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oligarch
a ruler in an oligarchy.
(especially in Russia) a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.
The article below was sent to me by friend, colleague and Byter Tony Z, who accompanied it with the comment “The wealth is obscene”.
obscene
offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency.
offending against moral principles; repugnant.
Accurate comment, Tony, as was the heading in your email “The fathers of Communism must be spinning in their graves.”
Thanks for the article.
The article is by Kerry J. Byrne and was originally published in the NY Post on March 5, 2022
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Russian oligarch yachts fitted with helicopter hangars, submarines, ‘anti-paparazzi’ tech, $40,000 faucets
‘Pier’ pressure got to them.
A fleet of superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs are scrambling for safe havens — a desperate flight that comes amid extraordinary global pressure to seize and squeeze owners’ assets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russians own up to 10 percent of the global fleet of mega-yachts, according to SuperYachtNews. The oligarchy is especially fond of obnoxious showboats with over-the-top amenities straight from a James Bond thriller, including submarines, helicopter hangars, underwater observation decks and “anti-paparazzi” technology meant to prevent passengers from being photographed.
France has seized one of these vessels, with two more held by Italian authorities, while the status of another Russian superyacht in Germany is in dispute. Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced on Wednesday the Bringing Oligarch Accountability Through Seizure (BOATS) Act which specifically targets Russian superyachts.
The yacht of Russian energy and infrastructure magnate Gennady Timchenko — seen here in Italy — is among a growing number of vessels that have been seized.
Many of the majestic vessels are hiding in or headed for Maldives, which has no extradition agreement with the USA. Russian yachts are often found in Seychelles, long favored as an international tax haven for the superwealthy. One is there now, with another reportedly on its way, according to VesselFinder.com. The destinations of others are unknown.
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Graceful
262 feet, $100 million
Owner – Vladimir Putin, 69, President of Russia
Putin’s yacht features a 50-foot-long indoor pool.
Net worth – estimated $200 billion, which would make him the wealthiest man in the world
Last known location – Kaliningrad, Russia
Amenities – dance floor that opens to reveal a 50-foot-long indoor pool.
Putin tipped his geopolitical hand when Graceful slipped away from Hamburg, Germany for Russia on the eve of the Ukraine invasion. His luxury cruiser was designed in London and its maritime signal was reportedly hacked recently, with the vessel’s name changed to FCKPTN.
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Eclipse
530 feet, $700 million
Owner – Roman Abramovich, 55, financier
Abramovich’s yacht enjoyed the distinction for many years of world’s largest superyacht.
Net worth – $13 billion
Last known location – Sailing northward about 35 miles west of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten
Amenities – room for three helicopters, two restaurants, plus a high-tech “anti-paparazzi” system designed to disrupt efforts to photograph passengers or its crew of 70.
The long-time Putin confidante’s stunning vessel boasts nine decks and enjoyed the distinction for many years of world’s largest superyacht. Abramovich is facing intense personal pressure because of his prominence in the soccer world. He put English Premier League club and reigning European champ Chelsea on the market this week for $4 billion.
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Dilbar
511 feet, $800 million
Owner – Alisher Usmanov, 68, steel and mining
The vessel is reportedly the world’s largest superyacht by interior space and volume.
Net worth – $18 billion
Last known location – Hamburg, Germany
Amenities – two helipads, a crew of 100, a range of 6,000 nautical miles and the largest indoor pool ever placed on a yacht, at more than 6,300 cubic feet.
Dilbar, named for Usmanov’s mom, is spectacular even by oligarch standards, reportedly the world’s largest superyacht by interior space and volume (16,000 tons). Video of the giant ship at sea, dwarfing the yachts around it, has generated 1 million views on YouTube. There are conflicting reports over whether it was seized last week by German authorities or is merely undergoing repairs in Hamburg.
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Ocean Victory
459 feet, $300 million
Owner – Victor Rashnikov, 73, steel
The yacht has recently been seen in the Maldives.
Net worth – $9.1 billion
Last known location – Maldives
Amenities – helicopter hangar, tender dock, six pools and an underwater observation suite for admiring aquatic life below.`
Ocean Victory dwarfs other boats surrounding it.
The largest of the oligarch yachts, as of Thursday, seen in and around Maldives, according to Bloomberg News. The tender dock can be flooded and anchored, allowing lesser yachts to pull up and float among Ocean Victory’s glory.
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Le Grand Bleu
370 feet, $150 million
Owner – Eugene Shvidler, 57, oil
Shvidler once anchored his superyacht in front of the Statue of Liberty for two months.
Net worth – $1.6 billion
Last known location – Saint Maarten
Amenities – aquarium, landing craft with Land Rover 4×4 for onshore excursions, and a “veritable arsenal of tenders and watertoys” according to Boat International, including two sports boats capable of speeding across the water at 60 knots (69 MPH).
The oil magnate made New York City’s ‘shvit’ list in 2017, when he achored his superyacht in front of the Statue of Liberty for two months, denying countless tourists from around the world a precious American photo op. A “jackass move" The Post called it. Shvidler, a Russian-born US citizen, reportedly won the vessel in a high-stakes wager against his best pal Abramovich in 2006. Le Grand Bleu was crafted “to look like a Mercedes” on the water, said superyacht designer Stefano Pastrovich.
