-profile receptions in New York in a series of pictures posted online.

Exclusively telling the New York Post's, Page Six, today they said: 'After 10 years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close friends, parents and partners in the projects we developed together.

'We are committed to jointly raising our two children.

'We will also continue to work together as co-founders of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow and the New Holland Island cultural center in Saint Petersburg.'

David Leadercramer, a partner at law firm DMH Stallard, told The Sun Online: 'My belief is that unless there's been some agreement between them, the likelihood is that they'll probably get divorced in Russia.

'We are known as the divorce capital of the world here, so most women try to get divorced here if they can in the case of large wealth.

'If it was England, she wold get a very considerable sum. She's been married to him for 10 years, they've got two children together. He was was a very wealthy man before he met her and he's a very wealthy man now.

'It's impossible to say what it would be at this stage. I wouldn't say hundreds of millions, but it's going to run into a lot of money.'

Roman Abramovich's 18,000 square-foot, $78million (£60m) mansion on New York's Upper East Side

Roman Abramovich owns this £50million house the West Side of Kensington Palace Gardens in London

The couple, who have two children together, announced their separation today and insisted the split was amicable

It comes one week after Abramovich, 50, attended a social event in St Petersburg without Zhukova, as locals took selfies with the billionaire

Just a few months ago, the 36-year-old was spotted on a quiet dinner with boyfriend of supermodel Karlie Kloss - Joshua Kushner

The Chelsea FC owner and main owner of private investment firm Millhouse LLC, Abramovich, married Zhukova in 2008 at a private ceremony.

But the couple kept their wedding a secret for a whole six years.

It was only in a 2014 Wall Street Journal article that the detail of their relationship was let slip.

The publication referred to the couple saying that they, 'met in 2005 and were married a few years later'.

Putting on a brave face: Roman Abramovich smiles for the camera at a social event in St Petersburg last week

Businessman Roman Abramovich arrived in St. Petersburg to open the 'Bottle' building on New Holland last week without his wife

He attended an evening concert in the open courtyard and posed for pictures with excited locals

Abramovich pictured with a local in St Petersburg last week at an event

Abramovich and Daria 'Dasha' Zhukova (left) in Moscow in March and (right) in Portofino, Italy, in 2013

It has been reported that Russian-American Dasha gave her permission for the article to run the details but did not give any more information about when exactly she and the Chelsea FC owner wed.

The couple own homes in London, Moscow, Colorado, the Caribbean and the South of France and Roman also owns some of the world's biggest yachts.

They have two children, a son, Aaron Alexander, born in 2009 and daughter, Leah Lou, born in 2013. Both children were born in the USA.

The Chelsea FC owner and main owner of private investment firm Millhouse LLC, Abramovich, married Zhukova in 2008 at a private ceremony. They are pictured together in happier times in 2014

She met Abramovich in 2005 when he was married to his second wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina, reportedly at a New Year party organised by her oil magnate father

She was dating former Russian tennis star Marat Safin at the time. The power couple became officially linked in 2007 after Abramovich had divorced

Zhukov is Abarmovich's third wife. Born in Moscow, to a scientist mother and oil trader father, Zhukov moved to US with her mother at the age of 10 when her parents split up.

No trophy wife, she attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with honours with degrees in Slavic Studies and Literature.

From a market stall selling dolls to a Chelsea mansion: The VERY different lives of Abramovich's wives Dasha isn't Roman's first wife, in fact the owner of Chelsea Football club has actually been married twice before and has seven children... Wife number 1: Olga Yurevna Lysova (1987-1990) Little is known about Roman's first wife Olga. The couple married in 1987 but were divorced just three years later in 1990. They did not have any children together. In 1988 the couple set up a market stall selling dolls - a business which she described as having bought the couple success almost immediately. And it was a wedding present from Olga's parents that would help him to make his first investment. They gifted the newlyweds 2,000 rubles - around £1,000 at the time - which he invested and managed to double and then triple the cash within a year. Roman and his second wife Irina married in 1991 and split in 2007 amid reports that he was dating Dasha Wife number 2: Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina (1991-2007) Just a year after his divorce from Olga, Roman married air-stewardess Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina in 1991. The couple had five children: Arkadiy, Ilya, Arina, Sofia and Anna but subsequently divorced in 2007 as it was reported in 2006 that Roman already had a close friendship with Dasha, who was then 25. Much speculation followed as to how much their divorce settlement would be worth with it eventually being reported that Irina had been awarded £155million - the largest settlement in the world. Advertisement

