Super bargain? U.S. auctioning off Russian oligarch's $325 million superyacht
The winning bidder will get all the bells and whistles aboard the custom-built Lurssen yacht, including a helipad, infinity pool, beauty salon, gym, two spas and two elevators. There are multiple bars — one illuminates so that it glows — and a full grand piano situated next to the dining room.
It also features eight staterooms, and can accommodate 16 guests and 36 crew members.
While the winning bidder will likely be able to purchase the Amadea for far less than its estimated value of $325 million, the eventual cost is still expected to be prohibitive for most. Bidders are required to put down a $10 million deposit for the Sept. 10 sealed-bid auction.
The auction is being administered by National Maritime Services, a Florida-based company.
'This is perhaps the most spectacular, exacting and beautiful ship any of us will ever see,' the company's chairman, Bob Toney, said in a statement Tuesday. 'An opportunity like this for discerning owners is exceedingly rare — maybe once in a lifetime.'
The vessel was seized in Fiji three years ago through Operation KleptoCapture, a since-disbanded Justice Department task force launched in 2022 to go after the assets of sanctioned oligarchs in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It was previously owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire who has been called the 'Russian Gatsby.' He had been the subject of sanctions since 2018 for his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Amadea was one of the highest profile seizures by the DOJ task force.
Operation KleptoCapture Director Andrew Adams said in a 2022 statement that the seizure of the vessel "nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many.'
The seizure process hasn't been all smooth sailing. The federal government incurred costs of approximately $32 million tied to maintenance, storage and transportation of the Amadea, according to a recent court filing.
The U.S. government is trying to get Eduard Khudainatov, another Russian oligarch, to foot the bill for those expenses, arguing it was his effort to put a claim on the vessel which stalled the auction process. That legal fight is ongoing.
The vessel is now in the possession of the U.S. Marshals, and docked in San Diego. It will be "delivered as-is, where is" to the winning bidder, according to National Maritime Services.
The new owner could take it to distant seas — it has a 13 knot cruising speed, with a top speed of 20 knots, and an 8,000 nautical mile cruising range.
Along the way, the owner could make use of some of the other amenities, including a humidor, wine cellar, pizza oven, Jacuzzi and fully equipped infirmary, while enjoying various gold-colored trimmings and marble work throughout.
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