billionaire yacht names

10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires

From a sailing yacht owned by a russian billionaire industrialist to the luxury launch of the patek philippe ceo, here are the best billionaire-owned boats on the water….

Words: Jonathan Wells

There’s something about billionaires and big boats . Whether they’re superyachts or megayachts, men with money love to splash out on these sizeable sea-going giants. And that all began in 1954 — with the big dreams of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

Onassis, keen to keep his luxury lifestyle afloat when at sea, bought Canadian anti-submarine frigate HMCS Stormont after World War II. He spent millions turning it into an opulent super yacht, named it after his daughter — and the Christina O kicked off a trend among tycoons. To this day, the world’s richest men remain locked in an arms race to build the biggest, fastest, most impressive superyacht of all. Here are 10 of our favourites…

Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich

Built by: Blohm+Voss of Hamburg, with interiors and exteriors designed by Terence Disdale. Launched in 2009, it cost $500 million (the equivalent of £623 million today).

Owned by: Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the owner of private investment company Millhouse LLC and owner of Chelsea Football Club. His current net worth is $17.4 billion.

Key features: 162.5 metres in length / 9 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / Two swimming pools / Disco hall / Mini submarine / 2 helicopter pads / 24 guest cabins

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Andrey Melnichenko

Built by: Nobiskrug, a shipyard on the Eider River in Germany. The original idea came from Jacques Garcia, with interiors designed by Philippe Starck and a reported price tag of over $400 million.

Owned by: Russian billionaire industrialist Andrey Melnichenko, the main beneficiary of both the fertiliser producing EuroChem Group and the coal energy company SUEK. Though his current net worth is $18.7 billion, Sailing Yacht A was seized in Trieste on 12 March 2022 due to the EU’s sanctions on Russian businessmen.

Key features: 119 metres in length / 8 decks / Top speed of 21 knots / Freestanding carbon-fibre rotating masts / Underwater observation pod / 14 guests

Symphony, owned by Bernard Arnault

Built by: Feadship, the fabled shipyard headquartered in Haarlem in The Netherlands. With an exterior designed by Tim Heywood, it reportedly cost around $150 million to construct.

Owned by: French billionaire businessman and art collector Bernard Arnault. Chairman and chief executive of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, his current net worth is $145.8 billion.

Key features: 101.5 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / 6-metre glass-bottom swimming pool / Outdoor cinema / Sundeck Jacuzzi / 8 guest cabins

Faith, owned by Michael Latifi

Built by: Similarly to Symphony above, also Feadship. With exteriors designed by Beaulieu-based RWD, and interiors by Chahan Design, it cost a reported $200 million to construct in 2017.

Owned by: Until recently, Canadian billionaire and part-owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team , Lawrence Stroll. Recently sold to Michael Latifi, father of F1 star Nicholas , a fellow Canadian businessman with a net worth of just under $2 billion.

Key features: 97 metres in length / 9 guest cabins / Glass-bottom swimming pool — with bar / Bell 429 helicopter

Amevi, owned by Lakshmi Mittal

Built by: The Oceanco shipyard, also in The Netherlands. With exterior design by Nuvolari & Lenard and interior design by Alberto Pinto, it launched in 2007 (and cost around $125 million to construct).

Owned by: Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. He owns 20% of Queen Park Rangers, and has a net worth of $18 billion.

Key features: 80 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 18.5 knots / On-deck Jacuzzi / Helipad / Swimming Pool / Tender Garage / 8 guest cabins

Odessa II, owned by Len Blavatnik

Built by: Nobiskrug, the same German shipyard that built Sailing Yacht A . Both interior and exterior were created by Focus Yacht Design, and the yacht was launched in 2013 with a cost of $80 million.

Owned by: British businessman Sir Leonard Blavatnik. Founder of Access Industries — a multinational industrial group with current holdings in Warner Music Group, Spotify and the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat — he is worth $39.9 billion.

Key features: 74 metres in length / 6 guest cabins / Top speed of 18 knots / Intimate beach club / Baby grand piano / Private master cabhin terrace / Outdoor cinema

Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern

Built by: Italian shipyard Perini Navi in 2014. With interiors by Rémi Tessier and exterior design by Philippe Briand, Nautilus was estimated to cost around $90 million to construct.

Owned by: Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern. Alongside his Gulstream G650 private jet, Nautilus — named for the famous sports watch — is his most costly mode of transport. His current net worth is $3 billion.

Key features: 73 metres in length / 7 guest cabins / Top speed of 16.5 knots / Dedicated wellness deck / 3.5 metre resistance pool / Underfloor heating / Jet Skis

Silver Angel, owned by Richard Caring

Built by: Luxury Italian boatbuilder Benetti. Launched in 2009, the yacht’s interior has been designed by Argent Design and her exterior styling is by Stefano Natucci.

Owned by: Richard Caring, British businessman and multi-millionaire (his wealth peaked at £1.05 billion, so he still makes the cut). Chairman of Caprice Holdings, he owns The Ivy restaurants.

Key features: 64.5 metres in length / Cruising speed of 15 knots / 7 guest cabins / Lalique decor / 5 decks / Oval Jacuzzi pool / Sun deck bar / Aft deck dining table

Lady Beatrice, owned by Frederick Barclay

Built by: Feadship and Royal Van Lent in 1993. Exteriors were created by De Voogt Naval Architects, with interiors by Bannenberg Designs. She cost the equivalent of £63 million to build.

Owned by: Sir David Barclay and his late brother Sir Frederick. The ‘Barclay Brothers’ had joint business pursuits including The Spectator , The Telegraph and delivery company Yodel. Current net worth: £7 billion.

Key features: 60 metres in length / 18 knots maximum speed / Monaco home port / Named for the brothers’ mother, Beatrice Cecelia Taylor / 8 guest cabins

Space, owned by Laurence Graff

Built by: Space was the first in Feadship’s F45 Vantage series , styled by Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and launched in 2007. She cost a reported $25 million to construct.

Owned by: Laurence Graff, English jeweller and billionaire businessman. As the founder of Graff Diamonds, he has a global business presence and a current net worth of $6.26 billion.

Key features: 45 metres in length / Top speed of 16 knots / Al fresco dining area / Sun deck Jacuzzi / Breakfast bar / Swimming platform / Steam room

Want more yachts? Here’s the handcradfted, homegrown history of Princess…

Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out more here.

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.

Riding the wave: the Wajer 44 S is catnip for water sports enthusiasts

The luxury yachts of the world's royal families

Editor’s Picks: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, Brunello Cucinelli Trousers, KEF LSX II LT Speakers

A free newsletter worth opening.

To receive the latest in style, watches, cars and luxury news, plus receive great offers from the world’s greatest brands every Friday.

Who Owns Which Superyacht? (A Complete Guide)

Have you ever wondered who owns the most luxurious, extravagant, and expensive superyachts? Or how much these lavish vessels are worth? In this complete guide, we’ll explore who owns these magnificent vessels, what amenities they hold, and the cost of these incredible yachts.

We’ll also take a look at some of the most expensive superyachts in the world and the notable people behind them.

Get ready to explore the world of superyachts and the people who own them!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

The ownership of superyachts is generally private, so the exact answer to who owns which superyacht is not always publicly available.

However, there are some notable superyacht owners that are known.

For example, Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, owns the Rising Sun, which is the 11th largest superyacht in the world.

Other notable owners include Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Overview of Superyachts

The term superyacht refers to a large, expensive recreational boat that is typically owned by the worlds wealthy elite.

These vessels are designed for luxury cruising and typically range in size from 24 meters to over 150 meters, with some even larger.

Superyachts usually feature extensive amenities and creature comforts, such as swimming pools, outdoor bars, movie theaters, helipads, and spas.

Superyachts can range in price from $30 million to an astonishingly high $400 million.

Like most luxury items, the ownership of a superyacht is a status symbol for those who can afford it.

The list of superyacht owners reads like a whos who of billionaires, with names like Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The most expensive superyacht in the world is owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

While some superyacht owners prefer to keep their vessels out of the public eye, others have made headlines with their extravagant amenities.

Some of the most famous superyachts feature swimming pools, private beaches, helicopter pads, on-board cinemas, and luxurious spas.

In conclusion, owning a superyacht is an exclusive status symbol for the world’s wealthy elite.

These vessels come with hefty price tags that can range from $30 million to over $400 million, and feature some of the most luxurious amenities imaginable.

Notable owners include the Emir of Qatar, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Who are the Owners of Superyachts?

From Hollywood celebrities to tech billionaires, superyacht owners come from all walks of life.

Many of the most well-known owners are billionaires, including Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Other notable owners include Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

However, not all superyacht owners are wealthy.

Many are everyday people who have worked hard and saved up to purchase their dream vessel.

Other notable billionaire owners include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, and former US President Donald Trump.

These luxurious vessels come with hefty price tags that can range from $30 million to over $400 million.

For many superyacht owners, their vessels serve as a status symbol of wealth and luxury.

Some owners prefer to keep their yachts out of the public eye, while others have made headlines with their extensive amenities – from swimming pools and helicopter pads to on-board cinemas and spas.

Many of these yachts are designed to the owner’s exact specifications, ensuring that each one is totally unique and reflects the owner’s individual tastes and personality.

Owning a superyacht is an exclusive club, reserved for those with the means and the desire to experience the ultimate in luxury.

Whether they are billionaires or everyday people, superyacht owners are all united in their love of the sea and their appreciation for the finer things in life.

The Most Expensive Superyacht in the World

When it comes to superyachts, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, certainly knows how to make a statement.

His luxury vessel, the 463-foot Al Mirqab, holds the title of the world’s most expensive superyacht.

Built in 2008 by German shipbuilder Peters Werft, this impressive yacht is complete with 10 luxurious cabins, a conference room, cinema, and all the amenities one would expect from a vessel of this magnitude.

In addition, the Al Mirqab features a helipad, swimming pool, and even an outdoor Jacuzzi.

With a price tag of over $400 million, the Al Mirqab is one of the most expensive yachts in the world.

In addition to the Emir of Qatar, there are several other notable owners of superyachts.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos all own luxurious vessels.

Bezos yacht, the aptly named The Flying Fox, is one of the longest superyachts in the world at a staggering 414 feet in length.

The Flying Fox also comes with a host of amenities, such as a helipad, swimming pool, spa, and multiple outdoor entertaining areas.

Bezos also reportedly spent over $400 million on the vessel.

Other notable owners of superyachts include Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns the $200 million Kingdom 5KR, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who owns the $200 million Rising Sun.

There are also many lesser-known owners, such as hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin, who owns the $150 million Aviva, and investor Sir Philip Green, who owns the $100 million Lionheart.

No matter who owns them, superyachts are sure to turn heads.

With their impressive size, luxurious amenities, and hefty price tags, these vessels have become a symbol of wealth and prestige.

Whether its the Emir of Qatar or a lesser-known owner, the worlds superyacht owners are sure to make a statement.

Notable Superyacht Owners

When it comes to the wealthiest and most luxurious owners of superyachts, the list reads like a whos who of the worlds billionaires.

At the top of the list is the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who holds the distinction of owning the most expensive superyacht in the world.

Aside from the Emir, other notable owners include Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

All of these owners have made headlines with their extravagant vessels, which are typically priced between $30 million and $400 million.

The amenities that come with these vessels vary greatly from owner to owner, but they almost always include luxurious swimming pools, helicopter pads, on-board cinemas, and spas.

Some owners opt for more extravagant features, such as submarines, personal submarines, and even their own personal submarines! Other owners prefer to keep their vessels out of the public eye, but for those who prefer a more showy approach, they can certainly make a statement with a superyacht.

No matter who owns the vessel, it’s no surprise that these superyachts are a status symbol among the world’s wealthiest.

Whether you’re trying to impress your peers or just looking to enjoy a luxurious outing, owning a superyacht is the ultimate way to show off your wealth.

What Amenities are Included on Superyachts?

Owning a superyacht is a sign of wealth and prestige, and many of the worlds most prominent billionaires have their own vessels.

The most expensive superyacht in the world is owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, while other notable owners include Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The cost of a superyacht can range from $30 million to over $400 million, but the price tag doesnt quite capture the sheer extravagance and amenities of these vessels.

Superyachts come with all the comforts of home, and then some.

Many owners will equip their vessels with swimming pools, helicopter pads, on-board cinemas, spas, and other luxury amenities.

The interior of a superyacht can be custom-designed to the owners specifications.

Some owners opt for modern, sleek designs, while others prefer a more traditional look.

Many of the most luxurious yachts feature marble floors, walk-in closets, and custom-made furniture.

Some vessels even come with a full-service gym, complete with exercise equipment and trained professionals.

Other amenities may include a library, casino, media room, and private bar.

When it comes to outdoor amenities, superyachts have some of the most impressive features in the world.

Many yachts come with outdoor entertainment areas, complete with full kitchens, dining rooms, and lounge areas.

Some owners even opt for hot tubs or jacuzzis for relaxing afternoons in the sun.

And, of course, there are the jet skis, water slides, and other exciting water activities that come with many of these vessels.

No matter what amenities a superyacht has, it is sure to be an experience like no other.

From the sleek interiors to the luxurious outdoor features, these vessels provide a unique, luxurious experience that is unrivaled on land.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing escape or an exciting adventure, a superyacht is sure to provide.

How Much Do Superyachts Cost?

When it comes to superyachts, the sky is the limit when it comes to cost.

These luxury vessels come with hefty price tags that can range from anywhere between $30 million to over $400 million.

So, if youre in the market for a superyacht, youre looking at an investment that could easily break the bank.

The cost of a superyacht is driven by a variety of factors, including size, amenities, and customization.

Generally, the larger the yacht, the more expensive it will be.

Superyachts typically range in size from 100 feet to over 200 feet, and they can be as wide as 40 feet.

The bigger the yacht, the more luxurious features and amenities it will have.

Amenities also play a significant role in the cost of a superyacht.

While some owners prefer to keep their yachts out of the public eye, others have made headlines with their extensive amenities.

From swimming pools and helicopter pads to on-board cinemas and spas, the sky is the limit when it comes to customizing a superyacht.

The more amenities a superyacht has, the more expensive it will be.

Finally, customization is another major factor that will drive up the cost of a superyacht.

Many luxury vessels have custom-designed interiors that are tailored to the owners tastes.

From custom furniture and artwork to lighting and audio systems, the cost of a superyacht can quickly escalate depending on the level of customization.

In short, the cost of a superyacht can vary widely depending on its size, amenities, and customization.

While some may be able to get away with spending a few million dollars, others may end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on their dream yacht.

No matter what your budget is, its important to do your research and find out exactly what youre getting for your money before signing on the dotted line.

Keeping Superyachts Out of the Public Eye

When it comes to owning a superyacht, some owners prefer to keep their vessels out of the public eye.

Understandably, these individuals are concerned with privacy and discretion, and therefore tend to take measures to ensure their yachts are not visible to outsiders.

For instance, some superyacht owners opt to keep their vessels in private marinas, away from the public areas of larger ports.

Additionally, some yacht owners may choose to hire security guards to patrol and protect their vessels while they are moored or sailing.

In addition to physical security, some superyacht owners also use technology to keep their vessels out of the public eye.

For example, a yacht owner may choose to install a satellite-based communications system that allows them to keep their vessel completely off-radar.

This system works by bouncing signals off satellites rather than transmitting them, making it virtually impossible for anyone to track the yachts movements.

Finally, some superyacht owners also choose to limit the number of people who have access to their vessels.

For instance, the owner may only allow family members and close friends to board the yacht.

Additionally, the owner may choose to employ a limited number of staff to help maintain the vessel and keep it running smoothly.

These individuals may be required to sign non-disclosure agreements to ensure they do not disclose any information about the yacht or its owner.

Overall, while some superyacht owners may choose to keep their vessels out of the public eye, there are still plenty of other ways to show off the opulence associated with owning a superyacht.

From swimming pools and helicopter pads to on-board cinemas and spas, there are many luxurious amenities that can make a superyacht the envy of any jet setter.

Final Thoughts

Superyachts are a symbol of luxury and status, and the list of yacht owners reads like a who’s who of billionaires.

From the Emir of Qatar’s world-record breaking $400 million yacht to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s vessel with a helicopter pad and on-board spa, the amenities of these luxury vessels are truly stunning.

With prices ranging from $30 million to over $400 million, owning a superyacht is an expensive endeavor.

Whether you’re looking to purchase one or just curious to learn more about the owners and their amenities, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to stay up to date with the superyacht scene.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

The superyachts owned by tech moguls

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to join the exclusive club of yacht-owning tech tycoons as the rumoured owner of Oceanco's mighty 127m sailing yacht . Though it should come as no surprise - other big names in tech such as the late Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Paul Allen have been responsible for some of the biggest and most ground-breaking superyachts in the world...

