Akhmetov gave Ukrainian skeletonist Heraskevych UAH 10 million - twice as much as they receive for Olympic gold

The president of Donetsk Shakhtar Rinat Akhmetov announced that he is giving UAH 10 million to skeletonist Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was suspended from participating in the 2026 Olympic Games due to a "memory helmet".

This was stated on the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation's page on social networks, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Vlad Heraskevych was deprived of the opportunity to fight for victory at the Olympic Games, but he returns to Ukraine as a true winner. The respect and pride that he earned among Ukrainians with his act is the highest award," the report says.

Akhmetov added that he wants to provide the athlete with resources to continue his career and fight for truth, freedom and the memory of those who were killed for Ukraine.

The amount allocated by Akhmetov is almost twice the standard bonus for Ukrainian athletes for Olympic gold – USD 125,000, which is more than UAH 5 million.

Rinat Akhmetov is a Ukrainian oligarch and businessman, he is the richest person in Ukraine, the president of the Shakhtar football club and a former MP from the Party of Regions. Akhmetov heads the company System Capital Management (SCM), which controls more than 500 enterprises in the mining and metallurgical, energy, telecommunications, transport, agricultural and real estate sectors.

As of February March 2026, the international magazine Forbes estimates Rinat Akhmetov's fortune at approximately USD 7.8-7.9 billion.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the IOC disqualified Vladyslav Heraskevych for wearing a "memory helmet" that allegedly did not comply with the principles of the Olympic Charter regarding the neutrality of equipment and the prohibition of political or other messages during competitions. The helmet depicted deceased Ukrainian athletes, including children.