Photo: Lurssen
In what has become a modern-day version of a “Rise and fall of...”-kind of story, the Dilbar saga continues. The latest chapter involves a raid by German police and marines, to retrieve incriminating documents and data from the once-glorious vessel.
When it launched in 2016, Dilbar was the most expensive megayacht in the world, with a reported price tag of well over $600 million. It was also among the biggest by volume and offered such luxurious amenities that it instantly became an urban legend. The fact that it was owned by a Russian oligarch, steel billionaire Alisher Usmanov, helped with its transition to legend status.
Dilbar has come on to hard times, and the timing coincides with Usmanov’s inclusion on international sanctions lists in March this year. Today, the megayacht is in the hands of German authorities, after it was arrested that same month at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Last week, Dilbar was moved to Bremen as a dead ship, and from there, to Berne, while inside the world’s largest floating dock, Dock 10.
Amid reports that Usmanov might try to hand over ownership of Dilbar to his now-un-sanctioned sister, German police have conducted an extensive, two-day raid onboard, local publication NDR reports. Over 60 police officers, assisted by Marines, were part of the operation, whose goal was to recover proof of tax evasion and money laundering, of which Usmanov is accused. Several other properties in Germany were also raided, as part of the investigation.
The General Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt confirms for NDR that data carriers and documents were recovered from Dilbar and that the next step is for them to be “evaluated.” The raid was carried out inside the floating dock in Berne, where shipyard Lurssen has a long-term storage facility.
Lurssen built the 156-meter (511.8-foot) vessel as a custom one, and because it was a private commission, specifics about it were never made public. What is known is that it has two helipads and the world’s largest pool ever installed on a yacht and that it still holds the title of the world’s largest bespoke yacht. With so many accolades to it, no wonder Usmanov is (reportedly) desperate to get it back.
Dilbar has come on to hard times, and the timing coincides with Usmanov’s inclusion on international sanctions lists in March this year. Today, the megayacht is in the hands of German authorities, after it was arrested that same month at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Last week, Dilbar was moved to Bremen as a dead ship, and from there, to Berne, while inside the world’s largest floating dock, Dock 10.
Amid reports that Usmanov might try to hand over ownership of Dilbar to his now-un-sanctioned sister, German police have conducted an extensive, two-day raid onboard, local publication NDR reports. Over 60 police officers, assisted by Marines, were part of the operation, whose goal was to recover proof of tax evasion and money laundering, of which Usmanov is accused. Several other properties in Germany were also raided, as part of the investigation.
The General Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt confirms for NDR that data carriers and documents were recovered from Dilbar and that the next step is for them to be “evaluated.” The raid was carried out inside the floating dock in Berne, where shipyard Lurssen has a long-term storage facility.
Lurssen built the 156-meter (511.8-foot) vessel as a custom one, and because it was a private commission, specifics about it were never made public. What is known is that it has two helipads and the world’s largest pool ever installed on a yacht and that it still holds the title of the world’s largest bespoke yacht. With so many accolades to it, no wonder Usmanov is (reportedly) desperate to get it back.
Google News