The 127-metre Oceanco sailing yacht Koru, formerly Y721, was launched and reportedly delivered to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in April 2023. This three-masted schooner, meaning “new beginnings” in Maori, with an expected 33000 GT and a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, is the largest in the world and the longest built in the Netherlands at Oceanco. Knocking Lürssen's Eos , owned by Biller and Diane von Furstenburg, off the top spot, Koru harnesses design similarities with her black hull, white superstructure and classic lines. However, the intricate gold paintwork, scarlet bootstrap and elaborate figurehead on the bow particularly set her apart.

Larry Ellison

American business magnate Larry Ellison is the co-founder of the billion-dollar computer tech corporation Oracle. In 2004, he commissioned the 138-metre Lürssen superyacht Rising Sun (pictured), which stands today as the 15th largest yacht in the world. It was also the last yacht that ever came from the drawing boards of legendary designed Jon Bannenberg, sporting a military-esque profile with a lean destroyer-type hull and extensive use of structural glass . Rising Sun boasts 8,000m² of living space including a wine cellar and basketball court, with a crew of 45. One of her tenders, a catamaran, even carries the yacht’s 4x4 vehicle ashore.

Ellison later sold the yacht to media mogul David Geffen and has since hosted a parade of Hollywood's glitterati on board including Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey – to name a few.

In 2011, Ellison appeared to downsize and took delivery of the 88-metre Feadship Musashi . Not unlike Rising Sun in its appearance, structural glass features heavily throughout with a central glass lift, surrounded by a stainless steel and glass staircase that passes through every deck.

More about this yacht

The late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is responsible for two of the most iconic superyachts in the world. At 126-metres in length, Octopus is perhaps his most famous. Built by Lürssen in 2003, this ice-classed superyacht was designed for extended cruising to the most remote locations on earth with a range of 12,500 nautical miles. Home to a helicopter garage, drive-in tender garage, six tenders, and a submarine, she packs a serious punch within her 9,932GT – not to mention the cinema, swimming pool, recording studio, basketball court and spa. At the end of 2019, she joined the market for the very first time , having completed an eight-month refit at Blohm+Voss, and remains the benchmark for exploration yachting.

Tatoosh is another honourable mention and was built by German shipyard Nobiskrug in 2000, three years prior to the delivery of Octopus . At 92-metres, she's smaller than her successor, but to describe Tatoosh as "small" would be a severe understatement. Highlights include a six-foot-deep swimming pool, a pair of helipads, a crew of 30, and a custom 12-metre Hinckley powerboat that she carries on her top deck. Tatoosh is also listed for sale following a refit earlier this year.

Yachts for charter

The 78-metre Feadship Venus was built for the late Apple boss and founder Steve Jobs. Built under the codename Project Aqua, Venus was launched to international fanfare in 2012, heralded for its extensive use of glass and pared-back design courtesy of Philippe Starck . Innovative features include a false top deck that conceals the communication and television receivers from view and a passarelle that, when opened, looks like the charging port of an iPhone. Venus ’s interior details have been closely guarded since its launch. Sadly, Jobs died a year before the yacht was delivered.

Charles Simonyi

Charles Simonyi led the team that built the first edition of the Microsoft Office software suite and was rumoured to have previously owned Lürssen’s iconic 71-metre SKAT . Nearly two decades after her launch in 2002, she joined the market for the first time and now Simonyi is thought to have upgraded to the 89-metre Lürssen Norn . Both yachts, penned by Espen Onion, share similar design features. Standout features include an alfresco cinema and adapted depth pool floor with dance floor. Norn was delivered in May 2023.

Sergey Brin

Google co-founder Sergey Brin reportedly owns the high-speed SilverYachts superyacht named Dragonfly , after Google’s once-secret project to launch a censored search engine in China. Delivered in 2009, the 73.3-metre Dragonfly was hailed as the fastest, most fuel-efficient long-range cruising superyacht on the water with a transatlantic range at 22 knots and a fuel consumption of only 360 litres per hour at 18 knots, extending her range to 4,500 nautical miles. Dragonfly is said to have a dance floor and open-air movie theatre on board. The vessel was applauded for its contribution to the disaster relief effort in Vanuatu after Hurricane Pam devastated the island in 2015. The crew reportedly moved 62 metric tons of freshwater ashore, treated over 250 patients, facilitated three medical evacuations, and built shelters in multiple villages and cleared numerous helicopter landing zones for ongoing support.

Yachts for sale

Google’s billionaire co-founder Larry Page purchased the 60-metre explorer yacht conversion Senses from a New Zealand businessman Sir Douglas Myers back in 2011. The globe-trotting superyacht features interiors by Philippe Starck and can accommodate a total of 12 guests on board, with primary guests reaping the benefits of the master suite's gyro-stabilised bed. Senses also houses an exceptional toy box with three high-speed tenders, six wave runners, a jet board and a JetLev. According to the New Zealand Herald, Senses is currently undergoing a refit in Whangārei, New Zealand, after being sold to an unknown buyer in 2020.

Barry Diller

The world’s largest three-masted schooner – also the third largest sailing yacht in the world – is owned by fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg and her husband Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of IAC/InterActiveCorp and Expedia Group. The 92.92-metre sailing yacht, named Eos , was built in Germany by Lürssen and delivered in 2006 with a trio of masts that stand 61-metres tall. The sailing yacht has hosted the couple's star-studded group of friends including Andy Cohen, Gayle King, Bradley Cooper, Harry Styles and Karlie Kloss. The interiors were designed by Francois Catroux, who Vanity Fair named as “the super-rich's favourite interior designer" in 2016.

Mark Zuckerburg

The 107-metre Kleven superyacht Andromeda was built for serial superyacht owner Graeme Hart and delivered under the name Ulysses . In 2017, a year after its launch, rumours began circulating that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg had purchased the rugged, six-deck explorer (although a Facebook spokesperson was quick to stamp out the rumours and released a statement denying the claims). Andromeda can carry 36 guests and is equipped with an impressive inventory of toys and tenders, including six motorbikes, two ATVs, a helicopter and an amphibious rib. Five years after her launch, Andromeda still ranks among the largest explorer yachts in the world .

Eric Schmidt

The former Google ceo Eric Schmidt backed out of the purchase of the abandoned 81.3-metre Oceanco Alfa Nero but has been said to have moved onto become the new owner of a 95-metre Lürssen. Kismet was sold in September 2023 to the billionaire as part of one of the biggest brokerage deal of the year. With the details shrouded in secrecy the yacht is now aptly known as Whisper . Espen Onio was responsible for her iconic exterior while inside was thanks to Reymond Langton , achieving the original brief from the previous commissioning owner Shahid Khan of “caviar and champagne.” Standout details include the hi-tech, art deco saloon, a private observation platform and the Persian-inspired spa area.

The co-founder and former ceo of WhatsApp, Jan Koum, has been rumoured to own the 99.9-metre Feadship , Moonrise. The yacht’s clean and strong lines, penned by Chris Bottoms from Studio de Voogt , won the highly competitive class of best displacement motor yachts above 3,000 GT in the World Superyacht Awards 2021. Features include the helicopter landing deck and modern interiors by Remi Tessier . Accommodation is for up to 16 guests, and there are 32 crew members onboard Moonrise to attend to the guests' every need. The Ukrainian-American mogul is also said to own the accompanying support vessel Nebula.

Evan Speigel

The Silicone Valley ceo, Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel has been reportedly said to own the 94.8-metre Feadship Bliss. Delivered in 2021 the motor yacht penned by Feadship's Studio De Voogt Naval Architects has most recently been spotted cruising Auckland in September 2023. Spiegel is rumoured to be Feadship's younger client. Bliss can accommodate up to 18 guests across nine staterooms; however little else is known about the 2983 GT yacht.

10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires

From a sailing yacht owned by a russian billionaire industrialist to the luxury launch of the patek philippe ceo, here are the best billionaire-owned boats on the water….

Words: Jonathan Wells

Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich

Built by: Blohm+Voss of Hamburg, with interiors and exteriors designed by Terence Disdale. Launched in 2009, it cost $500 million (the equivalent of £623 million today).

Owned by: Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the owner of private investment company Millhouse LLC and owner of Chelsea Football Club. His current net worth is $17.4 billion.

Key features: 162.5 metres in length / 9 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / Two swimming pools / Disco hall / Mini submarine / 2 helicopter pads / 24 guest cabins

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Andrey Melnichenko

Built by: Nobiskrug, a shipyard on the Eider River in Germany. The original idea came from Jacques Garcia, with interiors designed by Philippe Starck and a reported price tag of over $400 million.

Key features: 119 metres in length / 8 decks / Top speed of 21 knots / Freestanding carbon-fibre rotating masts / Underwater observation pod / 14 guests

Symphony, owned by Bernard Arnault

Built by: Feadship, the fabled shipyard headquartered in Haarlem in The Netherlands. With an exterior designed by Tim Heywood, it reportedly cost around $150 million to construct.

Owned by: French billionaire businessman and art collector Bernard Arnault. Chairman and chief executive of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, his current net worth is $145.8 billion.

Key features: 101.5 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / 6-metre glass-bottom swimming pool / Outdoor cinema / Sundeck Jacuzzi / 8 guest cabins

Faith, owned by Michael Latifi

Built by: Similarly to Symphony above, also Feadship. With exteriors designed by Beaulieu-based RWD, and interiors by Chahan Design, it cost a reported $200 million to construct in 2017.

Key features: 97 metres in length / 9 guest cabins / Glass-bottom swimming pool — with bar / Bell 429 helicopter

Amevi, owned by Lakshmi Mittal

Owned by: Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. He owns 20% of Queen Park Rangers, and has a net worth of $18 billion.

Key features: 80 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 18.5 knots / On-deck Jacuzzi / Helipad / Swimming Pool / Tender Garage / 8 guest cabins

Odessa II, owned by Len Blavatnik

Key features: 74 metres in length / 6 guest cabins / Top speed of 18 knots / Intimate beach club / Baby grand piano / Private master cabhin terrace / Outdoor cinema

Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern

Built by: Italian shipyard Perini Navi in 2014. With interiors by Rémi Tessier and exterior design by Philippe Briand, Nautilus was estimated to cost around $90 million to construct.

Key features: 73 metres in length / 7 guest cabins / Top speed of 16.5 knots / Dedicated wellness deck / 3.5 metre resistance pool / Underfloor heating / Jet Skis

Silver Angel, owned by Richard Caring

Built by: Luxury Italian boatbuilder Benetti. Launched in 2009, the yacht’s interior has been designed by Argent Design and her exterior styling is by Stefano Natucci.

Owned by: Richard Caring, British businessman and multi-millionaire (his wealth peaked at £1.05 billion, so he still makes the cut). Chairman of Caprice Holdings, he owns The Ivy restaurants.

Key features: 64.5 metres in length / Cruising speed of 15 knots / 7 guest cabins / Lalique decor / 5 decks / Oval Jacuzzi pool / Sun deck bar / Aft deck dining table

Lady Beatrice, owned by Frederick Barclay

Built by: Feadship and Royal Van Lent in 1993. Exteriors were created by De Voogt Naval Architects, with interiors by Bannenberg Designs. She cost the equivalent of £63 million to build.

Key features: 60 metres in length / 18 knots maximum speed / Monaco home port / Named for the brothers’ mother, Beatrice Cecelia Taylor / 8 guest cabins

Space, owned by Laurence Graff

Built by: Space was the first in Feadship’s F45 Vantage series , styled by Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and launched in 2007. She cost a reported $25 million to construct.

Owned by: Laurence Graff, English jeweller and billionaire businessman. As the founder of Graff Diamonds, he has a global business presence and a current net worth of $6.26 billion.

Key features: 45 metres in length / Top speed of 16 knots / Al fresco dining area / Sun deck Jacuzzi / Breakfast bar / Swimming platform / Steam room

Want more yachts? Here’s the handcradfted, homegrown history of Princess…

Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out more here.

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Riding the wave: the Wajer 44 S is catnip for water sports enthusiasts

The luxury yachts of the world's royal families

Editor’s Picks: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, Brunello Cucinelli Trousers, KEF LSX II LT Speakers

Most Expensive

The 20 most expensive yachts in the world.

What are the most expensive yachts in the world?

If you have a passion for sailing or can appreciate the engineering masterpieces mentioned below, then this is an article for you.

To be able to afford even afford the cheapest superyacht on our list, your net worth will need to be in the hundreds of millions, if not, billions range!

Here’s a list of the 20 most expensive yachts in the world…

Table of Contents

The list of yachts and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as Luxhabitat , List25 and Unilad .

These are the 20 most expensive yachts in the world:

20. Lionheart – $150 Million

Sir Philip Green kicks off the list with his 207-foot behemoth, Lionheart.

The British retail billionaire commissioned Italian shipbuilding company, Benetti, to build his superyacht.

The boat has six VIP rooms, several private balconies and was finished in 2016.

Lionheart has had many famous faces walking its decks, including Kate Moss , Simon Cowell and Cristiano Ronaldo .

19. Aviva – $150 Million

British billionaire Joe Lewis’s superyacht comes in at number nineteen at a cool $150 million.

His boat has a full-size tennis court and is thought to house some of his most precious and expensive art pieces, including Picasso.

When he’s not spending time in his Bahamas residence, Joe spends several months a year aboard Aviva and his other three superyachts.

18. Solandge – $180 Million

Next up, we have the $180 million dollar superyacht built by Lurssen.

In 2017, the Solandge was the highest brokerage and is available to rent for around $1.1 million a week.

The 280-foot yacht has eight VIP suites, a grand piano and a glass art installation by Murano.

17. Ecstasea – $200 Million

Built by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2004, Ecstasea was the largest Feadship ever built.

The yacht is made of steel and is approximately 85.95 metres long and has a beam of 11.50 metres. This means it has a deadweight of 585 metric tons!

Ecstasea comfortably sleeps 14 passengers and has won multiple design awards for its stunning interior.

16. The Rising Sun – $200 Million

The Rising Sun was designed by Jon Bannenberg and built by Lürssen in 2004 for Larry Ellison .

It has 82 rooms over five floors, a basketball court, wine cellar and a movie theatre.

From 2010 it has been owned by David Geffen and is the 12th largest superyacht in the world, measuring 138 metres.

The Rising Sun cost $200 million to build and has since had even more money spent on luxury fixtures and fittings.

15. Octopus – $200 Million

Designed and built in 2003 for Microsoft Co-founder, Paul Allen, Octopus has one hell of a lavish interior.

It has a large study, basketball court, recording studio, an outside bar with a whirlpool and a glass bottom swimming pool.

Octopus sleeps up to 26 guests and 56 crew members at any one time and comes equipped with two submarines and two helipads.

14. Lady Moura – $210 Million

The next most expensive superyacht in the world is Lady Moura.

Lady Moura is owned by Saudi Arabian businessman Nasser Al-Rashid, who’s also an advisor to the Saudi Royal family.

The yacht comes with some very impressive features, such as a pool with a retractable roof, a helicopter and 24 karat gold lettering and embellishments throughout.

If that wasn’t enough, Lady Moura also features a unique sand-covered hydraulic platform that comes out of one side, to give guests a beach-like experience in the middle of the ocean.

13. Al Mirqab – $250 Million

Al Mirqab is owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, the former Prime Minister of Qatar.

The yacht has 10 bedrooms, a helipad, a swimming pool, a selection of VIP suites, an onboard cinema, jacuzzi and a variety of watersports equipment.

After it was completed in 2008, it was dubbed the second most beautiful yacht in the world.

It can accommodate up to 24 guests and comfortably house crew members in its 55 crew cabins.

12. Dilbar – $256 Million

Number twelve is Russian owned superyacht, Dilbar.

It belongs to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, and he’s often seen using Dilbar to cruise around his private islands.

As well as being one of the most expensive yachts in the world, it’s also one of the largest – measuring a colossal 360ft in length and just over 50ft high.

It was built in 2008 by Lürssen Yachts and was named after Alisher’s mother.

Dilbar has one helipad, several swimming pools and accommodates 20 guests and 48 cabin crew.

11. Pelorus – $300 Million

Pelorus was built by Lürssen in 2003 and bought by Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich in 2004.

Since then, Pelorus has changed hands a few times and is now owned by HongKong based billionaire, Samuel Tak Lee.

Pelorus is 115 meters long and weighs a staggering 5517 tonnes.

As well as all the normal luxuries you’d expect to find onboard a superyacht of this calibre, she also comes equipped with two helipads, landing boats and jet skis.

She accommodates a full-time crew of 46, year round.

10. Serene – $300 Million

The tenth most expensive yacht in the world is the 439-foot, Serene.

Built-in 2011 by Fincantieri, for Russian billionaire Yuri Scheffler, Serene is has been one of the favourite rental yachts for the mega-rich, reportedly costing celebrities like Bill Gates around million a week!

