$500+ Million Yacht Serene Might Be Hiding a Leonardo Da Vinci Painting

Mohammed bin Salman is King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s son, and his family is reportedly worth over $1 trillion. Which gives him a lot of room to spend money on whatever his heart desires. Which bin Salman did: he purchased one of the world’s most expensive yachts.

He also purchased the world’s most expensive painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, for almost half a billion dollars in 2017. Here’s where it gets interesting. Mohammed bin Salman reportedly brought the painting and hung it on the wall of a cabin on his superyacht, Serene, The Times reported back in April. Both purchases together amount to over $1 billion.

However, auctioneer Christie’s denied the report, as the painting should have been hung at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. It never showed up on the scheduled events, and no one actually knows the whereabouts of the expensive painting. Except bin Salman, of course. Could it be, in fact, sailing around the world on the Serene?

Art lovers are concerned that one of the most expensive paintings in the world is not even on dry land. But the painting could feel right at home on Serene, surrounded by wealth and luxury.

Built in 2011, the yacht was initially intended for Russian vodka tycoon Yuri Shefler, with a cost of $330 million. The superyacht saw its fair share of famous people on board, with Bill Gates, for instance, leasing it for $5 million a week in the summer of 2014. When Prince Mohammed bin Salman vacationed in the south of France in 2015, he came across the vessel, and bought it for approximately €500 million ($577 million at today’s exchange rate).

What is it so special about it, and what can you do on board? So, so much.

Fincantieri built the yacht, working with Espen Øino International (who also was involved in designing the exterior for the Flying Fox) for its exterior design and naval architecture. When it comes to its interior design, it was penned by Reymond Langton Design Ltd. and Luca Dini Design & Architecture.

The boat has a beam of 18.6 m (61 ft), a draft of 5.54 m (18 ft), and a length of 134 m (439 ft), spanning across seven decks. It has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, and is powered by 8 MTU engines which put out over 22,000 horsepower, bringing the vessel to a top speed of 20 knots, and a cruise speed of 15 knots.

This is where the fun begins, because the superyacht can accommodate up to 24 guests in 12 cabins with private decks, and 52 crew members, including the captain, in 30 cabins.

With two helipads and storage for a large submarine or a tender docking station, Serene offers several pools, Spas, a snow room, and a steam room. There are several areas dedicated to children, including a playroom with a climbing wall, and an entertainment center with the latest video game consoles.

There’s a room for underwater viewing, and an outdoor cinema, while one of the helipads can turn into a dance floor or a pool, if the other pools aren’t enough for everybody. Of course, the owner has a full deck to himself, along with a private lift taking him from the stateroom to his private rooms. He also gets a private swim platform, a California king-sized bed, a full walk-in dressing area, and a spacious bathroom.

Given all of this, who wouldn’t put up the most expensive painting of our times up on the walls of this immense vessel? That is, if one can afford to own them both.