10 Of The Most Expensive Yachts Ever Sold
There are yachts, and then there are superyachts, those that even the richest among us can only dream of owning. These are the vessels that require limitless funds to purchase and maintain and serve as an ostentatious — and some might say vulgar — display of wealth. They can incorporate helipads, swimming pools, multiple decks, vast living spaces, large tenders, various pleasure craft, and a crew that usually outnumbers the guests.
There is a saying among boat owners that their craft is comparable to a hole in the water into which they regularly throw hundred-dollar bills. Imagine, then, how this analogy translates to superyacht ownership. These gigantic vessels represent the ultimate in luxury and opulence; even their monthly maintenance costs can amount to several times more than the average mariner spends on their prized boat. This leaves many wondering what lies beneath the surface of these incredible feats of naval architecture and engineering and what type of person would venture into buying one of these floating palaces.
Superyachts are often shrouded in mystery as to who their owners are, their actual value, or whether they exist at all (as in the recently debunked case of the mythical multi-billion-dollar History Supreme). Here, we will not only delve into the features and specifications of the most expensive yachts ever sold but also look at their construction, history, and the owners who amassed such immense fortunes.
Octopus
While much is heard from Microsoft's founder, Bill Gates, its co-founder, Paul Allen, rarely ventures into the spotlight. Once one sets eyes on his yacht, the spectacular Octopus, it's clear to see why he has been enjoying life in relative obscurity. This 413-foot masterpiece of modern technology was commissioned by the tech mogul and launched in 2003, and it has all of the luxuries and features befitting its $200 million price tag.
The Octopus was built by Lurssen Yachts of Germany, one of the world's foremost superyacht manufacturers responsible for many of the most expensive examples ever sold. While the Octopus is low down the list of costliest vessels, it is nonetheless impressive, starting with its hull design. This ice-class construction is strong enough for arctic exploration and incorporates a marina for its seven tenders, a swimming pool, and two helipads. Inside, you'll find two luxury apartments, a gym, a spa, a piano bar, a cinema, and accommodation for 12 guests.
Allen bought the Octopus to pursue his love of ocean conservation and exploration, and it will continue this work under new ownership. As such, it has retained its diving facilities, complete with a hyperbaric chamber, for future oceanographic missions. If you can't afford your own research vessel, all is not lost — you can charter the Octopus from British yacht brokers Camper and Nicholsons for a mere $2.3 million per week.
Rising Sun
The Rising Sun is the result of a tech mogul and a media mogul's vision of the perfect superyacht. Initially commissioned by Larry Ellison (CEO of Oracle Corporation), the 455-foot vessel was yet another Lurssen build from its shipyard in Bremen, Germany, and it was delivered in 2004 at a reported cost of around $200 million. It was later sold to David Geffen, and the record executive refitted it in 2011 and spent much of his COVID lockdown slumming it onboard with his many staff and crew.
Rising Sun features a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure in what ought to be a nightmare of electrolysis corrosion waiting to happen. However, the boat looks to be in great shape, with its timeless geometric lines punctuated by portholes and large picture windows. Vast swathes of teak decking give way to three stories housing the bridge and lounge areas, while below decks, you'll find accommodation for up to 18 guests and 45 crew. The yacht houses an elevator for easier access to all levels and includes a sauna, beauty parlor, and swimming pool to help you spend those hours at sea.
The Rising Sun is truly an ocean-conquering vessel frequented by major Hollywood stars and spotted in many different corners of the world, including the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. Since its refit, it has been valued at much more than its original price, with some high estimates of $590 million.
Motor Yacht A
Motor Yacht A is, without a doubt, the most recognizable vessel to make this list. The Philippe Starck-designed boat is owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko and was reported to cost around $300 million. Starck claims not to know his alphabet and cannot use a computer or even a smartphone, so he jotted down the design using a pen and paper before handing the result to his team of skilled marine architects to flesh out the details.
At a glance, Motor Yacht A has the look of a disgruntled seagull, with its unique downward-sloping stem that is beak-like and seems to go against the laws of hydrodynamics. Its long foredeck occupies almost half its 100-foot length and is sparsely populated with no stanchions (railings) and only a helipad as a feature. Its single main saloon stretches virtually from fore to aft, and it has a cavernous tender garage to accommodate its many equally bespoke service craft, some of which look like modern takes on Venetian launches.