It was purchased in 2015 by Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and sleeps around 24 guests and 52 crew members.

It comes with multiple swimming pools, two helipads, a submarine, and an amazing underwater viewing room!

9. Al Said – $300 Million

The next mega yacht on the list is owned by and named after the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos Bin Said Al Said.

Built between 2007-2008, little else is known about the Al Said, other than it has a large concert hall that’s big enough to house a 50-piece orchestra.

Also, it can host up to 70 guests, sleep a crew of 154 and reach around 22 knots!

8. Radiant – $320 Million

Built by Lürssen in 2009, Radiant is owned by Emirate Billionaire Abdulla Al Futtaim.

The superyacht is roughly 110 meters long, weighs approximately 5027 gross tons and sleeps up to 20 guests and 44 crew members.

She comes with multiple swimming pools, a helipad, a massage room, a swimming platform, a movie theatre, a gym and a jacuzzi.

The Radiant is also equipped with a highly powerful water cannon to defend herself from pirate attacks!

7. Dubai – $400 Million

Dubai is owned by the Sheik of Dubai, Mohammed Rashid al-Maktoum.

Some of its features include jacuzzis, a swimming pool with handmade tiles, a helipad and a striking circular glass staircase which changes colour when lit from above.

Dubai also houses a split-level owner’s deck, several VIP and social areas, guest suites and a crew of up to 115 people.

6. Motor Yacht A – $440 Million

This very impressive looking 390-foot superyacht was built by Blohm + Voss shipyard and launched in 2008.

It’s thought to be owned by Andrey Melnichenko, a Russian billionaire businessman and philanthropist.

Motor Yacht A can accommodate 14 guests and 42 crew members and is around 400 feet long.

It features a 2,500 sqft master bedroom, a disco, a helicopter hanger, a separate 30-foot speedboat and a glass-bottomed swimming pool.

Awesome!

5. Topaz – $527 Million

Coming in at number five is this stunning Lürssen built superyacht, Topaz.

She was built for Abu Dhabi tycoon, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Germany and launched in 2012.

The exterior was designed by Tim Heywood and Terrance Disdale Design did the interior.

It has a large jacuzzi on the main deck, a swimming pool, double helicopter landing pads and a state-of-the-art gym, cinema and conference room.

4. Azzam – $600 Million

This 590-foot megayacht is the world’s largest yacht to date.

Its owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nayan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi.

Lürssen Yachts are the ones behind this mega build. Azzam has its very own missile defence system, a bullet-proof master suite and can reach speeds of more than 30 knots, or 35mph, making it one of the fastest yachts on the planet!

3. Streets of Monaco – $1 Billion

Most Expensive Yachts - Streets of Monaco

The first billion-dollar yacht on our list is the “Streets of Monaco”.

By far one of the most impressive and expensive yachts in the world, once finished, the Streets of Monaco is going to be a 509-foot mega yacht, designed to feature miniature versions of some of Monaco’s and Monte Carlos most renowned landmarks.

The finished superyacht will include a go-kart circuit, three swimming pools, a mini-submarine a helipad, seven guest suites, a mini waterfall and a restaurant that with a fabulous underwater view.

2. Eclipse – $1.5 Billion

The second most expensive yacht in the world, Eclipse, is owned by Roman Abramovich.

The Russian billionaire has spared no expense when it comes to his superyacht.

He’s installed a private defence system, including missile detection sensors, intruder alarms and armour plating and bulletproof windows in his master bedroom.

On top of that, Eclipse has two helipads, two swimming pools, 24 guest bedrooms, a disco hall and a mini-submarine.

It’s unclear how much Eclipse actually cost, but it is believed to be in the region of $1.5 billion!

1. History Supreme – $4.8 Billion

Topping the list of the most expensive superyachts in the world at an eye-watering $4.8 billion is History Supreme.

This magnificent accomplishment is built from 10,000 kilograms of solid gold and platinum and is 100-foot long.

It was designed by Stuart Huges, a world-renowned luxury designer, for Malaysia’s richest man, Robert Knok. The History Supreme took roughly three years to build and features an array of luxury items.

The master bedroom includes a genuine Tyrannosaurus Rex bone statue and a wall made entirely of meteorite rocks!

If that wasn’t enough, the master suite also has a 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic Wall Aquarium.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the 20 most expensive yachts in the world.

How cool would it be to spend a few months a year cruising the world on one of these bad boys!

Here’s a quick recap of the 20 most expensive yachts in the world!

History Supreme – $4.8 Billion
Eclipse – $1.5 Billion
Streets of Monaco – $1 Billion
Azzam – $600 Million
Topaz – $527 Million
Motor Yacht A – $440 Million
Dubai – $400 Million
Radiant – $320 Million
Al Said – $300 Million
Serene – $300 Million
Pelorus – $300 Million
Dilbar – $256 Million
Al Mirqab – $250 Million
Lady Moura – $210 Million
Octopus – $200 Million
The Rising Sun – $200 Million
Exstasea – $200 Million
Solandge – $180 Million
Aviva – $150 Million
Lionheart – $150 Million

What’s your favourite most expensive yacht? Leave a comment below.

The 10 Most Expensive Precious Metals in the World

The 10 Most Expensive Guitars in the World

Matt McIntyre is a digital marketing consultant and certified marketing strategist. When he's not talking about business or marketing, you'll find him in the gym.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The 20 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World

What are the most expensive tequilas in the world?

Tequila is one of the most popular liquors in the world and, in the United States alone, nearly 20 million 9-liter cases are consumed every year!

Whether you’re drinking it neat or mixing it into a margarita, you probably have a favorite brand that you know tastes great.

However, some brands can get incredibly expensive, and it is these tequilas that we are counting down today.

How did we select this list of tequilas?

We’ve put over 10 hours of research into re-writing and updating this list for 2024.

The tequilas on this list were selected by taking the current average sale price, at the time of writing.

Prices for rare tequila can vary depending on where they’re listed for sale; so for each tequila on this list, we checked the price across multiple websites and settled on the average.

Next comes the question, when does tequila stop being tequila, and start being artwork?

If you’re a fan of tequila you can probably think of at least one brand that treats their bottles as artwork.

These bottles can often be worth thousands, but is it all just similar tequila in a fancy and unique bottle?

We’ve decided we’re not going to be the judge of what’s tequila and what’s artwork, so what you see on this list reflects a true order, based on price per bottle.

The 2 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World

Tequila is a very versatile liquor and there is no shortage of varieties you can find at your local store.

That said, some of these tequilas are reserved for only the most wealthy buyers, and you certainly won’t want to drink them on a casual night out.

Without further ado, here’s our list of the 20 most expensive tequilas money can buy:

20. 1800 Coleccion Tequila

Most Expensive Tequilas - 1800 Coleccion Tequila

Price/Bottle: $2,000

This unique expensive tequila gets its name from the year that distillers started using oak barrels for aging, and it is owned by the insanely wealthy Beckmann family.

Distilled twice during its 10-year aging process, this tequila has a flavor reminiscent of Amaretto, but with a bolder kick that reminds you that it’s tequila.

For $2,000, this tequila comes in its own crystal decanter trimmed with pewter and securely placed in a lavish case lined with suede to protect its precious contents.

It doesn’t get much more high-end than that!

19. Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio

Most Expensive Tequilas - Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio

Price/Bottle: $2,200

Made from 100% agave, Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio is a luxury tequila that has been aged for 10 years in French oak barrels and it is limited to special batches of only 2,000 bottles per year.

While its purity does impact this tequila’s price, the bottle that it comes in also makes it more expensive.

Each bottle comes with lettering and images engraved with one of the most expensive precious metals in the world, 21-karat gold.

It definitely looks and tastes every bit worth its hefty price tag.

18. Clase Azul Extra Añejo Ultra

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Ultra

Price/Bottle: $2,500

The first Clase Azul product to appear on this list is the only one in regular production and not a limited edition.

Clase Azul’s extra anejo ultra is aged for 5 years in American whiskey and sherry casks.

The bottle is decorated in platinum, silver, and 24-karat gold.

You can expect to pay around $2,500 a bottle for this tequila.

17. AsomBroso Reserva del Porto Extra Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - AsomBroso Reserva del Porto

Price/Bottle: $2800

This brandy-like tequila is the type of drink that you break out during life’s greatest milestones.

Aged for 10 years in port wine barrels from Portugal, it is mixed with a small portion of white oak-aged tequila before being bottled.

Stored in a bottle shaped like a historical decanter found in an eighteenth-century Portuguese castle, it even comes secured in its own cedar humidor.

Although this tequila usually costs $2,800, you can sometimes get lucky and find it on sale for $1,499, which is honestly a great price, all things considered.

16. AsomBroso The Collaboration 12 Year Extra Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - AsomBroso The 12 Year Collaboration

Price/Bottle: $3,000

AsomBroso’s The Collaboration is an extra anejo tequila, aged 12 years in Silver Oak Cellar’s American casks.

The tequila is bottled inside a crystal decanter hand-made by Luciano Gambaro, a famous Italian artist.

The decanter is then packaged in a custom-polished humidor with laser engraving.

A single bottle might set you back $3,000, but there are places where you might be able to get your hands on one for cheaper.

15. Tesla Tequila Limited Edition Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - Tesla Limited Edition Tequila

Price/Bottle: $4,000

It does seem that Elon Musk can do no wrong.

Tesla Tequila started as an April Fool’s joke but quickly became a physical product that sold out immediately.

For the limited edition variant, only 420 bottles were produced, a number that jokingly references a time when Musk said he was going to take Tesla private at $420 a share.

The numbered limited edition variant with matching shot glass is currently selling for around $4,000, whilst the regular variant can fetch up to $1,500.

14. Codigo 1530 14 Year Extra Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - Codigo 1530 14 Year Extra Anejo

Price/Bottle: $4,500

Codigo’s 1530 extra Añejo has been aged inside French White Oak Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels for 14 years and then finished in French Cognac casks.

This is Codigo’s most expensive tequila they’ve ever produced.

A single bottle is now worth $4,500.

13. Clase Azul Pink Limited Edition Reposado

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Pink Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $6,000

This isn’t the first Clase Azul tequila featured on this list, and it definitely won’t be the last.

The ‘Pink’ limited edition reposado was originally released in 2016 for breast cancer awareness, with a percentage of the proceeds being donated to charity.

Just 3000 bottles of the original 2016 version were produced, featuring a white bottle hand-painted with pink artwork.

There have since been one or two other ‘Pink’ breast cancer awareness releases from Clase Azul.

12. Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 3

Most Expensive Tequilas - Patron En Lalique Serie 3 Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $7,500

Patron’s En Lalique Serie line the creme de la creme of their tequila.

Whatever we have here is the Serie 3, their latest release, but it’s the least expensive of the three.

The Serie 3 contains a blend of 14 different extra anejo tequilas, aged in 6 different barrel types.

Held in a crystal hand-carved decanter, with decoration inspired by the Weber Blue Agave.

The decanter is stored inside a luxurious wooden box.

Each decanter is numbered, and given the fact that this is Patron’s latest release, you can expect the Serie 3’s price to rise over the next few years.

11. Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 1 Extra Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - Patron En Lalique Serie 1 Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $8000

Patron’s En Lalique Serie 1 uses some of their oldest tequila, presented in a hand-made decanter inspired by Mexico’s Weber Blue Agave plant, topped off with an amber stopper.

Although this bottle cost $8,000, it’s not their most expensive tequila.

Patron went one step further for their next tequila, but more on that shortly.

10. Dos Armadillos Extra Anejo Sterling Silver

Most Expensive Tequilas - Dos Armadillos Sterling Silver Extra Anejo

Price/Bottle: $10,000

The Dos Armadillos Extra Anejo uses only an 8-year mature Blue Weber Agave.

The tequila is bottled in their signature armadillo-armored bottle, however, the armor for this edition is made entirely out of sterling silver.

$10,000 is the current price to pick up one of these bottles, a number that’s far more expensive than any other product in their range.

9. Clase Azul Puebla Limited Edition

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Puebla Limited Edition

The Clase Azul Puebla limited edition tequila was released on the 5th of May 2021, to commemorate Cinco de Mayo, or the Battle of Puebla.

Cinco de Mayo is a yearly celebration held on the 5th of May to celebrate Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire in 1862.

Just 300 bottles were produced and sold with a price tag of $400.

If you wished to purchase a bottle of Puebla Limited Edition today, the price would be more along the lines of $10,000.

8. Clase Azul Dia de Muertos Limited Edition

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Dia De Los Muertos

The Dia de Los Muertos collection from Clase Azul features several individual releases, but with most of them fetching similar prices, we’ve decided to include them in one single entry.

Dia de Muertos, or ‘The Day of the Dead’ as it’s otherwise known, is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated during November.

Clase Azul has released a new edition within the Dia de Muertos line annually for the past several years.

Some of the bottle designs for the Dia de Muertos range are spectacular and tend to rise in value once they are no longer produced.

7. Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 2 Extra Anejo

Most Expensive Tequilas - Patron En Lalique Serie 2 Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $10,500

Patron’s En Lalique Serie 2 is aged and made slowly in small batches to ensure perfect quality.

The bottle is carved crystal, featuring a crystal bee stopper with hand-painted gold accents.

It’s then placed inside a wooden box that spins to open, creating a rather luxurious effect.

We’ve seen prices ranging from $8,000 to $12,000 for this bottle, so if you’re patient you might be able to get it at a good price.

6. Clase Azul Master Artisans

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Master Artisans Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $20,000

Clase Azul’s most popular and iconic tequila is their resposado tequila, housed in a blue and white bottle.

In 2021, the brand collaborated with the award-winning artist, Ángel Santos to create a hand-crafted, limited edition resposado.

The ‘Master Artisans’ line aims to highlight the work of Mexico’s most talented artists.

The Ángel Santos edition, which at launch sold for $5,000 a bottle , can now reach up to $20,000.

5. Clase Azul Jalisco 200 Limited Edition

Most Expensive Tequilas - Clase Azul Jalisco 200 Limited Edition

Price/Bottle: $25,000

The Clase Azul Jalisco is an extra anejo tequila, named after Jalisco, a state in Mexico.

As the name might also suggest, only 200 bottles of this limited-edition tequila were distilled.

The tequila comes packaged inside a custom-built wooden box, which opens to reveal a drinking glass on either side.

With just 200 bottles released, getting your hands on one of these bottles isn’t cheap.

4. Clase Azul 15th Anniversary Edition

Price/bottle: $30,000.

The Clase Azul celebrated its 15th anniversary by releasing 15 limited edition bottles priced at $30,000 each.

Each of the unique bottles was handcrafted to convey the story of Mexico and all proceeds from the sale of these bottles were donated to the Fundacion con Causa Azul A.C, which supports the work of craftsmen and artisans in Mexico.

Although this tequila is no longer available for sale, we imagine that Clase Azul will release another special edition for a future anniversary, so if you want to grab a bottle, be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

3. Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario The Rolling Stones Special Edition

Most Expensive Tequilas - Jose Cuervo 250 Anniversario Rolling Stones

Price/Bottle: $75,000

Jose Cuervo was the very first legal tequila company to be established, with the company’s history dating back to 1795 .

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Case Cuervo, Jose Cuervo released the 250 Anniversario tequila.

They also released a limited edition of the tequila, in collaboration with the Rolling Stones rock band.

The Jose Cuervo brand played a leading role in the Rolling Stones’ 1972 North American tour, ‘Tequila Sunrise’.

For the Rolling Stones special edition, the tequila bottle is embossed with the famous ‘Hot Lips’ logo in 14-carat gold, and spikes along the sides.

It also comes packaged in a leather guitar-shaped case, including seven shot glasses.

The tequila was initially released with a price tag of just $4,000, but prices have skyrocketed to almost $75,000 since then.

2. Tequila Ley .925 Ultra-Premium

Most Expensive Tequilas - Tequila Ley .925 Ultra-Premium

Price/Bottle: $225,000

In 2006, the artists at Tequila Ley designed three unique bottles to contain the tequila designed by Mexican artist Alejandro Gomez.

Each bottle was only created 33 times, for a total of 99 bottles, each more expensive than the last.

While this tequila in a glass bottle retails for $3,500, the gold and silver bottle goes for $25,000, and the gold and platinum for $150,000.

The most expensive of all was the white gold and platinum, which carried the insane price tag of $225,000!

Although the tequila itself is delectable, the real stars are the bottles that collectors and tequila enthusiasts scrambled to try and grab while they lasted.

1. Tequila Ley .925 Diamante

Most Expensive Tequilas - Tequila Ley .925 Diamante

Price/Bottle: $3.5 Million

Recorded as the most expensive tequila ever sold by a mile, the .925 Diamante is a true work of art.

The Ley .925 Diamante tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave, which is grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.

The tequila is then aged for 7 years inside French Oak barrels before being poured into a platinum and white gold version of Tequila Ley’s signature-shaped bottle.

