Photo: Lurssen
In the saga of the oligarch-owned superyachts, who are making headlines worldwide due to the international sanctions imposed against their owners, some of these opulent vessels have gone through some crazy things. While Ragnar was stuck in Norway for a long time because local providers refused to refuel it even though its owner wasn’t among the sanctioned ones, Amadea is stuck in Fiji, with police officers on board because its ownership is still mysterious.
Who would have thought that crew members and police officers would be the only ones spending time on board some of the world’s jaw-dropping superyachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars? It seems that some of the oligarchs are playing a “seize my boat if you can” game with authorities in the U.S. and Europe. That’s because the real owners behind some of these floating palaces are so well hidden that they can’t be legally proved.
That seems to be the case with Amadea, the stunning $325 million superyacht that crossed the Pacific a few weeks ago, allegedly seeking a safe haven. The U.S. authorities tried to pounce on it as soon as it arrived in Fiji, claiming that it’s owned by Suleiman Kerimov, known as Russia’s gold tycoon.
The High Court in Suva ordered that Amadea could not leave Fiji until the U.S. claims were settled. But in a new plot twist, Kerimov’s defense lawyer is apparently claiming that the vessel is owned by another Russian mogul, Eduard Khudainatov, who happens to not be sanctioned. According to Associated Press News, the legal owner is a Cayman Islands-based company, Millemarin Investments. But the U.S. authorities still have to prove that Kerimov is linked to this.
While the superyacht waits for the judge’s ruling, a police officer remains on board, together with the 25 crew members.
The massive 348-footer (106 meters) built by Lurssen just five years ago sports a stunning clamshell deck layout with eight cabins, a 10-meter (32.8 feet) pool, a winter garden, and a dedicated party deck. Its instantly-recognizable look is already infamous.
That seems to be the case with Amadea, the stunning $325 million superyacht that crossed the Pacific a few weeks ago, allegedly seeking a safe haven. The U.S. authorities tried to pounce on it as soon as it arrived in Fiji, claiming that it’s owned by Suleiman Kerimov, known as Russia’s gold tycoon.
The High Court in Suva ordered that Amadea could not leave Fiji until the U.S. claims were settled. But in a new plot twist, Kerimov’s defense lawyer is apparently claiming that the vessel is owned by another Russian mogul, Eduard Khudainatov, who happens to not be sanctioned. According to Associated Press News, the legal owner is a Cayman Islands-based company, Millemarin Investments. But the U.S. authorities still have to prove that Kerimov is linked to this.
While the superyacht waits for the judge’s ruling, a police officer remains on board, together with the 25 crew members.
The massive 348-footer (106 meters) built by Lurssen just five years ago sports a stunning clamshell deck layout with eight cabins, a 10-meter (32.8 feet) pool, a winter garden, and a dedicated party deck. Its instantly-recognizable look is already infamous.
Google News