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Sea Rhapsody
216 feet, $65 million
Owner – Andrey Kostin, 65, chairman VTB Bank
Kostin’s yacht is available for charter out of Seychelles for $660,000 per week.
Net worth – $500 million
Last known location – Gulf of Suez, destined for Seychelles
Amenities – gym, infinity pool, cinema, and an array of splashy toys: wave runners, water skis, paddle boards, kayaks, waterslides, towable tubes and a “range of children’s beach toys and games.”
Kostin’s yacht includes an infinity pool.oceanindependence.com
Looking for a family vacation? Sea Rhapsody is available for charter out of Seychelles for just $660,000 per week, with room to sleep 12 people in six state rooms.
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Clio
238 feet, $65 million
Owner – Oleg Deripaska, 54, Rusal founder
Deripaska has publicly protested Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Net worth – $4 billion
Last known location – Maldives
Amenities – cozy sun-splashed piano lounge that seats at least 12.
Deripaska, once Russia’s richest man, is one of the few oligarchs to publicly protest Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He’s also run afoul of American authorities, losing a 2019 lawsuit against the Treasury Department after it sanctioned him on charges of meddling in US elections. Clio’s manufacturer, Lurssen, claims the vessel is “designed for long voyages around the world and self-sufficient living for several months at a time.” It reportedly arrived in Maldives Monday.
Putin and Deripaska seen together in 2017.
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Lady Anastasia
157 feet, $7.7 million
Owner – Alexander Mijeev, 60, weapons industry executive
A Ukrainian crew member sabotaged Mijeev’s vessel last week.Newsflash
Net worth – unknown
Last known location – Mallorca, Spain
Amenities – dramatic jacuzzi on top deck above the bridge.
A minnow by the standards of superyacht leviathans, the Lady Anastasia brought global attention to the fate of the oligarch fleet when a Ukrainian crew member sabotaged the vessel last week. Taras Ostapchuk, 55, was taken into custody in Mallorca. “My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people,” the freedom fighter told authorities.
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Sailing Yacht A
469 feet, $600 million
Owner – Andrey Melnichenko, 49, chemicals, coal
Melnichenko’s yacht features three composite masts that tower above the deck more than a football field in height
Net worth – $19.8 billion
Last known location – Trieste, Italy
Amenities – elevators and, allegedly, its own submarine for underwater exploration — or escape.
Sailing Yacht A compensates for lack of imagination in its name with jaw-dropping futuristic design, including three composite masts that tower above the deck more than a football field in height, believed the largest in the world. Melnichenko’s smaller boat, the 390-foot, $300 million Motor Yacht A, features gaudy bathroom faucets worth about $40,000 each, according to ClubYacht.net.
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Anna
360 feet, $250 million
Owner – Dmitry Rybolovlev, 55, fertilizers, sports
Rybolovlev’s vessel is the largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands.
Net worth – $6.7 billion
Last known location – Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Amenities – two distinct helipads, gym and elegant state room with veranda for formal oceanview dining.
Rybolovlev’s yacht features a helipad.
The extraordinarily sleek, streamlined vessel with military-style designs claims the honor of largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands. It has the ability to sail 4,500 nautical miles without refueling. Anna is named for the Rybolovlev’s daughter.
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Royal Romance
303 feet, $200 million
Owner – Viktor Medvedchuk, 67, Ukrainian politician
Medvedchuk is a close friend and ally of Putin.
Net worth – $1 billion
Last-known location – Rijeka, Croatia
Amenities – 40-foot pool that feeds onboard waterfall, plus four sun-splashed platforms wrapped in glass.
Medvedchuk, a traitor in his homeland, is a close friend and ally of Putin. The Russian president is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s teenage daughter Daryna. The Ukrainian bureaucrat was accused of treason by his nation’s government and placed on house arrest in May. Royal Romance is “a fantastic looking ship,” gushed one yacht enthusiast as she gingerly docked on the Spanish island of Ibiza.
Medvedchuk is considered a traitor in his homeland of Ukraine.
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Nord
465 feet, $500 million
Owner – Alexei Mordashov, 56, Severstal chairman
The operating cost of Mordashov’s vessel is estimated to be between $40 million to $50 million per year.
Net worth – $25.8 billion
Last known location – Seychelles
Amenities – helicopter hangar, two elevators, gym, sauna and cinema.
The newest superyacht in the oligarch armada, built by Lurssen, was completed and delivered to Mordashov in 2021. A prominent landing deck on the bow gives Nord the appearance from the front of a small aircraft carrier. Its operating cost is estimated by SuperYachtFan.com at $40 million to $50 million per year.
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Amore Vero,
281 feet, $120 million
Owner – Igor Sechin, 61, Rosneft CEO
Sechin’s yacht was honored for “best yacht design over 50 meters” at the World Yacht Trophies.
Net worth – up to $2.5 billion (estimated)
Last known location – Le Ciotat, France
Amenities – main deck swimming pool that converts to a helicopter platform, sundeck with a jacuzzi, VIP suites and private balconies.
Honored for “best yacht design over 50 meters” at the World Yacht Trophies, according to its builder, Oceanco. Amore Vero was seized by French authorities in a Mediterranean port on Wednesday.
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