However, none of these things truly account for the Diamante’s insane price tag.

As the name might suggest, the bottle is encrusted with 4000 diamonds, amounting to a total of 18.5 carats.

Now that we’ve come to the end of the list, you might have noticed a common theme.

Clase Azul had the most entries on this list, holding seven positions in the top 20.

This is largely due to the fact they treat their bottles as artwork, often showcasing hand-painted art in limited edition releases.

That’s not to take away from their tequila, but to say that their unique approach is very popular among collectors and tequila enthusiasts alike.

Here’s a quick recap of the 20 most expensive tequilas in the world:

Tequila Ley .925 Diamante
Tequila Ley .925 Ultra-Premium
Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario The Rolling Stones Special Edition
Clase Azul 15th Anniversary Edition
Clase Azul Jalisco 200 Limited Edition
Clase Azul Tequila Master Artisans
Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 2 Extra Anejo
Clase Azul Dia de Los Muertos Limited Edition
Clase Azul Puebla Limited Edition Tequila
Dos Armadillos Sterling Silver Extra Anejo
Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 1 Extra Anejo
Patron Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 3
Clase Azul Pink Limited Edition Reposado
Codigo 1530 Fourteen Years Extra Anejo
Tesla Tequila Anejo
Asombroso The Collaboration 12 Year Extra Anejo
AsomBroso Reserva del Porto Extra Anejo
Clase Azul Extra Añejo Ultra
Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio
1800 Coleccion Tequila

Are there any tequilas we missed out from the list? Leave a comment below.

The 25 most expensive cigars in the world.

What are the most expensive cigars in the world?

Cigars have risen in price rapidly over the past two decades.

They’re associated with luxury and wealth more than ever before, and cigar aficionados are constantly looking for rare and exclusive cigars to add to their collections.

This begs the question: how expensive can cigars be, and how difficult could it be to get your hands on the rarest of the rare?

Today we’re bringing you our updated list of the most expensive cigars in the world.

How did we select this list of cigars?

One of the issues with many expensive cigar lists on the internet, including the original version of our own, is how the cigar values are calculated.

For instance, there was once an auction for a very rare box of cigars that sold for more than half a million dollars, but the box consisted of almost 800 cigars. More details on that are below.

We’ve decided to thoroughly calculate the price/stick for each of the entries on this list, so you can have a clearer understanding of exactly which cigars are the most expensive in the world.

Whilst it may be difficult to obtain some of these cigars individually, assuming you’d want to obtain them of course, we think this is the best way of ranking the list.

Another thing we decided to take into account is limited edition releases which are packaged in custom humidors instead of regular boxes.

These humidors can often cost thousands of dollars alone, and end up distorting the price of the cigar.

Can people still buy these cigars?

Most of the cigars featured on this list can still be bought and smoked to this day.

Many of them are limited edition lines and are likely harder to find than most cigars.

What exactly makes some cigars more expensive than others?

Typically, there are a few things that can factor into cigar price:

Limited edition productions
Aged tobacco
Brand recognition

Limited edition productions can often limit the total number of cigars produced, and as time passes the number of those remaining drops.

A lot of rare cigar releases also use aged tobacco leaves, and you’ll see several brands on this list that age their tobacco for at least 10 years before the cigar is rolled.

Brand recognition also plays a part as particular brands such as Cohiba are always sought after.

Finally, if none of the above results in a cigar being expensive, there are a select few who will cover cigars in gold leaf, and diamonds, and infuse them with expensive cognac.

But more on that later.

The 25 Most Expensive Cigars

We’ve done countless hours of research to ensure that our updated version of this list is the best resource available.

Without further ado, let’s get into this list of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world:

25. El Septimo The Zaya Collection (Mirifico Sapphire)

Most Expensive Cigars - El Septimo The Zaya Collection

Price/Stick: $100

The Zaya Collection, produced by El Septimo, contains 8 different varieties of cigars.

Each variety contains five different filler tobaccos, with the tobacco leaves aged up to 15 years.

Typically, each cigar features are larger ring gauge of around 60, due to the variety of filler leaves used.

Whilst the cigars within this collection have very different flavor profiles from one another, the prices/stick are relatively similar.

At the time of researching this article, we’ve included the variety selling for the most, which is Mirifico Sapphire, at $100/stick.

Other varieties within the collection include:

Bomba Orange
Short Dream Topaz
Kolosso Amethyst
Fabuloso Dark Ruby
Excepcion Esmerelda
Double Shot White
Bullet Black

24. Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary

Most Expensive Cigars - Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary

Price/Stick: $115

Arturo Fuente has long been known for their high-quality cigars, and their Opus X range contains some of the most sought-after cigars in the brand’s history.

The Opus X line was created in 1995 and in 2016 Fuente released the ‘Opus X 20th Anniversary’ edition to commemorate 20 years of the Opus X.

The ’20th Anniversary’ line contained four cigars:

Father & Son
God’s Whisper
Power of A Dream

The prices do vary between each variety, however, because the ‘God’s Whisper’ variety comes in a ‘Perfecto’ size it tends to be sold for higher prices than the rest of the line.

23. Cohiba Spectre 2023

Most Expensive Cigars - Cohiba Spectre 2023

Price/Stick: $130

The Spectre line from Cohiba was initially introduced in 2018 and cost $90 per stick.

Separate versions of the Cohiba Spectre have since been released annually, with the most expensive being the Spectre 2023.

The 2023 Spectre is limited to 600 boxes of 10 cigars, featuring a 52 ring gauge and 6 1/2 inches in length.

What’s most interesting about the release is the packaging, which differs somewhat from most cigars, including that of Cohiba.

The cigars are stored in a box that opens vertically, featuring a hydraulic system that elevates the tubed cigars when you press the ‘O’ button inside the Cohiba logo.

22. Davidoff Royal Release Salamones

Most Expensive Cigars - Davidoff Royal Release Salamones

Price/Stick: $150

To be qualified enough to roll the Royal Release Salamones, Davidoff makes sure you have more than 15 years of experience rolling cigars.

This cigar is only rolled by 8 different people who together have rolled over 7 million cigars.

The Royal Release Salmones takes 10 years to grow from tobacco seed to finished product and is sold in boxes of 10 for $1,500.

21. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012

Most Expensive Cigars - Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012

Price/Stick: $181

The Epicure No. 2 is one of Hoyo de Monterrey’s signature cigars.

In 2016, Habanos SA announced the release of the No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012.

This blend only uses tobacco leaves from 2012, aged for a minimum of three years.

With just 5000 boxes of 20 cigars produced, this cigar is bound to increase in value with time.

20. Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013

Most Expensive Cigars - Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013

Price/Stick: $200

Here we have another Hoyo de Monterrey ‘Reserva’ release, the Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013.

Typically, Gran Reserva lines are more sought after than regular Reserva series, due to the difference in tobacco aging.

Reserva cigar blends use tobacco leaves that are aged for a minimum of three years.

Whereas Gran Reserva blends use tobacco leaves aged for a minimum of 5 years.

Gran Reservas are also produced with only 15 sticks per box, instead of the usual 20.

19. Cohiba Siglo De Oro (Year of the Rabbit)

Most Expensive Cigars - Cohiba Siglo De Oro

Price/Stick: $250

In 2023, Cohiba announced the release of the Siglo De Oro, to commemorate both the Chinese ‘Year of the Rabbit’, and also the 30th anniversary of the Siglo series.

Naturally, people across China, Hong Kong, and various other countries in Asia were the first to see these cigars unveiled.

Only 18,888 boxes of the Siglo De Oro will be produced.

That number might sound oddly specific, and it is indeed no coincidence, as the number 8 is lucky in Chinese culture.

The Siglo De Oro is a 54 ring gauge, 4 1/2 inch long cigar, sold in boxes of 18.

18. H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011

Most Expensive Cigars - H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011

Price/Stick: $260

H. Upmann is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, with history going all the way back to 1843.

The Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha is of course named after the legendary Sir Winston Churchill , who was known not only for being one of the most important prime ministers in British history; but also for his love of cigars.

The Gran Reserve line was launched by H. Upmann in 2009, and in 2011 the Sir Winston edition was released.

Just 5000 boxes of 15 cigars were produced, for a total of 75,000 cigars.

17. Partagas Serie E No.1 Colección Habanos 2013

Price/stick: $280.

The Serie E No. 1 Colección Habanos 2013 from Partagas appears 18th on our list of the most expensive cigars.

With this particular cigar now being over 10 years old, its price has risen heavily.

You can still find this cigar for sale in the USA for roughly $280 per stick, however, prices do vary.

16. Hoyo De Monterrey Maravillas Collection 2015

Price/stick: $290.

The most expensive Hoyo de Monterrey cigar is the Maravillas Collection 2015.

There were just 2000 boxes of 20 cigars produced, amounting to a total of 40,000 cigars.

Given the smaller production number in comparison to the other Hoyo de Monterrey’s featured on this list, you can expect to pay $290/stick for this cigar.

15. Cohiba Behike Series

Price/Stick $300

Cohiba Behikes are one of the most popular and sought-after cigars in the world.

Behike cigars are known for their full-strength flavor and quality, provided you can get your hands on the authentic product.

They’re sold in three different ring gauges: 52, 54, and 56.

These sizes are represented in their names respectively: Behike 52, Behike 54, and Behike 56.

The Cohiba Behike cigars are sold in 10-count boxes and increase in price depending on their size.

14. Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition

Most Expensive Cigars - Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition

Oliva Cigar Co. are well known for producing cigars that provide a great smoking experience for a great value.

However, in 2023 they decided to do something a little different.

The most popular line of Oliva cigars is the ‘Series V’, and last year they announced a new Series V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition.

When we take a look at the average price of an Oliva cigar, we can see a price of around $10, so what’s different?

The packaging is the most notable difference, with the Roaring Twenties SLE cigars being placed in boxes produced by Daniel Marshall.

Half of the cigars (the top layer) are also covered in gold foil.

In addition, there will only ever be 300 boxes created, for a total of 3000 cigars.

13. Trinidad Casilda Coleccion Habanos 2019

Price/stick: $370.

As you may have already noticed, Habanos limited edition collections can become incredibly expensive.

The Trinidad Casilda 2019 is another edition within the Coleccion Habanos with only 3000 boxes being produced.

This cigar once again features the traditional book-shaped box packaging as with any ‘Coleccion Habanos’ release.

Getting your hands on a single stick could cost up to $370.

12. Daniel Marshall 24KT Golden Gigante

Most Expensive Cigars - Daniel Marshall 24KT Gold Cigar

Price/Stick: $395

Continuing both the obsession with gold and also the story of Daniel Marshall brings us to the next cigar on our list.

For those who are unaware of Daniel Marshall ; he’s a well-known figure within the cigar industry for his work with manufacturing custom humidors.

In 2011, Marshall decided to create a 24KT gold cigar for his friend’s 64th birthday.

Marshall then produced a limited run of the cigar which would be packaged in a custom-signed travel humidor.

The 24kt cigar comes in two sizes, Torpedo and Gigante, with the Gigante size being the more expensive of the two.

Its base is that of the DM2 cigar, also sold by Daniel Marshall, which is rolled and sold to him by the Plasencia factory.

Daniel then covers the cigar with a thin layer of gold leaf from Italy.

11. Montecristo Gran Piramides Limited Edition 2017

Most Expensive Cigars - Montecristo Gran Piramides 2017

Price/Stick: $400

Montecristo is one of the most popular cigar brands in the world, and one of their most expensive cigars is the Gran Piramides Limited Edition from 2017.

The Gran Piramides are part of the ‘Coleccion Habanos’, which come packaged in a box that’s shaped to look like a book.

At its core, the Gran Piramides are a Montecristo No. 2 that has been increased in size for this limited collection.

This cigar has a length of 6.25 inches and a ring gauge of 57, while Montecristo No. 2’s are a 52 ring gauge, and slightly shorter in length.

Only 2000 boxes of the Gran Piramides 2017 were produced by Habanos SA.

10. Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007

Most Expensive Cigars - Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007

Price/Stick: $430

Continuing with another Habanos SA-produced cigar, the 2007 Gran Reserva Lusitanias from Partagas is our 11th most expensive cigar.

Just 5000 boxes of 15 cigars were produced, resulting in a total count of 75,000 cigars.

The Gran Reserve Cosecha 2007 can still be found for sale, but given its age, you might have to shell out more than you wish to.

9. Cohiba Talisman Edicion Limitada 2017

Most Expensive Cigars - Cohiba Talisman Edicion Limitada 2017

Price/Stick: $450

When it was originally released, the Cohiba Talisman EL 2017 cost just $547 for a box of 10.

Since their release, the price has risen rapidly year over year.

The cigars were produced at the world-famous El Laguito factory in Havana, Cuba.

At the time of writing this article, you’d be lucky to find a single stick for under $450.

8. Cohiba 55 Aniversario Edicion Limitada 2021

Most Expensive Cigars - Cohiba 55 Aniversario Edicion Limitada 2021

Price/Stick: $500

While not the most expensive release from Cohiba in the year 2021, the next entry on this list was certainly an important one.

The 55 Anniversario Edicion Limitada 2021 marked the 55th anniversary of Cohiba.

As the name suggests, the cigar was indeed a limited edition, and difficult to get a hold of.

The cigar was released in 10-count boxes, costing roughly $5000/box.

7. Davidoff Oro Blanco

Most Expensive Cigars - Davidoff Oro Blanco

Price/Stick: $600

Davidoff claims that the Oro Blanco is the most exceptional cigar they’ve ever created.

The Oro Blanco is a 6-inch, 54 ring gauge, toro-shaped cigar, with an all-Dominican wrapper, binder, and filler

So why does it cost $600 per cigar?

One of the main reasons for its high cost is due to Davidoff’s aging process.

The Oro Blanco, which translates to “White Gold”, is made with tobacco leaves grown in areas with some of the richest soil across the entire Dominican Republic.

The leaves are then aged for 12 years before the cigar is rolled; a task completed only by Davidoff’s most experienced rollers (15+ years of experience).

After one additional year of aging, the single cigar is then reviewed, approved, and placed into a custom box.

6. Mayan Sicars

Price/stick: $633.

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned a specific auction involving a box of 800 cigars.

In 2012, a large crate of Mayan cigars, expected to be more than 600 years old, was discovered in Guatemala.

It’s important to mention that the most reliable source of this information mentions the sale of all 800 cigars for a total of $507,000, which would put the price/stick at $633.

The cigars were buried deep below the surface in sealed clay pots, and discovered by an archeologist team from Tampa University.

Who paid the $507,000? A man named Gary Liotta, owner of the Santiago Cigar Factory in New York.

5. Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve

Most Expensive Cigars - Gurkha His Majesties Reserve

Price/Stick: $750

On the sixth spot, we have Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve cigar.

It’s made each year, and if you’re a cigar enthusiast, you will need to preorder them a few years beforehand.

The total size of each cigar is 7-5 x 52 inches. The Connecticut Maduro wrapper comes with a Dominican binder and filler that is aged for 12 years.

The filler is infused with Louis XIII cognac, which gives it an amazing aroma.

This cigar is very rare and special, and the cognac has been known for selling only to dignitaries worldwide.

A total of 75 boxes are being made every year. The incredible aroma, as well as the taste of the cigar, will be something that you will be so impressed with that you will never forget.

4. Cohiba Ideales Coleccion 2021

Most Expensive Cigars - Cohiba Ideales Limited Edition 2021

Price/Stick: $1100

As the name suggests, this Cohiba cigar was released in 2021, measuring almost 7 inches in length, with a 56 ring gauge.

The Ideales Coleccion 2021 is limited to just 3000 boxes of 20 cigars, totaling 60,000 sticks.

The box is manufactured to look like a book.

Cohiba’s Ideales Coleccion 2021 is the last cigar to feature on this list that isn’t either covered in gold leaf and crystals or nearly 20 years old.

Which makes it the most expensive plain cigar that can still be purchased today.

3. Gurkha Black Dragon (2006 Edition)

Price/stick: $1,150.

The Gurkha Black Dragon is a cigar that you can still buy and smoke newer versions of to this day, but the original 2006 edition is a rare find.

The OG boxes were handmade using camel bone and were limited to just 5 boxes of 100 cigars.

Those who have smoked the original Black Dragon from 2006, and the newer editions seem to conclude that the taste is more or less the same.

Although the 2006 first edition of the Gurkha Black Dragon cost around $1,150, given how limited it was at the time; the current version of this cigar can be added to your collection for just $40/stick.

2. King of Denmark Cigar

Price/stick: $4,500.

The King of Denmark cigar is produced by Royal Danish and only 30 sticks are rolled per day.

Buyers can customize the cigar with both 24KT gold leaf and Swarovski crystals.

They’re also able to have their name inscribed on the cigar.