She met Abramovich in 2005 when he was married to his second wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina, reportedly at a New Year party organised by her oil magnate father.

She was dating former Russian tennis star Marat Safin at the time. The power couple became officially linked in 2007 after Abramovich had divorced.

In February 2009 Zhukov, who previously owned her own fashion label Kova & T, was made editor of avant garde fashion magazine, POP.

However, she got everyone talking when she sensationally quit after just three issues.

Then in 2014 she caused uproar by posing for a photograph, in which the chair she sat in was formed from a black female mannequin, in online fashion publication Buro 24/7.

Both Zhukov and the publication were accused of racism and she later released a statement saying: 'This photograph, which has been published completely out of context, is of an art work intended specifically as a commentary on gender and racial politics.

'I utterly abhor racism and would like to apologize to those offended by my participation in this shoot.'

A popular socialite, Zhukov has regularly been seen out and about with some of society and fashion's finest.

She now runs her own magazine Garage - as well as an arts centre in Russia - which is part-funded by her husband.

The true scale of the Russian oligrach's wealth has remained a mystery but it is estimated to be between £5billion and £7billion.

According to Forbes 2017 billionaire list, Abramovich's net worth was $9.2billion (£7.07billion), making him the 12th richest person in Russia, and the 139th richest person in the world.

Abramovich has a vast property in the UK and more than £72million spare cash in 22 bank accounts in Russia.

Most of his property is in Russia, where he has four homes, compared with two in the U.S, three in France, and one in Britain - which includes six flats and a house.

The jewels in his crown are his 557ft £1.5billion super yacht Eclipse, and his £90million Kensington mansion.

He has made his money from property, steel and mining since the collapse of communism in Russia.

In 2012 he was forced to reveal some of his wealth to the Russian authorities.

In February 2009 Zhukov, who previously owned her own fashion label Kova & T, was made editor of avant garde fashion magazine, POP

In 2014 she caused uproar by posing for a photograph, in which the chair she sat in was formed from a black female mannequin, in online fashion publication Buro 24/7.

Dasha, right, here with US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, left, in Paris, is big on the fashion scene

He said he has almost £72million in 22 bank accounts, and more than £25million held in shares.

Mr Abramovich also said he had six apartments and one house in London, four homes in Russia, three homes in France - including two in its Caribbean colony of St Barts - and two U.S. ski lodges

He also has seven cars, including two BMWs, three Mercedes, a Range Rover and a £7,000 VW Golf.

His 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC was named as one of his main assets.

It was a far cry from Mr Abramovich's first declaration as a Russian MP in 1998 when his only car was a modest Lada, and he reported he had no land or properties.

One of billionaire Abramovich's many homes, this one a £30million mansion in Cap d'Antibes in the South of France

Chelsea's Premier League title win last season is their 14th major trophy under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, who bought the club in the summer of 2003 when they were on the brink of administration

Chelsea's Premier League title win last season is their 14th major trophy under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, who bought the club in the summer of 2003 when they were on the brink of administration.

But the success has come at a cost, with Chelsea spending £806million net on transfers under Abramovich's reign, and almost £2.4billion on wages.

Russian oligarch Abramovich has had to fund much of the glory from his own pockets rather than Chelsea's income: Chelsea's parent company Fordstam owes Abramovich £1.053bn in loans according to the latest accounts, and rising.

