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Usmanov’s $600 Million Megayacht Dilbar Is Seized by Authorities

Somewhere in the world today, one Russian billionaire is crying dollar-shaped tears after German authorities have seized his most prized possession. Dilbar, the world’s biggest motor yacht by both volume and tonnage, is now being held in Hamburg, Germany.
Alisher Usmanov's record-breaking Dilbar megayacht, estimated at $600 million 12 photos
Photo: Lurssen
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Precisely one week after the start of Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine, EU and NATO sanctions against state-connected Russian oligarchs are going into effect. Superyachts, real estate, and private aircraft are targeted and will be seized by authorities outside of the Russian territory. The same oligarchs, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have started moving assets even before the start of the war.

Alisher Usmanov somehow missed the memo.

With an estimated net worth of $14.3 billion, Usmanov is one of the richest and most influential Russian oligarchs, with holdings in oil, gas, and luxury real estate. He owns a small fleet of superyachts, with Dilbar as the crown jewel: a mammoth 512-foot (156-meter) construction by Lurssen, estimated at $600 million minimum.

Dilbar is a record-breaker in many ways: it is the biggest motor yacht in the world by interior volume and tonnage and has the biggest pool ever installed on one. It is also among the most expensive ships ever built.

As of today, Forbes reports, Dilbar is no longer Usmanov’s property. The ship, which was launched in 2016 after nearly four and a half years of custom work, was in Hamburg undergoing refits. The Blohm and Voss shipyard, the same one that was refitting Putin’s Graceful, was overseeing the project. As a result of the German government freezing the asset, workers at the shipyard didn’t show up for work on Wednesday. Blohm and Voss is yet to make an official comment on the situation.

In early February, Putin’s Graceful superyacht “fled” Hamburg before completing construction. Unlike Usmanov, Putin anticipated the sanctions and made sure to get all his assets on Russian-friendly territory.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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