Whilst this cigar doesn’t have to cost you thousands, it can reach up to $4,500/stick depending on the customization.

1. Gurkha Royal Courtesan

Most Expensive Cigars - Gurkha Royal Courtesan

Price/Stick: $1.36 Million

The most expensive cigar in the world is the Gurkha Royal Courtesan cigar.

The Royal Courtesan is worth a ridiculous $1.36 million per stick.

One of the most interesting things here is that Gurkha are not known for their quality.

In fact, Gurkha’s quality control is often a common problem reported by fellow cigar aficionados.

This begs the question: why does this cigar cost so much more money than anything else on the list before it?

Let’s get into the details of the Royal Courtesan:

The cigar’s filler is infused with Remy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac.
It’s hand-rolled by a select few skilled rollers, who are blindfolded.
The band of the cigar is covered in 5-carat diamonds.
Rare Himalayan tobacco leaves are used for the wrapper.
The wrapper is also covered in a layer of 24KT gold leaf.
Personal delivery to the owner by a messenger

Notable Mentions

That concludes our main list of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world.

There are, however, a few entries we’d like to mention.

Although these weren’t included in the main list, they’re worth mentioning to any fellow cigar aficionado.

Regius Double Corona Cigar

Price: $52,000.

We decided to leave out the Regius Double Corona from our main list as the cigar itself is not the main reason for the high price.

In 2013, Regius Cigars developed their Double Corona cigar, which is produced in Nicaragua.

However, the main attraction was not actually the cigar itself, but what was included with the purchase.

The buyer of the cigar would be flown first class out to Regius headquarters in Nicaragua, where they would be given a private tour of the factory.

They would also be allowed to create their own cigar blend, and be given 1000 sticks of said blend to take home with them.

Gran Habano #5 El Gigante

Price: $185,000.

Technically this cigar does have a clear price/stick, selling for $185,000 in 2013.

However, it’s probably worth mentioning that the cigar is 19 feet long, 3 feet thick, and weighs over 600 pounds.

Here are some interesting facts about the Gran Habano #5 El Gigante:

Despite its size, it can be smoked by multiple people at the same time.
Made with 1,600 pounds of tobacco.
Equivalent to smoking 25,000 cigars
Contains 15,000 wrapper leaves
Has a ring gauge of 1920
Weighs 2,500 pounds with the wooden case

We decided to separate the El Gigante from our main list of expensive cigars, but the story itself is worth mentioning.

If you enjoyed this list, don’t forget to check out our other most expensive lists:

The Most Expensive Vodkas
The Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks
The Most Expensive Cigarettes
The Most Expensive Bourbons
The Most Expensive Tequila

Here’s a quick recap of the 25 most expensive cigars in the world, per stick:

Gurkha Royal Courtesan
King of Denmark
Gurkha Black Dragon (2006 Edition)
Cohiba Ideales Coleccion 2021
Gurkha His Majesty’s Reserve
Mayan Sicars
Davidoff Oro Blanco
Cohiba 55 Aniversario Edicion Limitada 2021
Cohiba Talisman Edicion Limitada 2017
Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007
Montecristo Gran Piramides Limited Edition 2017
Daniel Marshall 24KT Golden Gigante
Trinidad Casilda Coleccion Habanos 2019
Oliva Serie V Roaring Twenties Super Limited Edition
Cohiba Behike Series
Hoyo De Monterrey Maravillas Collection 2015
Partagas Serie E No.1 Colección Habanos 2013
H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011
Cohiba Siglo De Oro (Year of the Rabbit)
Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012
Davidoff Royal Release Salamones
Cohiba Spectre 2023
Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary
El Septimo The Zaya Collection (Mirifico Sapphire)

Are there any cigars we’ve missed from this list? Leave a comment below.

The 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide.

Which are the most expensive countries to live in worldwide? Hold tight, as you’re about to find out.

If you’ve dreamed about moving abroad and starting life afresh in a new country, then read through this list before you do, as you might be shocked to find out just how expensive some of these lesser-known countries are.

We’ve put together this list based on accommodation and living expenses for a single person living in the capital city of each country, and according to population.

Here’s a list of the 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide…

The list of countries and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as World Population Review & Nomad List .

These are the 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide:

10. Barbados – $2,061

Kicking off our list of the 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide, is Barbados.

Barbados is a sovereign island nation in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, which is the Caribbean region of North America.

It covers approximately 349km² and is 23 kilometres wide and 34 kilometres long, with a total population of 285,719 people.

Barbados is the fourth-most densely populated country in the Americas and, it’s capital city, Bridgetown, has approximately 110,000 people living in it.

To rent a one-bedroom studio apartment in Bridgetown, you’re looking at spending around $500 a month, or $100 a night in an Airbnb.

A basic meal out will cost you no less than $13. A beer is around $6.50 and coffee is approximately $5.00 depending on where you go.

9. Japan – $2,612

The ninth most expensive country to live in worldwide is Japan.

Japan is an archipelago island nation in South-East Asia, made up of 6,852 islands, with a current total population of 126.8 million people.

Of the 6,582 islands, the four largest islands account for the majority of inhabitants, as roughly 97% Japans population live on the four islands.

Japan has many major cities, like Osaka, Yokohoma, Nagoya and Sapporo, which are all populated by more than 2 million people.

However, Tokyo, Japans Capital City and the largest city in Japan, has an approximate population of 37 million people.

To rent a one-bedroom studio apartment in Tokyo, you’re looking at spending in the region of $1,370 a month, or $111 a night in an Airbnb.

Eating out varies in price, but as an average for one person, you should be looking at spending around $15.00 for a basic meal and around $6.00 for a beer.

Coffee is also pretty reasonable, considering how expensive Tokyo is, at $2.81 a cup.

8. Norway – $2,659

Located in Northern Europe, Norway is a Scandinavian country with a total population of 5.3 million people.

Norway shares its borders with Sweden, Russia and Finland, and has a total landmass of 385,203 km².

It’s only the 171st most densely populated country on earth, with roughly 14 people for every square kilometre.

Rent is expensive in Norway’s capital, so renting a one-bedroom studio apartment in Oslo, will set you back around $1,193 a month, or $85 a night in an Airbnb.

You won’t have much change left from $15 when buying a meal out, and a beer will set you back around $9.11.

7. The Bahamas – $2,704

The next most expensive country in the world to live in is The Bahamas.

Made up of over 700 islands, the Bahamas has an approximate population of 389,482 million people living across its 13,943km² landmass.

The largest city in the Bahamas is Nassau, with a total population of 255,000.

If you’re thinking about visiting the Bahamas, then you should budget approximately $950 a month for a one-bedroom studio apartment in the city, or $149 a night for an Airbnb.

You’ll need to take at least $50-$100 with you when you go out for a meal and some drinks, as a basic meal costs around $15-$20 and a beer will cost you around $2.50.

Coffee is a little on the expensive side, at around $5 each.

6. Luxembourg – $2,751

One of the smallest countries on our list, Luxembourg, is also one of the smallest sovereign nations on the planet, and it won’t leave you with a lot of wiggle room when it comes to your monthly expenses.

Luxembourg is a landlocked country, located in western Europe, and has an estimated population of 620,319 people.

Its population is small compared to other countries on the list, however, it has roughly 207 people per square kilometre, making it the 67th most densely populated country on earth.

When you arrive in Luxembourg City, you can expect to pay around $1,322 per month for a one-bedroom studio apartment, or $80 a night in an Airbnb.

Luxembourg seems like it’s slightly more expensive than the Bahamas when it comes to luxuries like beer and coffee, as one beer will cost you around $9 and coffee will set you back $6.

Eating a basic meal out will cost between $17-$25 for one person depending on what you order.

5. Iceland – $2,802

Coming in at number five on our list of the most expensive countries in the world is Iceland.

Iceland is located between the North and Atlantic Oceans and has a total surface area of 103,001 square kilometres.

However, Iceland’s population of 339,949 people, remains relatively low in comparison to others on our list as its harsh geographical landscape proves difficult to live in for many, at times.

As a result, Iceland has the lowest population density of any European country, at just 3 people per kilometre.

Staying in Iceland will cost you approximately $1,236 a month for a one-bedroom studio apartment in the capital city of Reykjavik, or $128 a night in an Airbnb.

Whilst you’re there, eating out will cost you around $12 for a basic meal, $8 for a beer and $2.15 for a cup of coffee.

4. Denmark – $3,312

The southernmost Nordic country in Northern Europe, Denmark, is the fourth most expensive country to live in worldwide.

Denmark, bordered by Germany, Sweden and Norway has a total current population of 5.7 million people.

The Scandinavian countries capital city is Copenhagen, which has an urban population of 1.2 million people, and a metropolitan population of 1.99 million.

Known as one of the happiest places to live on earth, Copenhagen is also a very expensive city to live in.

For a one-bedroom studio apartment, you’re looking at $1,917 a month, or $96 a night in an Airbnb.

Eating out will cost you approximately $18 per person and beers and coffee are anyway between $5.50-$6.50 a pop!

3. Switzerland – $3,162

Switzerland is the third most expensive country to live in worldwide.

With more than 8.6 million people living across, 41,285 square kilometres, Switzerland is the 95th most populated country in the world, and the 135th largest country in terms of the total landmass.

Switzerland has a number of beautiful cities to live in, like it’s capital, Bern, and it’s the largest city, Zurich.

Bern has approximately 133,000 people living there and accommodation for a month in Bern, for one person, will cost in the region of $1,366, or $86 a night in an Airbnb.

A meal out will cost you approximately $15-$20, with an additional beer costing around $6.00 and coffee costing around $5.00 a cup.

2. Cayman Islands – $3,387

Most Expensive Countries - Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is the second most populated British overseas territory in the world, just behind Bermuda.

It is located in the western end of the Caribbean sea and has a total current population of approximately 63,000 people.

It’s made up of a number of islands like Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

The Cayman Islands are well known for housing offshore companies, and it’s believed that there are over 100,000 companies registered in the Cayman Islands.

If you’re considering doing business in George Town, the capital city of the Cayman Islands, then a one-bedroom studio apartment will cost you around $1,924 a month or $83 a night in an Airbnb.

Food and drink on the island are where you might spend a lot of your money.

A basic meal out will cost you at least $20-$30, with beer costing around $8.00 and coffee costing around $7 a cup.

1. Bermuda – $5,011

At over $5,000 a month for accommodation and living expenses, Bermuda is the most expensive place to live in worldwide.

Similar to the Cayman Islands, Bermuda is another British territory located in the North Atlantic.

Bermuda has a total population of approximately 65,000 people living across a total landmass of 20.5 square miles.

Its capital city, Hamilton, is also Bermudas only incorporated city and has a current population of just over 1,000 people.

When looking for accommodation in the city, you’re going to need some deep pockets, as a one-bedroom studio apartment will cost you around $2,675 a month, or $212 a night in an Airbnb.

If you’re a drinker, then get prepared to spend some cash, as one glass of beer will cost you a minimum of $10, and dinner will be around $20-$30 per person.

Bermuda is the most expensive country to live in worldwide.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide.

Well, there you have it, those were some super expensive countries to live in.

Living in those countries might make you think twice about drinking alcohol , on a regular occasion, and make you sharpen the purse strings a bit more.

However, it’s all relative and depends on your disposable income and expenses.

So, if you’re still planning on moving to, or even visiting one of these countries long term, then at least you know what to expect.

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive countries to live in worldwide:

Bermuda – $5,011
Cayman Islands – $3,387
Switzerland – $3,162
Denmark – $3,312
Iceland – $2,802
Luxembourg – $2,751
The Bahamas – $2,704
Japan – $2,612
Norway – $2,291
Barbados – $2,061

What’s your favourite most expensive country? Leave a comment below.

Keanu Reeves Net Worth

What is Keanu Reeves’ net worth? Introduction Keanu Reeves is a Canadian professional actor with an estimated net worth of...

Emma Stone Net Worth

What is Emma Stone’s net worth? Emma Stone is an American professional actress with an estimated net worth of ....

Chris Evans Net Worth

What is Chris Evans’ net worth? Chris Evans is an American professional actor with an estimated net worth of ....

Harrison Ford Net Worth

What is Harrison Ford’s net worth? Introduction Harrison Ford is an American professional film producer and actor with an estimated...

Gary Oldman Net Worth

What is Gary Oldman’s net worth? Introduction Gary Oldman is an English professional actor and filmmaker with an estimated net...

Chris Pratt Net Worth

What is Chris Pratt’s net worth? Chris Pratt is an American professional actor with an estimated net worth of ....

Denzel Washington Net Worth

What is Denzel Washington’s net worth? Introduction Denzel Washington is an American professional actor with an estimated net worth of...

Cameron Diaz Net Worth

What is Cameron Diaz’s net worth? Cameron Diaz is an American former actress, author, and producer with an estimated net...

Bruce Willis Net Worth

What is Bruce Willis’ net worth? Introduction Bruce Willis is an American former professional actor and producer with an estimated...

Bradley Cooper Net Worth

What is Bradley Cooper’s net worth? Introduction Bradley Cooper is an American professional actor and filmmaker with an estimated net...

The 30 Richest People in the World

The 50 Richest Rappers in the World

The 50 Richest Singers in the World

The 50 Richest Actors in the World

The 50 Richest Athletes in the World

Jeff Bezos Net Worth

The 50 Richest DJs in the World

Top 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

The 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

Bottom Painting & Prop Speed
Fiberglass & Paint Work
Running Gear & Valves
Full-Service Team
Monthly Maintenance Programs
Dockside Service Team
Full-Service Boatyard
Management Services
Accounting & Reporting
Relevant Management Experience
News and Media

World’s Richest Yacht Owners

The world’s richest yacht owners.

It’s no surprise that owning a yacht is popular among the billionaire class. It’s not uncommon for billionaires around the world to not only own one luxury superyacht, but multiple yachts. Not to mention tenders and other high-tech watercrafts. Some of the richest people in the world own some of the largest, most expensive mega yachts. We take a look at some of the world’s richest yacht owners and the luxury vessels they have bought.

Bernard Arnault

Worth a whopping $156.8 billion in 2021, Bernard Arnault is a French businessman and art collector most known as the chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. He is currently the third richest person in the world. 1 LVMH is a French multinational conglomerate and the world’s largest luxury-goods company. Renowned brands such as Dior, Givenchy, Bulgari, and Tiffany & co. are owned by this corporation.

Bernard Arnault Yacht

Bernard Arnault owns the 101.5-meter motor yacht Symphony . Built in the Netherlands by Feadship, this luxury super yacht has four main engines and can carry 20 passengers and 38 crew. A 6-meter glass-bottom swimming pool and outdoor cinema are some of the vessel’s standout features.

Larry Ellison

Worth $90.6 billion in 2021, Larry Ellison is an American business magnate and investor. One of the most famous yacht owners, he is best known for being the co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle Corporation. Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation known as the world’s largest database management company.

Larry Ellison Yacht

Larry Ellison owns the 87.78-meter motor yacht Musashi . Built in the Netherlands by Feadship in 2011, this five-deck super yacht can accommodate 18 guests and 24 crew. Its exterior was inspired by Japanese design and Art Deco style. An outdoor gym and spa are only a few of the vessel’s luxury amenities.

The eighth richest man in the world as of 2021, Larry Page is worth $90.3 billion. He is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur best known as one of two co-founders of Google. Google is an American multinational technology company specializing in internet-related services and products which includes the world’s most used search engine, online advertising platforms, and cloud computing.

Larry Page Yacht

Larry Page owns the 58.8-meter motor yacht SENSES . Built and launched by German yacht builder Fr. Schweers Shipyard in 1999, it went under its latest yacht refit in 2015. This luxury yacht sleeps up to 12 guests with accommodations for 14 crew. An expedition yacht, SENSES features a large helipad, ice-strengthened hull, and three high-speed tenders.

Yacht Management South Florida, Inc. specializes in complete yacht care . As such, we offer premier maintenance services at our South Florida marina including boat bottom cleaning , and hull painting. Our certified yacht technicians can also go to your yacht to provide dockside assistance and emergency yacht repair services .

Contact us today to schedule any technical work or learn more about out our extensive yacht maintenance services and first-class yacht management program!