Irina Abramovich was spotted shopping in Chelsea, south-west London in 2014

In the Abramovich era, United have spent less on transfers (£486m net) and wages (£2.1bn) and at the same time have suffered as more than £1bn has been taken out of the club as a result of their ownership by the Glazer family since 2005.

Abramovich married former Russian air stewardess, Irina, in October 1991 but they divorced almost 16 years later in 2007 - in a divorce settlement said to be in the region of £150million.

Although details of the 'quickie' divorce in Moscow have been kept hidden under Russia's secretive legal system, it is thought Irina was left with a lump sum as well as four homes.

She supposedly won the £18million Fyning Hill Estate in Petersfield, West Sussex, which was Abramovich's main base in the UK as well as two of the pair's London homes at Eaton Square and Chester Square.

The Chelsea FC owner is also said to have agreed to pay for the couple's five children; Anna, Arkady, Sonya, Arina and Ilya.

The settlement is a marked contrast to the divorce settlement with his first wife, Olga – who he married in January 1988.

She claims he left her with a two-bedroom flat in Moscow and just enough money to live on for two years when they split in 1989.

No trophy wife: Born to a scientist and an oil trader, Abramovich's popular socialite ex is 'exceptionally wealthy in her own right' Born in Moscow, to an scientist mother and oil trader father, Darya or 'Dasha' moved to US with her mother at the age of 10 Born in Moscow, to a scientist mother and oil trader father, Darya or 'Dasha' moved to US with her mother at the age of 10 when her parents split up. No trophy wife, Dasha attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with honours with degrees in Slavic Studies and Literature. Dasha met Roman in 2005 when he was married to his second wife Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina, reportedly at a New Year party organised by her oil magnate father. She was dating former Russian tennis star Marat Safin at the time. The power couple became officially linked in 2007 after Roman had divorced. In February 2009 Dasha, who previously owned her own fashion label Kova & T, was made editor of avant garde fashion magazine, POP. However, she got everyone talking when she sensationally quit after just three issues. Then in 2014 she caused uproar by posing for a photograph, in which the chair she sat in was formed from a black female mannequin, in online fashion publication Buro 24/7. Both Dasha and the publication were accused of racism and she later released a statement saying: 'This photograph, which has been published completely out of context, is of an art work intended specifically as a commentary on gender and racial politics. 'I utterly abhor racism and would like to apologise to those offended by my participation in this shoot.' A popular socialite, Dasha has regularly been seen out and about with some of society and fashion's finest. She now runs her own magazine Garage - as well as an arts centre in Russia - which is part-funded by her husband. Advertisement

Could Roman Abramovich's portfolio of a football club, yachts, mansions and supercars now be up for grabs?

Roman Abramovich owns a football club, the second largest yacht in the world and many luxury mansions and apartments across the globe.

He also boasts a large fleet of supercars and all of these goods do not come cheap.

Here, MailOnline looks at some his top assets.

Abramovich's 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC was named as one of his main assets

A Ferrari FXX prototype supercar owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich which was on show at the German Nurburgring race track in Germany. It is worth around £1.5million

Pictured is Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's Eclipse yacht - the second largest in the world

The beast of a boat, which was bought by the current Chelsea owner, is worth an estimated £1.5billion

Roman Abramovich's 18,000 square-foot, $78million (£60m) mansion on New York's Upper East Side

Roman Abramovich owns this £50million house the West Side of Kensington Palace Gardens in London

One of billionaire Abramovich's many homes, this one a £30million mansion in Cap d'Antibes in the South of France

A Bugatti Veyron, which is also included in Mr Abramovich's car collection. This car is worth £1.2million

Mr Abramovich's Aston Martin Vulcan. This car is said to be worth more than £1.7million

The second Ferrari 488 GT3, worth £182,809, that is part of the Russian's car collection, which he took to the Nurburgring race track in Germany

Only 15 Pagna Zonda R vehicles have ever been produced and they comes with a hefty price tag of over £2.5million