Whether you love or hate the design of Motor Yacht A, there is no denying that it is a unique reimagining of the modern superyacht that is meticulously considered throughout. Starck has put his stamp on everything here, from its sheltered outdoor living spaces to its covered bathing platforms and opulent furnishings, as he also did for Steve Jobs' superyacht, Venus, four years later.
Pelorus
Few yachts have such a storied history as Pelorus. Once owned by Russian billionaire and erstwhile owner of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich, Pelorus is another Lurssen creation estimated to cost around $300 million. Abramovich would use it to entertain guests and as a party yacht for high-scoring members of the Chelsea squad, but he later ran into personal troubles. It was transferred to his wife as part of their divorce settlement before she sold it to David Geffen, who briefly possessed a pair of Lurssens, as he already owned the Rising Sun.
The Pelorus's hull design is ultra-modern and imposing with its acutely sharpened stem and multi-tiered stepped transom. Along its 377-foot length are motorized hatches that fold down to become bathing platforms or with davits (swingarms) that extend outward to lower its seven tenders, including a fast limousine. The yacht can accommodate 24 guests in 12 individually styled cabins, has several sun decks, one of which has a pool and jacuzzi, and has a range of 6,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 18 knots.
Currently owned by Chinese tycoon Samathur Li Kin Kan, Pelorus soon courted controversy after its sale following financial disputes between the businessman and his crew. The yacht was subsequently impounded in Montenegro while these issues were settled. Perhaps due to this disharmony upon the high seas, the vessel has recently been put up for sale once again at the bargain price of $185 million.
Al Mirqab
Qatar's former prime minister commissioned Al Mirqab after he lost out on the Pelorus to Roman Abramovich. He decided to go one better and ordered a fresh design to trump the Pelorus, enlisting rival German shipbuilder Kutsch Yachts to meet the challenge. The yacht was delivered in 2008 and is notable for its two-tone ice-class hull and superstructure, with twin curving staircases and a large bathing platform aft. Al Mirqab is worth an estimated $300 million and is as expansive as it is expensive at a massive 436 feet long.
While some yachts, such as the Rising Sun, favor a more refined, traditional aesthetic, the designers of the Al Mirqab have gone in the other direction and created an ultra-modern, scaled-down cruise ship. It is resplendent with multiple stories, each with its own sundeck, living space, and plenty of toys to amuse its occupants. These include a spacious gym, a sauna, a spa, a large indoor swimming pool, and an underwater viewing area with a pirate theme, which should be a requirement to meet "superyacht" standards. If ever you needed a realization of the phrase "billionaire's playground," then this is it.
At over 15 years old, the Al Mirqab is as breathtaking today as it ever was, and this is due to its array of valuable features and accessories, its modern classic design, and its tasteful decor. Unlike many of its contemporaries that are resold regularly, this yacht is still used by the family of its original owner.
Serene
The late 2000s were a difficult time for many as the world emerged from the most significant recession since World War II. However, this didn't appear to affect liquor sales, as Serene was purchased by Stolichnaya vodka tycoon Yuri Scheffler for approximately $330 million and launched in 2011. Built by yacht builder Fincantieri, it exudes Italian flair and style, with its high topsides that appear to undulate like waves with each of its many tiers.
With its several swimming pools, underwater observation room, indoor climbing wall, nightclub, outdoor beach club, children's playroom, and two helicopter landing pads, this is among the most well-equipped yachts ever built. It even has the all-important Teppanyaki grill, should you get a hankering for Japanese food while out on the high seas. It can accommodate up to 24 guests and up to 62 crew, and with a ratio of at least two service staff to one guest, visitors should be waited on hand and foot.
The quality of Serene didn't go unnoticed, and it received the 2012 award for the Best Displacement Motor Yacht over 85 meters before Bill Gates rented it for a sizable $5 million per week in 2014. It was then bought from Scheffler by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for the "princely" sum of €500 million ($528,322,500) while vacationing on the French Riviera in what might be the most expensive souvenir purchase of all time.
Dubai
As the current ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum must have been wracking his brains to devise a suitable moniker for his $500 million superyacht. In a flash of inspiration, the vessel was named Dubai, and like the Persian Gulf city, it is a figurehead of oil-rich ostentatiousness. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Dubai has a golden theme, the like of which might make King Midas rethink his life choices, yet this doesn't detract from the fact that, fundamentally, this is a highly impressive vessel.