Additional Reading

Top 5 Largest Yachts in The World
List of Famous Yachts in Movies
Dorothy Neufeld, Visual Capitalist – The Richest People in the World in 2021

For all inquiries, fill out the form below and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible

Today's news
Reviews and deals
Climate change
2024 election
Newsletters
Fall allergies
Health news
Mental health
Sexual health
Family health
So mini ways
Unapologetically
Buying guides

Entertainment

How to Watch
My watchlist
Stock market
Biden economy
Personal finance
Stocks: most active
Stocks: gainers
Stocks: losers
Trending tickers
World indices
US Treasury bonds
Top mutual funds
Highest open interest
Highest implied volatility
Currency converter
Basic materials
Communication services
Consumer cyclical
Consumer defensive
Financial services
Industrials
Real estate
Mutual funds
Credit cards
Balance transfer cards
Cash back cards
Rewards cards
Travel cards
Online checking
High-yield savings
Money market
Home equity loan
Personal loans
Student loans
Options pit
Fantasy football
Pro Pick 'Em
College Pick 'Em
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy hockey
Fantasy basketball
Download the app
Daily fantasy
Scores and schedules
GameChannel
World Baseball Classic
Premier League
CONCACAF League
Champions League
Motorsports
Horse racing

New on Yahoo

Privacy Dashboard

Blackbox sheds light on tragic final minutes of billionaire’s superyacht trip

It was supposed to be a summer celebration.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch had gathered his tried and trusted lawyers who had been with him every step of the way helping him emerge unscathed from a gruelling 13-year legal battle. Twelve guests had flown into the picturesque Italian port of Porticello, near Palermo from the UK, the US, Canada , New Zealand and Ireland, to mark the end of the fraud trial that had consumed much of their lives.

But now a manslaughter investigation has been launched as Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who died after the vessel capsized during bad weather in the early hours of Monday morning.

Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.

Italian public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, from nearby town Termini Imerese said his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck .

The group had been welcomed on board the six luxurious suites of Bayesian, a 56-metre-long £30 million superyacht , by the ten crew. Boasting the tallest aluminium mast in the world - higher than Nelson’s Column - experts now speculate it may have caused her to topple and become pinned underwater in an unpredictable, ferocious storm.

The ship was named after the statistical method, the Bayesian inference, an 18th-century theory that helps forecasters predict outcomes more reliably. Mr Lynch based his entire PHD thesis around it, later amassing his huge fortune after selling his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

He had improbably beaten the odds in a bitter US legal dispute with the technology giant, convincing a jury that he was not guilty of claims of massive fraud after a long legal fight that finally came to an end in June. Two months ago he emerged from court with tears in his eyes a free man he pledged to restructure extradition laws that brought him to the US in cuffs.

Disaster struck at around 5am when a freak tornado over the sea known as a waterspout rocked the superyacht, according to Sicily ’s civil protection agency. The crew fired off disaster flares causing local fishermen and others to navigate the storm to come to the aid of survivors.

The captain of a nearby boat said that when the winds surged, he had turned on the engine to keep control of his vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, which had been anchored alongside him.

“We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Karsten Borner said.

The other boat “went flat on the water, and then down,” he added. He said his crew then found some of the survivors on a life raft and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

This included a one-year-old girl named Sophie one of the 16 survivors, so far.

Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, 36, told how she battled to keep her child above the dark and raging Mediterranean while calling for help amid the awful piercing screams of other struggling guests and crew.

“For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately held her again in the fury of the waves,” she told Giornale di Sicilia. “I held her tightly, tightly to me, while the sea was raging. So many were screaming. Fortunately, the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on it.”

This left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International non-executive chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their wives Judy and Neda.

The worn-out Captain of the yacht , James Catfield said simply: “We didn’t see it coming.”

“The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude,” a coast guard official in the Sicilian capital Palermo said the next day.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told how he saw a “tornado” close to the port on Monday morning. Mr Cefalu said he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht vanished beneath the waves, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were “fierce”, with “very strong” wind and rain.

The luxury superyacht is “practically intact” on the seabed despite sinking, Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, has told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

He said in an interview that the multi-million yacht was lying on its side at a depth of 48 metres, but that divers were unable to gain access because of floating furnishings and other debris inside the yacht.

“The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel,” which was lying 49 metres deep, Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily , added.

“The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention,” fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters. “We plan ... to search centimetre by centimetre.”

Now they enter a critical 24 hours according to Nick Sloane, a lead diver in the Costa Concordia wreck. He told Sky News that survivors might be trapped in air pockets inside the ship, but that time is running out fast to rescue them.

“They’ve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.

“If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it’s upright. She’s got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I’m sure.”

India's VerSe buys Valueleaf to boost digital marketing

VerSe Innovation, India's content tech unicorn that owns local language news aggregator Dailyhunt, digital newsstand platform Magzter and short-video app Josh, has acquired digital marketing firm Valueleaf Group in a cash and equity deal. Valueleaf will help VerSe to bolster its presence in the Indian digital ad space and build a significant retargeting platform, countering the likes of Google, which also backs the startup, and local contenders including InMobi. Digital ad spending in India is growing as consumption across online platforms expands in the world's most populous country.

20 Labor Day fashion sales to get you fired up for fall — starting at $9

Grab a Coach bag for only $58, Gloria Vanderbilt jeans for a ridiculous $22 — that's nearly 55% off — plus Skechers, Levi's and more.

Paramount stock falls 7% as buyout saga appears to finally reach conclusion

Paramount Global's messy merger drama finally appears to have reached its conclusion.

Ben Affleck linked to Kick Kennedy amid J.Lo divorce. Here's what's going on with the actor and RFK Jr.'s daughter.

Multiple reports claim Ben Affleck and Kick Kennedy have spent time together.

Lyft is testing a new rider verification safety measure

Lyft is piloting its own rider verification program, much as Uber did earlier this year. This feature confirms to drivers that the person getting in their vehicle is who they say they are.

Franco Colapinto replacing American Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the F1 season

Argentine driver Franco Colapinto will replace American Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the Formula One season and will compete from this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, the British team announced on Tuesday.

$521 million in US grants approved for the construction of more EV stations

The Biden administration is allocating the grants to meet its goal of building more EV stations on America's roadways.

New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: A huge surge in Democratic optimism — but no big bounce for Harris — after the DNC

Harris (47%) and Trump (46%) remain effectively tied in a head-to-head match-up.

Microsoft's AI software is gaining traction with enterprises

Microsoft says a growing number of its customers are signing up for its generative AI services.

Polaris Dawn will push the limits of SpaceX's human spaceflight program — here's how to watch it launch live

After a nearly three-year interlude, Jared Isaacman is returning to space. The billionaire entrepreneur first went to orbit as part of the Inspiration4 mission, which made history for having a crew comprised entirely of private citizens, not professional astronauts. Literally: Polaris Dawn will fly farther than any mission using SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to date, while also soaring through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt for the first time since the days of the Apollo missions.

MacBook Air at a record-low price, plus 7 more Apple Labor Day deals to bite into

Amazon is offering big cuts on incredible gear, including a shiny new tablet for just $199.

Georgia Tech upsets Florida State, CFP Predictions & what are we watching in Week 1? | College Football Power Hour

Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz and the newest addition to Yahoo Sports, Adam Breneman kick off the inaugural College Football Power Hour with a look at Week 0's biggest matchup, a surprising result in which the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets surprised two continents with a win over ranked Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. The crew explains how Haynes King and Brent Key led the team to a victory and why the 0-1 hole Mike Norvell's Seminoles squad finds itself in may not be the end of the world.

Liam and Noel Gallagher are finally reuniting. Why people still care about Oasis.

“The guns have fallen silent,” Oasis said in a statement announcing the tour. “The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

Telegram CEO charges include distributing CSAM and money laundering

Pavel Durov is being held by French authorities.

Congress begins investigating Trump’s assassination attempt, judge blocks Biden immigration policy, Oasis announces reunion tour

Get caught up on this morning’s news: Congress probes Trump’s assassination attempt, Oasis reuniting and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter

Paris court explains why it's arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov

When Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, was arrested on August 24, French authorities did not respond to requests for comment. The secrecy of pre-trial investigations and inquiries is an important principle in the French judicial system. French television network TF1 reported that the main issues are Telegram’s (lack of) moderation processes and unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement, especially when it comes to drug trafficking, money laundering and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

We're snapping up these podiatrist-loved shoes and sandals, on sale from $30

Our expert-vetted picks offer comfort, support and style — plus some are over 50% off.

California AI bill sparks debate in Silicon Valley as some tech giants call it a threat to innovation

A controversial AI regulation bill is sparking a fierce debate in Silicon Valley. California legislatures will vote on SB 1047 this week. If passed, it would broadly regulate how AI is deployed and developed.

Labor Day sales are here early: Huge Amazon savings and the best deals we could find on tech, appliances, clothing and more

Dyson, Home Depot, Macy's, Tempur-Pedic: We're still days away from the big sale weekend, but prices have already plummeted.

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

The Creepy Coincidences of the Billionaire Superyacht Sinking

Starting with the name..

The sinking of tech billionaire Mike Lynch’s yacht in a freak storm off the Sicilian coast last week certainly has to rank among the most bizarre fatal celebrity accidents in years. There was the weird coincidence that Lynch had just gotten acquitted after a yearslong legal battle over a multibillion-dollar fraud; the eerie synchrony of the same-day death of his co-defendant after being struck by car while jogging; the fact that the $40 million vessel had been described as virtually unsinkable; the fact no vessel that size had been sunk by a waterspout in centuries; and the fact that the area where it struck is not known for waterspouts. But perhaps the wildest thing about the whole saga is the yacht’s name , Bayesian .

It refers to a method of statistical calculation that was originally devised by an 18th-century Presbyterian minister, Thomas Bayes. Lynch named his yacht after Bayes’s method in recognition of its role in building his fortune. In short, he had honored a method of calculating probabilities — only to be killed aboard its namesake by an accumulation of wildly off-the-chart improbabilities.

“The irony is tragic,” says British science journalist Tom Chivers, who writes for Semafor and published a book this year on Bayesian statistics called Everything Is Predictable. “It’s not a subtle irony. Bayes is the maths of prediction. This sequence of events is just spectacularly unlikely.”

It’s as if Charles Kane had been crushed to death under a giant rosebud.

How did we get here? In statistics, total probability is calculated by multiplying together all the component probabilities. So let’s look at the individual parts of the case.

Mike Lynch was something of a black-swan event in himself. Until he came along, the U.K. had never before had a software billionaire. The son of a fireman and a nurse who had immigrated from Ireland, Lynch grew up in England, then rose above his humble roots by attending Cambridge University. After graduating, he returned to Cambridge to earn a Ph.D. in signal processing , then stayed on to conduct postdoctoral research in neural networks, the data-processing technology that underlies machine learning. In 1990, while still a student, he founded his first company at the age of 25 with a loan of £2,000 from an eccentric acquaintance he made in a bar.

His research had led him to understand that by using neural networks computers could sift through unstructured data to find information that a user wanted. To do this, a program needed to assemble a vast number of interrelated probabilities and then update these probabilities as new information came in using Bayes’s formula. In 1996, he founded a separate company, Autonomy, to do just that.

Lynch was way ahead of the curve in seeing the technology’s commercial potential. At the time, the field was struggling through a so-called AI winter: Research had stalled, and the processors hadn’t yet been developed that would allow for the creation of the large language models of today. But Lynch’s foresight served him well. By 2000, the company was worth more than a billion dollars and Lynch was being lauded as the U.K.’s answer to Bill Gates . In 2011, he sold Autonomy to Hewlett Packard for $11 billion. It was a tremendous coup for a former scholarship boy.

He used some of the money to buy a 184-foot long yacht named Salute from a Dutch property developer named John Groenewoud, who had bought it new for nearly $40 million in 2008. At the time it was built, the yacht’s 237-foot-high aluminum mast was the tallest in the world. Lynch renamed it after the kind of statistics that had made his fortune: Bayesian.

Lynch’s luck soon turned. After the deal closed, HP realized that Autonomy’s revenues were largely fictitious and that the deal it had staked so much on was in fact a dog — what one analyst later dubbed “the worst, most value-destroying deal in the history of corporate America.” HP wrote down the investment by $8.8 billion. The company fired its CEO, and the company broke up into two parts.

A lot of people were pissed. HP blamed “willful effort on behalf of certain former Autonomy employees to inflate the underlying financial metrics of the company in order to mislead investors.” These suspicions were the basis for a series of legal actions, and in 2019 U.S. prosecutors indicted Lynch and Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomy’s former vice-president of finance, on fraud charges that carried a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Lynch’s own lawyers called it “one of Silicon Valley’s biggest-ever fraud cases.”

The trial took a long time to unfold in part because Lynch waged a yearslong battle against extradition from the U.K. to the United States, a battle he finally lost in 2023. This past March, his trial began in San Francisco. The New York Times noted that “ Mr. Lynch’s odds do not look good. ” (Former Autonomy CFO Sushovan Hussain had already been convicted on similar charges and sentenced to five years in prison.) But Lynch and Chamberlain beat the odds. On June 6, a jury found both men not guilty on all counts. “Lynch’s win is extremely unusual in federal criminal cases,” as the New York Post reported . “In fact, only less than 1% of federal cases ended in acquittal in 2022, according to the Pew Research Center.”

The sinking

Lynch decided to celebrate with a Mediterranean cruise aboard Bayesian . The yacht was to carry its full complement of ten crew and 12 guests. Invited along with Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were several people who had helped secure his freedom, including lawyer Christopher Morvillo of the firm Clifford Chance and Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, who had testified to Lynch’s good character at his trial. Not on the guest list was his co-defendant. Three days after Bayesian set sail, Chamberlain was back in England and jogging near Cambridge when he was struck by a car. Severely injured, he was taken to the hospital and put on life support.

Bayesian was off on a meandering course through the Tyrrhenian Sea. It wandered among the Aeolian Islands of Pecorini, Malfa, and Lipari, then stopped at the port of Milazzo on August 14. From there, it sailed westward along the northern coast of Sicily toward Palermo. On the evening of Sunday, August 18, it anchored about 300 yards from the harbor of Porticello, where severe thunderstorms had been forecast. “We all knew that a storm was coming and that during that night it was better to keep the boats inside the port,” a local fisherman later told the BBC .

Under certain very specific conditions, thunderstorms can yield tornadoes. When these occur over water, they are called waterspouts, but in every other regard the phenomena are identical, says Wade Szilagi, director of the International Centre for Waterspout Research. Tornadoes are measured according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with EF5 being the strongest with winds of up to 300 miles per hour .

Like tornadoes, waterspouts are more likely to be found in areas where the meteorological conditions are favorable for their development, such as the Florida Keys and Lake Erie. As for the region where the Bayesian sank, “I wouldn’t say that this is a hot spot” for waterspouts, says Szilagi.

Shortly before dawn the vessel was apparently struck by a waterspout of unknown size and intensity while it was riding at anchor. Violent gusts slammed the yacht from side to side, forward and back, before ripping it from its anchorage. Bayesian tipped on its side, filled with water, and sank below the waves just 15 minutes after the storm began. While nine of the crew and four of the passengers escaped, six of the passengers remained trapped in the hull, including Mike and Hannah Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, and Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. Their bodies were later recovered by divers. The body of the yacht’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was found floating on the surface.

Even given the intensity of the storm, the speed with which Bayesian sank was shocking, nearly incomprehensible, to the yachting community. “I have never seen a vessel of this size go down so quickly,” Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship that came to the survivors’ aid, told the Guardian . “Within a few minutes, there was nothing left.”

In interviews with Italian media, Giovanni Costantino, chairman of the company that built the Bayesian , said that his firm’s sailing yachts are “unsinkable” and among “the safest boats in the world.”

It won’t be entirely clear what happened until Italian authorities are able to complete their inquiry, but many, including Costantino , have speculated that the crew failed to prepare the yacht for the storm, for example by remaining at anchor and leaving hatches open to the weather. Italian prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the captain, James Cutfield, who survived.

Even assuming gross negligence on the part of the crew, the sinking of a vessel as large and robust as the Bayesian by a waterspout is vanishingly improbable. Such events are simply exceedingly rare, and none has been so deadly in centuries. In 2004, a waterspout in Greece picked up a boat and flung it onto a 10-year-old boy, killing him. And last year, a waterspout struck a 50-foot boat on Italy’s Lake Maggiore , killing four. The last reported time a waterspout claimed as many victims as died on the Bayesian was back in the 16th century, when one struck a crowded harbor in Malta, killing hundreds.

The same day that the Bayesian sank, U.K. police reported that Chamberlain had died in hospital of his injuries. He became one of the 165 pedestrians between the age of 25 and 59, out of a U.K. population of 42 million , to be killed each year by vehicles.

The bizarreness of this string of unlikelihoods has been lost on no one. “This sequence of events is just spectacularly unlikely,” Chivers notes. “There is this Bayesian-probability aspect to it, this building of unlikeliness upon unlikeliness.”

hard paywall
unnatural disasters

Editor’s Picks

What is your email?

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Star gymnast plunges to death while ‘taking a selfie' with German castle

Chat with childhood blue jays hero led to retirement decision, joey votto says, having ‘britain's biggest penis’ not as swell as you might think, lilley: trudeau's latest housing plan keeping ownership out of reach, drivers caught on video using on-ramp to get off gardiner, yacht horror: how did billionaire's 'unsinkable' boat end up on sea bottom.