At 531 feet in length, Dubai is one of the largest yachts in the world. It is also one of the most world-capable, with a top speed of 26 knots and an 8,500 nautical mile range. As many as 115 staff tend to 72 guests accommodated in 44 cabins. The hull was designed as a collaboration between German shipbuilders Lurssen and Blohm + Voss, and then Platinum Yachts took over to finish the project's interior. This houses several VIP suites and communal guest areas and a sizeable underlit spiral staircase as its centerpiece, which changes color in keeping with the yacht's flamboyant aesthetic.
One can only imagine what Dubai costs to run and maintain. It could be seen as a floating allegory for the world's dependency on fossil fuels and the astronomical profits that oil companies make each and every year. But when taken at face value, it is nonetheless a remarkable achievement of marine architecture and engineering.
Eclipse
German shipbuilders Blohm + Voss were called upon in the mid-2000s to start work on Roman Abramovich's second superyacht. Launched in 2009, Eclipse is longer than Dubai at 533 feet and was estimated to cost around $500 million. At launch, it was the largest yacht in the world and featured the latest diesel-electric engines and impressive styling. Eclipse's progressive design and features earned it the title of Motor Yacht of the Year at the 2011 World Superyacht Awards.
The Eclipse has a 52-foot swimming pool with a lifting floor, transforming it into a dance floor. In what might be a result of Superyacht oneupmanship, it can accommodate not two but three helicopters — two on each helipad and one in a hangar at the bow. With a fuel capacity of over 1,000,000 liters and freshwater tanks holding 150,000 liters, neither the boat nor its passengers will get thirsty. It is also has a laser-operated anti-paparazzi system that disables digital cameras. As many as 30 guests are then free to relax, unfettered by prying eyes, in the yacht's 6,000 square feet of living space. If they get bored of lounging in the lap of luxury, guests can always board the Eclipse's mini submersible and take a tour of the deep.
Thanks to its art-deco-inspired interior, Eclipse may be one of the most tasteful superyachts in existence and is undoubtedly one of the most interesting. Abramovich escaped recent sanctions on the yacht after being forced to sell Chelsea FC.
Dilbar
"Dilbar" means "one who captures hearts" in Persian, and this is an apt name for this 511-foot wonder that was launched in 2016 after over four years of construction at the German Lurssen shipyard. Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov bought Dilbar for around $588 million, and it is one of the world's largest superyachts by length and volume, with many groundbreaking features.
These features include the largest swimming pool ever installed on a yacht at 82 feet in length, its own dedicated helicopter on permanent standby, and multiple recreation and entertainment centers. These, along with its various staterooms, saloons, and beauty salons, amount to a total area of 41,000 square feet. Here, 36 guests will be served by 96 crew as they relax in palatial surroundings. If they are worried about where they might plug in their devices, they can rest assured that 680 miles of electrical cable were used in Dilbar's construction, so they'll never be far from a wall socket.
Unfortunately for Dilbar's owner, it hasn't always been plain sailing for his luxury yacht, which is now estimated to be worth over $800 million. German authorities impounded it after they imposed sanctions upon him, and the future of his prized vessel hangs in the balance. While they are undoubtedly an impressive show of limitless means, Superyachts are naturally among the first assets to raise a red flag when one's finances are called into question, and many oligarchs' vessels have encountered a similar fate.
Azzam
With its clean lines and gently rising superstructure that descends diagonally all the way to its transom, the Azzam is the picture of elegance. Constructed in just three years and delivered in 2013, it is considered the world's largest and possibly most expensive yacht, with a reported cost of around $600 million. Somewhat uncharacteristically, the Azzam is tastefully appointed with 19th-century empirical furnishings throughout, lending the ship an even more palpable air of opulence.
The facts and figures surrounding the Azzam are as impressive as its size would suggest. It cruises at up to 33 knots, making it among the fastest superyachts, which is even more remarkable, given its dimensions. It took 4,000 people to build it at the Lurssen shipyard. It is driven by two diesel-powered waterjets using naval technology, producing 97,000 horsepower between them. At its top speed, Azzam uses 13 tonnes of fuel per hour, although as it resides off the coast of Abu Dhabi, this should be in ready supply.
Features of the Azzam include the standard gym and swimming pool, but it also has a golf practice facility to save you from losing balls to the ocean. One of the stipulations, when the yacht was built, was that it must be able to travel to its owner's private island in the Persian Gulf in just a few hours. It truly is a window into another world of boundless luxury, the likes of which most can only dream of.