You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Article content

The man dubbed the British Bill Gates spent most of the past year under house arrest as he awaited his trial on fraud charges.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

YACHT HORROR: How did billionaire's 'unsinkable' boat end up on sea bottom? Back to video

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s cage was gilded to be sure but a cage nonetheless.

And when he was cleared, Lynch took pals for a Mediterranean cruise on his super yacht, the Bayesian, which he was mulling selling. That will never happen.

On Monday morning, the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily killing Lynch, his daughter Hannah, 18, two couples and the yacht’s Canadian chef.

Now, investigators are trying to determine how — and why — the “unsinkable” 184-foot yacht sank 160 feet to the bottom of the sea. The yacht’s captain may be the only person who has the answers.

Here is the latest:

— Lynch’s daughter Hannah, 18, is still missing after five bodies were found in the wreck;

— His wife revealed she was awoken by a “tilt” as the yacht went down;

Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

— Experts believe the yacht’s “tallest mast in the world” may have contributed to the tragedy after a freak “Black Swan” weather event;

— Frantic text messages from survivors who piled into a tiny raft revealed the chaos.

For two hours following the disaster, police questioned Kiwi captain James Cutfield, 51.

One major question is why the Bayesian sank so quickly.

“Every time a vessel sinks, there is never just one reason,” shipwreck researcher Bertrand Scibo told The UK Sun . “It could be that the keel was also inside or outside, because they can remove the keel [sic].”

He added: [There would be] no reason to remove the keel because they do that only when they go into harbour. Only the captain will be able to answer this special question.”

So far, five bodies — including Lynch’s — have been recovered with six being confirmed dead. There were 15 survivors.

Scibo was also concerned regarding the slow trickle of information and answers being released by officials. He said “all the information seems to be a bit secret.”

The CEO of the company that manufactured the yacht, Giovanni Costantino, claimed his boats are “unsinkable” and the “safest ever.” Instead, he told Italian TV that “human error” was to blame.

As the horror unfolded in Porticello Harbour on Monday morning, witnesses in a smaller boat claimed the mast was hammered by a waterspout causing the boat to capsize — and then vanish beneath the waves.

A British lawyer specializing in maritime law told the Daily Mail that officials will likely target the crew for answers.

“They will want to find out if the captain was at fault over anything,” lawyer Stephen Askins said. “If I was looking at this I’d be very interested in the weather report, what the captain was briefing the crew and what the captain was briefing the owner.”

He added: “It’s a case of looking at what happened and then asking yourself whether in all the circumstances what he did was reasonable.”

Shipwreck researcher Scibo said open windows and portholes could also be a recipe for disaster with the water flooding in “very quickly,” expediting the yacht’s demise.

“If you’ve got a combination of all these reasons, the keel, the mast, the portal, the windows and this very big tornado,” he said. “You find the reason of the sinking.”

The child of Irish immigrants, Lynch won a scholarship to a posh private school and then attended Cambridge.

Only two months ago he won a shocking landmark victory in the U.S. courts. Tech giant Hewlett Packard claimed Lynch artificially inflated the value of his software firm, Autonomy.

He had sold Autonomy to HP for a whopping $11.7 billion in 2011.

Prosecutors had accused Lynch, along with Autonomy’s finance executive Stephen Chamberlain — who died in a tragic car crash Saturday — padded Autonomy’s bottom line.

After being cleared, Lynch told The Times of London that he had feared dying in prison.

″If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense,” Lynch told the newspaper. “It’s bizarre, but now you have a second life — the question is, what do you want to do with it?”

[email protected]

@HunterTOSun

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

You've reached the 20 article limit.

You can manage saved articles in your account.

and save up to 100 articles!

Looks like you've reached your saved article limit!

You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

Billionaire Yacht Was Piloted Recklessly Before Deadly Sinking, Its Builder Warns

"everything that has been done reveals a very long sum of errors.".

The builder of the sunken superyacht owned by British billionaire Mike Lynch, who died with six others after the vessel went down earlier this week , is blaming an "endless chain of errors" for the maritime disaster.

Flying under a British flag, the 184 foot Bayesian was built in 2008 by Italian builders Perini Navi and should've been "unsinkable" had proper procedures been followed, argues Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the yacht manufacturer.

"Everything that has been done reveals a very long sum of errors," Costantino told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview, as translated by People . "The people should not have been in the cabins, the boat should not have been at anchor. And then why didn't the crew know about the incoming disturbance?"

Red Sky at Morning

An investigation into the sinking is ongoing. It's believed that a small waterspout , or a waterborne tornado, struck the vessel as it was anchored off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, around 5 am local time on Monday, according to CNN .

At some point after encountering the fierce winds, the ship's towering mast — the second tallest aluminum mast in the world — snapped, before the vessel appears to have capsized and sank with 22 people on board.

Costantino argues — pretty bluntly, we have to say — that the crew and passengers should've anticipated the stormy conditions.

"The passengers reported an absurd thing, namely that the storm came unexpected, suddenly," he said in the interview, per People . "It's not true. Everything was predictable. I have the weather charts in front of me here. Nothing came suddenly."

"Ask yourself, why was no fisherman from Porticello out that night?" he added. "A fisherman reads the weather conditions and a ship doesn't? The disturbance was fully readable in all the weather charts."

Batten Down

Their errors didn't end there, according to Costantino, who said in the interview that there would've been "zero risk" had the right maneuvers been made.

The captain and crew, he further explained to the New York Times , should've turned on the engine, lifted anchor, steered the boat into the wind, and lowered the keel for extra stability, while the passengers should've been gathered in the deck's main hall.

Another precaution would be shutting all the doors and hatches on the ship's side and stern. Costantino claimed that the Bayesian could list, or tilt to one side, to 75 degrees without capsizing, and shouldn't have sunk. But if some of those doors and hatches were left open, he told NYT , the ship could've taken on water too quickly.

As it stands, it's unclear how many of these procedures were executed. The ship's captain, James Cutfield, survived the ordeal and was questioned by authorities, but has not spoken to the media.

It's worth noting that Costantino's arguments could be seen as trying to exonerate his company of any wrongdoing. That being said, the speed at which a vessel of Bayesian's size and reputation sank has stunned sailors and investigators , who are trying to understand why most of the crew survived while six passengers perished.

More on nautical terrors: Orcas Strike Again, Sinking Yacht as Oil Tanker Called for Rescue

Share This Article

Five bodies found inside superyacht that sank off Sicily

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Divers recovered four bodies Wednesday from inside a superyacht that sank in a sudden storm off Sicily , Salvatore Cocina, director of the island's Civil Protection Agency, confirmed to NBC News.

Cocina later confirmed to Sky News that a fifth body had been found and was being brought to shore. One passenger remains missing.

The identities of the bodies were not immediately released. Their recovery follows a dayslong search in the deep waters off Italy where British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and several others were believed to be trapped in the hull. Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived.

The rest had been missing since early Monday, when the Bayesian was caught in the storm anchored off the coast of Porticello, a village near the Sicilian capital city, Palermo.

The body of the ship’s cook, identified as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan national, was recovered Monday.

On Wednesday, NBC News witnessed what appeared to be at least three body bags being lifted from fire department boats after they pulled into port at Porticello. It was unclear whose bodies they were. Some were later transferred to ambulances and driven away from the dock.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, are also missing.

The Bayesian is owned by a firm linked to Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was among the survivors rescued by a nearby vessel after they got into a lifeboat.

Built by the Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered yacht could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist boating sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters.

Regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” Lynch was acquitted of fraud by a San Francisco jury this year, stemming from the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

The Mediterranean sailing vacation was designed to be a celebration for Lynch, who brought Bloomer, who testified in his defense, and Morvillo, one of his U.S. lawyers, on the trip.

Lynch's co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain was not aboard the Bayesian, but in what appears to be a tragic coincidence, a car struck and killed him Saturday as he was jogging in a village about 68 miles north of London, local police said.

Claudio Lavanga and Claudia Rizzo reported from Porticello. Henry Austin reported from London.

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

Claudia Rizzo is an Italy based journalist.

Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.

Supported by

Questions for Investigators Trying to Unravel Mystery of Luxury Yacht’s Sinking

The investigators searching for answers about the shipwreck, leaving seven dead, face questions about extreme weather and possible human error or problems with the yacht itself.

Share full article

Two small boats with outboard motors make their way across the water.

By Alan Yuhas

More than 180 feet long, with a mast towering about 240 feet and a keel that could be lowered for greater stability, the Bayesian luxury yacht did not, in the eyes of its maker, have the vulnerabilities of a ship that would easily sink.

“It drives me insane,” Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company that made the ship, said after its wreck last week. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch’s friends and a member of the crew. Fifteen people, including the captain, escaped on a lifeboat.

Mr. Lynch had invited family, friends and part of his legal team on a cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate his acquittal in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

The Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation, searching for answers from the survivors, the manufacturer and the wreck itself. They face a range of questions and possible factors.

An ‘earthquake’ in the sky?

When the Bayesian sank around 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, the waters in its area, about half a mile off the Sicilian port of Porticello, were transformed by an extremely sudden and violent storm, according to fishermen, a captain in the area and meteorologists.

But what kind of storm is still a mystery, compounded by the fact that a sailing schooner anchored nearby did not have its own disaster. Also unclear is whether the crew was aware that the Italian authorities had issued general warnings about bad weather the night before.

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby passenger ship, said he’d had to steady his ship during “really violent” winds . During the storm, he said, the Bayesian seemed to disappear behind his ship.

Severe lightning and strong gusts were registered by the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, according to Attilio Di Diodato, its director. “It was very intense and brief in duration,” he said.

The yacht, he said, had most likely been hit by a fierce downburst — a blast of powerful wind surging down during a thunderstorm. His agency put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about possible storms.

Locals have said the winds “felt like an earthquake.” A fisherman in Porticello said that he had seen a flare go off in the early-morning hours. His brother ventured to the site once the weather had calmed about 20 minutes later, he said, finding only floating cushions.

The Italian authorities have so far declined to say whether investigators had seen any structural damage to the hull or other parts of the ship.

Open hatches or doors?

The boat executive, Mr. Costantino, has argued that the Bayesian was an extremely safe vessel that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing. His company, the Italian Sea Group, in 2022 bought the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, which launched the ship in 2008.

Mr. Costantino said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, would be to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

At a news conference on Saturday, almost a week after the sinking, investigators said the yacht had sunk at an angle , with its stern — where the heavy engine was — having gone down first. The wreck was found lying on its right side at the bottom of a bay, about 165 feet deep.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

Water pouring into open hatches or doors could have contributed to the sinking, experts say, but that on its own may not account for the speed at which such a large boat vanished underwater.

Asked about the hatches at the news conference, the authorities declined to comment on whether they had been found open at the wreck.

The authorities have also not specified whether the boat had been anchored, whether it was under power at the time or whether its sails had been unfurled.

A retracted keel?

The Bayesian had a keel — the fin-like structure beneath a boat that can help stabilize it — that could be retracted or extended, according to its manufacturer. On some yachts, keels can be raised to let the large vessel dock in shallower water, and extended downward to help keep a boat level.

But like the hatches, the status of the keel alone may not explain why a large ship sank with such precipitous speed. Investigators have not disclosed what divers may have seen at the wreck, aside from saying divers had faced obstacles like furnishings and electrical wiring in tight quarters. Officials want to raise the wreck to better examine it, a process that may take weeks.

Human error?

Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at the news conference that it was “plausible” crimes had been committed, but that investigators had not zeroed in on any potential suspects.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

It remains unclear what kind of emergency training or preparation took place before the disaster, or what kind of coordination there was during it. So far, none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened the night the ship sank.

Prosecutors said they want to ask more questions of the captain and crew, who have been in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors. They said that neither alcohol nor drug tests had been performed on crew members, and that they have been allowed to leave Italy.

Prosecutors also said they were also investigating why the captain, an experienced sailor, left the sinking boat while some passengers were still on board.

Besides possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck.

The bodies of five passengers were found in one cabin, on the left side of the yacht, the authorities said. The five were most likely trying to flee to the higher side of the boat and were probably sleeping when the boat started to sink, they said.

Today's news
Reviews and deals
Climate change
2024 election
Newsletters
Fall allergies
Health news
Mental health
Sexual health
Family health
So mini ways
Unapologetically
Buying guides

Entertainment

How to Watch
My watchlist
Stock market
Biden economy
Personal finance
Stocks: most active
Stocks: gainers
Stocks: losers
Trending tickers
World indices
US Treasury bonds
Top mutual funds
Highest open interest
Highest implied volatility
Currency converter
Basic materials
Communication services
Consumer cyclical
Consumer defensive
Financial services
Industrials
Real estate
Mutual funds
Credit cards
Balance transfer cards
Cash back cards
Rewards cards
Travel cards
Online checking
High-yield savings
Money market
Home equity loan
Personal loans
Student loans
Options pit
Fantasy football
Pro Pick 'Em
College Pick 'Em
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy hockey
Fantasy basketball
Download the app
Daily fantasy
Scores and schedules
GameChannel
World Baseball Classic
Premier League
CONCACAF League
Champions League
Motorsports
Horse racing

New on Yahoo

Privacy Dashboard

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch confirmed dead after yacht sinking

He was recently acquitted of 15 counts of fraud in the us..

UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, has been confirmed dead after multiple days of search and rescue efforts, multiple news agencies report . The 183-foot super-yacht, Bayesian, capsized off the coast of Sicily around 5 AM local time on Monday morning during a violent storm. Lynch was one of 22 individuals on board, including passengers and crew, with 15 individuals rescued and one body found immediately following the events. Five more bodies, including Lynch's, have since been recovered. At this time, his daughter is the only person still missing, Reuters reports , citing sources close to the rescue operation.

Lynch co-founded tech companies Autonomy and Darktrace and founded venture capital firm Invoke Capital. Following the $11 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard , Lynch has spent the past decade-plus engulfed in a legal battle over allegations of inflating sales and misleading HP . A San Francisco jury acquitted him in June of all 15 counts of fraud.

The yacht excursion was meant to celebrate Lynch's recent victory, with family, friends, and business associates joining him. Other members of the deceased include the yacht's chef, Neda and Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer who represented Lynch and Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International. Angela Bacares, Lynch's wife, escaped the wreckage and is safe.

Lynch's co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, 52, also faced tragedy this week. The BBC reports he was hit by a car on Saturday, August 17, while out running in Cambridgeshire, England, and died from his injuries.

Divers uncover the 6th missing body after luxury superyacht sank in freak storm off Sicily. Here's what we know about the incident.

It's been five days since the Bayesian, a luxury superyacht, sank after being caught in a violent storm.

Mike Lynch, recently acquitted in HP-Autonomy fraud case, is missing after yacht capsized off Sicily (updated)

Mike Lynch, the investor and high-profile founder of U.K. tech firm Autonomy, has been declared missing at sea after the yacht he was on, the Bayesian, capsized in a storm off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, is one of the 15 who have been rescued. The news is a dramatic, tragic development for one of the more colorful, and sometimes controversial, figures in technology out of the U.K.

Bodies of Autonomy founder Mike Lynch and his daughter recovered from sunken Bayesian yacht

Mike Lynch, the U.K. investor and founder of IT company Autonomy, has been identified as one of two bodies recovered from the Bayesian, the yacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily early Monday, according to several reports coming out of the country that cite the chief of Civil Protection, Salvo Cocina. The boat, registered to Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, quickly capsized in the early hours of Monday after it was struck by a tornado-like water column. In a tragic coincidence, Chamberlain was hit by a car last Saturday and died of his wounds earlier this week.

Zepto, snagging $1 billion in 90 days, projects 150% annual growth

Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha told a group of analysts and investors on Tuesday that the Indian delivery startup anticipates growth of 150% in the next 12 months, a remarkable figure suggesting the fast-growing quick commerce market in India is showing no signs of slowing down. Representatives from several prominent investment firms, including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Temasek, GIC, and Invesco, were among the attendees, according to materials reviewed by TechCrunch. Zepto's annualized sales run rate recently exceeded $1.5 billion, Palicha told them, adding that a growth rate of approximately 150% would push its sales to more than $3.5 billion.

India's VerSe buys Valueleaf to boost digital marketing

Stock market today: Dow ekes out another record as investors await Nvidia earnings

Stocks are struggling to find a footing as Nvidia's high-stakes earnings loom.

Ben Affleck linked to Kick Kennedy amid J.Lo divorce. Here's what's going on with the actor and RFK Jr.'s daughter.

Multiple reports claim Ben Affleck and Kick Kennedy have spent time together.

One busted valve led to the failure of Astrobotic's $108M Peregrine lunar lander mission

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander failed to reach the moon because of a problem with a single valve in the propulsion system, according to a report on the mission released Tuesday. Company leadership said in a press conference that engineers have redesigned the valve and introduced additional redundancy into the propulsion system of its next lander, Griffin, to ensure the problem doesn’t reoccur. The report comes from a review board assembled shortly after the Peregrine mission concluded in January.

The SEC just made life a little easier for smaller VCs

The Securities and Exchange Commission has updated the dollar threshold for a vehicle to be considered a “qualifying venture fund” to $12 million, up from $10 million. Qualified venture funds are a subset of venture funds that can raise from up to 250 accredited investors while also being exempt from having to register with the SEC as an investment company and take on the financial burdens of such (they must still adhere to the major regulations of being a VC fund).

Hain Celestial's turnaround strategy shows early results, but more work is needed to fend off competition

Investors were optimistic as the company beat Wall Street's key metrics in its recent earnings results.

Trump vs. Harris: 4 ways the next president could impact your bank accounts

In just a few short months, the country will elect its 47th president—and this new administration could usher in new laws and regulations that have the power to impact your bank accounts. Here’s how.

Microsoft's AI software is gaining traction with enterprises

Microsoft says a growing number of its customers are signing up for its generative AI services.

REI's Labor Day sale is jam-packed with Patagonia, North Face and more

Gear up for adventure: Score a rare sale on comfy On sneakers and $60 off a Yeti cooler.

Why Trump and Harris are pandering to Nevada tip workers

Electoral math explains why the presidential candidates are dangling a tax break before a key subset of Nevada voters.

Lyft is testing a new rider verification safety measure

Lyft is piloting its own rider verification program, much as Uber did earlier this year. This feature confirms to drivers that the person getting in their vehicle is who they say they are.

US Open: Naomi Osaka notches first top-10 win in 4 years

Naomi Osaka hasn't reached the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam since she won the 2021 Australian Open.

20 Labor Day fashion sales to get you fired up for fall — starting at $9

Grab a Coach bag for only $58, Gloria Vanderbilt jeans for a ridiculous $22 — that's nearly 55% off — plus Skechers, Levi's and more.

Polaris Dawn will push the limits of SpaceX's human spaceflight program — here's how to watch it launch live

'Bachelorette' Jenn Tran says one of her remaining suitors is 'going to be my husband.' Fans want her to make the right choice.

Bachelor Nation fans are no strangers to social media deep dives. But their findings seldom affect the season's outcome.

Photos show the luxury mega yachts that belong to Russian oligarchs — some of whom have hidden their ships as the UK ramps up sanctions.

Sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs threaten their luxury assets — including their mega yachts.
Many countries have implemented sanctions targeting Putin and Russian oligarchs following Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Insider compiled a photo list of some of the luxury vessels.

Russian billionaires' assets — including their megayachts — are in danger of being seized as countries continue to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden announced that the US will make a substantial effort to seize Russian oligarchs' assets.

"We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets," Biden said in his State of The Union address on March 1. "We are coming for your ill-begotten gains."

Since the US is not in "armed conflict" with Russia it may be legally tricky to seize assets like yachts, Insider reported .

"The threshold for seizing assets under sanctions is that the US has to be in armed conflict with the owner of the assets," Brian O'Toole, an economic sanctions expert, tweeted last Friday. "The idea of turning Russian corruption into Ukrainian assistance is lovely but this idea is illegal, period."

It can also be difficult to find out who the owners of these yachts are.

Offshore companies typically own the luxury vessels, but enough "public speculation" pointing to a Russian oligarch as an owner is likely "sufficient for a seizure," Insider reported .

Many of the oligarchs moved their yachts to places where they can't be seized, such as the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

Insider has compiled a list of photos with mega yachts linked to Russian oligarchs.

Galactica Super Nova

Amid sanctions and seizures targeting Russian billionaires, Galactica Super Nova — said to be linked to the CEO of Russian oil firm Lukoil — is no longer detectable via ship tracker site MarineTraffic , The Daily Beast reported Thursday.

The superyacht — whose owner is named Vagit Alekperov — had just been in Montenegro last week, Insider reported .

Alekperov is not currently the target of any sanctions.

The yacht is almost 230 feet long and can hold up to 12 guests and 16 crew members, according to the ship maker Heesen Yachts .

The ship also has a helicopter pad that can turn into an outdoor movie theatre, also according to the ship maker.

The Amore Vero

France seized Amore Vero, a 281-foot megayacht linked to oligarch and politician Igor Sechin, on March 3.

The yacht, Amore Vero, is estimated to have a value of $120 million . It has a swimming pool that doubles as a helicopter pad and a private deck for its owner, according to Oceana , the ship maker.

Per The Wall Street Journal , officials believe that Amore Vero is "owned by a company whose majority shareholder was Mr. Sechin," though the outlet does not provide the name of the company.

Sechin is the CEO of Rosneft, Russia's oil giant, and a former deputy prime minister. A known Putin ally , he was sanctioned by both the EU and the US before France seized his yacht last week .

Sechin was one of seven oligarchs sanctioned by the UK on Thursday.

People in Russia have referred to Sechin as "Darth Vader" and "the scariest man on Earth," according to The Guardian .

Alisher Usmanov has been sanctioned by the EU, the US, the UK, and Switzerland. His boat remains in Germany, but the country says it hasn't seized it.

Usmanov's Dilbar is "is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage," according to Lürssen , the German ship's maker.

It's 512-foot long and weighs 15,917 tons. The ship has been docked in Germany for months undergoing a "refitting," but last week Forbes reported that it was unable to leave the dock.

Germany, however, has denied that it formally seized Dilbar.

Forbes said that "the German federal customs agency is the 'responsible enforcement authority' and would have to issue an export waiver for the yacht to leave, and that 'no yacht leaves port that is not allowed to do so.'"

Still, multiple outlets reported that Usmanov has fired the crew on the Dilbar.

The Uzbekistan-born oligarch is a supporter of Putin.

"I am proud that I know Putin, and the fact that everybody does not like him is not Putin's problem," Usmanov told Forbes in a 2010 interview.

Suleyman Kerimov was sanctioned by the US, and his son, Said Kerimov, owns ICE. The superyacht is worth is an estimated $170 million.

The Kerimov family owns the majority of Polyus Gold, Russia's biggest gold producer .

ICE was dubbed "Superyacht of the Year" in 2006 at the World Super Yacht Awards, according to Boat International . It is approximately 300 feet and has its own resident helicopter, according to Club Yacht .

Quantum Blue

Sergey Galitsky's ship, Quantum Blue, has an estimated value of $250 million and is last known to be docked in Monaco.

Galitsky is the founder of one of Russia's largest supermarket chains, Magnit.

His name is not currently on the list of sanctioned Russian oligarchs,

Though he also is not the target of any current sanctions, Vladimir Potanin's superyacht, Nirvana, is one of at least four ships docked in the Maldives .

Potanin is the Former First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and was a longtime trustee for the Guggenheim museum before stepping down on March 2, according to The New York Times .

Nirvana is not Potanin's only superyacht, he also owns another named Barbara, according to Fortune .

Alexander Abramov's Titan, Alexei Mordashovis' Nord, and Oleg Deripaska's Clio are also located in the Maldives.

At 533 feet long, Roman Abramovich's Eclipse was the largest yacht on the globe until 2013 when the 590-foot Azzam overthrew it.

Abramovich, once Russia's richest man , is the departing owner of Chelsea FC soccer club. He was sanctioned by the UK on Thursday along with six other oligarchs, Insider reported .

The luxury boat has a host of amenities, including two helicopter pads, a missile detection system, and a swimming pool more than 50 feet long. It also has space for up to 36 guests and 70 crew members, according to Yacht Harbour .

Insider previously reported that it is currently docked in the Caribbean .

Another yacht named Solaris is linked to Abramovich. The vessel, worth approximately $600 million, left Spain Tuesday after having been under repair since late 2021, Insider reported.

Solaris is 460 feet and can host a total of 36 guests, according to SuperYachtFan .

Tango, owned by the US-sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg, is currently located in Palma, Spain.

Tango can host up to 14 people and is 254 feet long, won the 2012 World Superyacht Awards, and has an estimated worth of $120 million, according to SuperYachtFan .

Vekselberg is a Ukrainian-born businessman who owns Renova, a Russian conglomerate, according to The Guardian .

He was one of nearly two dozen Russian oligarchs and officials that the US sanctioned on Friday.

The US Treasury Department claims that he has close ties with Putin, and has announced that assets such as his $90 million jet and his superyacht Tango have been frozen, Insider reported .

Graceful, a yacht reported to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin, left Germany just before his invasion of Ukraine, Insider reported in early February.

—Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) February 9, 2022

Graceful is 270 feet long and has a saloon, gym, spa, library, and an indoor pool nearly 50 feet long that doubles as a dance floor.

Scheherazade

A mystery yacht remains untouched as the owner remains a mystery.

The owner of the 459-foot Scheherazade is suspected to be a Russian billionaire, though the owner was never publically identified, The New York Times reported .

Many people believe it belongs to Vladimir Putin, nicknaming the vessel "Putin's Yacht."

SuperYachtFan estimates the ship's value sits at $700 million.

Stella Maris

Stella Maris is linked to oil and gas tycoon Rashid Sardarov. It was last seen in Nice, France, according to The Washington Post .

The luxury vessel is priced at $75 million, is 237 feet long, and can hold up to 14 guests, per SuperYachtFan .

Sardarov is not being sanctioned.

Sailing Yacht A

Sailing Yacht A is believed to belong to Andrey Melnichenko. The boat was seized by Spanish officials Saturday, Reuters reported .

The ship is more than 465 feet long and can hold up to 20 guests, according to SuperYachtFan . The website says that Sailing Yacht A also features an underwater observation area and has a value of more than $500 million.

Melnichenko is an EU-sanctioned Russian billionaire who works in coal and fertilizers, according to Forbes . The magazine also reported that he owns a second yacht, Motor Yacht A, which is similar to a submarine.

Oligarch Gennady Timchenko's superyacht "Lena" was seized in the port of Sanremo, Italy on March 5, Reuters reported.

Timchenko is the owner of a private investment group, Volga Group and a shareholder of Bank Rossiya. The oligarch has been sanctioned by the EU, which describes him as a "long-time acquaintance of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin."

Timchenko was also sanctioned by the UK on February 22.

The superyacht is valued at around 50 million euros ($54 million), Reuters reported. It has fold-down terraces, as well as an "owner's suite" which opens out onto the sea with "gull-wing doors," according to its manufacturer, Sanlorenzo.

Italian authorities also seized a $71 million super-yacht belonging to one of the wealthiest men in Russia , Alexei Mordashov.

The 215-ft "Lady M" superyacht was seized in the Port of Imperia, northern Italy, a source confirmed to Reuters.

The yacht can accommodate up to six guests on and also has accommodation for four crew members, per the Superyacht Times .

The oligarch, who is the chairman of steel mining company, Severstal, has also been sanctioned by the EU, which says Mordashov is "benefiting from his links with Russian decision-makers." Mordashov has insisted he has "absolutely nothing to do" with Russia's attack on Ukraine.

The Oligarch moved $1.3 billion worth of shares in travel company, TUI, to an offshore tax haven on the day he was hit by sanctions, Insider's Huileng Tan previously reported.

He was also added to the UK government's sanctions list on March 15.

Some superyachts belonging to Russian billionaires are currently seeking refuge in the Maldives, including a yacht owned by billionaire Oleg Deripaska, Reuters reported.

The billionaire, who is also the founder of one of Russia's largest industrial groups, Basic Element, was added to the UK's sanctions list on March 10.

Also built by Lürssen, the superyacht - which is around 238 feet long - can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins, per Superyacht Fan.

The superyacht Valerie - worth $140 million - was seized in Barcelona on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said on La Sexta television, per Reuters.

Sanchez did not confirm the owner of the yacht, but two sources confirmed to Reuters that it belonged to Sergei Chemezov, who is said to be a close ally of Putin.

The oligarch, who was previously a KGB spy with Putin in the former Soviet Union, recently said that Russia would emerge victorious from Western sanctions, Reuters previously reported .

Chemezov, who is the CEO of Russian defense conglomerate Rostec was added to the US sanctions list on March 3.

His yacht is 279 feet long and can accommodate 17 guests in eight suites, per Superyacht Fan.

Crescent, most likely owned by Igor Sechin but also rumored to belong to Putin, was the third yacht Spain seized as the West ramps up sanctions, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The superyacht is 443-feet long and costs an estimated $600 million, according to SuperyachtFan, which also says the vessel hosts a retractable helicopter hangar and a large pool with a glass bottom.

Lady Anastasia

Lady Anastasia is owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheyev but was seized by Spain on Tuesday, according to Reuters .

The boat is almost 160 feet long and can hold up to 10 guests, according to Yacht Harbour .

Mikheyev, who was sanctioned by the EU, is the head of a helicopters division under Rostec, New York Mag reported .

Main content

Macabre Twist in Shock Sinking of Missing Tech Billionaire’s Yacht

Mike Lynch is feared dead after his yacht sunk off the Italian coast—just days after his former VP was fatally struck by a car.

Josh Fiallo

Breaking News Reporter

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/X/Reuters

Mysterious circumstances that preceded the sinking of billionaire Mike Lynch ’s yacht on Monday morning have left the internet abuzz with conspiracies.

That’s because Lynch’s ex-colleague and c0-defendant in a recently-closed U.S. fraud trial was fatally struck by a car on Saturday—two days before authorities say a tornado abruptly sunk Lynch’s yacht off the coast of Sicily. Both men were acquitted following the trial.

Stephen Chamberlain, the financial vice president of Autonomy during Lynch’s reign as CEO, was critically injured by a car that crashed into him as he was out for a jog on Saturday. He was placed on life support but succumbed to his injuries on Monday, his attorney Gary Lincenberg confirmed.

Police in Cambridgeshire said a blue Vauxhall Corsa struck a man in his 50s, now known to be Chamberlain, ultimately killing him. Officers said the unnamed woman who struck him, aged 49, remained at the crash site.

“He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity,” said Lincenberg of Chamberlain. “We deeply miss him. Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.”

Chamberlain stood trial alongside Lynch, 59, as they were charged with fraud in connection with the $11 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011—a case that ended with a San Francisco jury acquitting the men in June.

They faced more than 20 years in federal lock up had they been convicted.

Aboard Lynch’s ill-fated trip in his 184-foot sailing vessel Bayesian were the attorneys who’d led his defense against U.S. prosecutors. He’s now feared to be dead, along with five others who remained missing on Monday night.

Divers were dispatched to the sinking site of the Bayesian. Six people, including two Americans, remained unaccounted for by Monday night.

Reuters via handout

That tally includes Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, as well as one of his attorneys. Two Americans are also reportedly among the missing and another British national. Italian authorities said they’re still searching for those unaccounted for and that dive teams have been dispatched. The body of a Canadian chef has already been recovered from the vessel.

A lawyer aboard the Bayesian’s ill fated trip was the 36-year-old Ayla Ronald, the The Telegraph reported. Her father, Lin Ronald, said the trip was to celebrate Lynch’s acquittal.

Among the survivors of Monday’s tragedy was Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. She told La Repubblica that she sustained abrasions to her feet during the chaos and is now unable to walk.

Witnesses of the Mediterranean storm told Italian news agency ANSA that the ship was anchored in front of the port of Porticello when a tornadic waterspout formed and struck the Bayesian. The vessel sank shortly after.

“I was at home when the tornado hit,” Pietro Asciutto, a local fisherman, told ANSA. “I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very large. I saw it sink suddenly.”

The Bayesian, a 56-meter-long sailboat, was photographed (left) off the coast of Palermo just hours before sinking.

Baia Santa Nicolicchia/Fabio La Bianca

Fabio Cefalù, a trawler captain who was nearby, told the BBC that he went to where the Bayesian sunk not long after the waterspout passed. Within 10 minutes, all that remained of the vessel was a series of floating items from its deck. He said he saw no survivors in the water.

Loved ones of Lynch largely haven’t spoken out since his disappearance, possibly in hopes that he may miraculously reappear. Some reports have described the tech billionaire, who didn’t maintain a public social media presence, as admiring James Bond, building model railways, and breeding koi carp. He had a second daughter, aged 21, and six dogs, reported The Daily Mail .

“At the companies he ran, Lynch is said to have put his own personal stamp, indulging his penchant for James Bond,” reported The Guardian on Monday. “Conference rooms were reportedly named after Bond enemies, such as Dr No and Goldfinger, and Autonomy even had a piranha tank in the atrium, in a nod to the 007 caper You Only Live Twice.”

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here .

READ THIS LIST

Billionaire's Body Recovered From Sunken Superyacht

The bottom of everything.

T he search for missing British billionaire Mike Lynch has come to an end after officials recovered his body from the Bayesian, his wife's superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week.

As the Washington Post reports , the body of the late 59-year-old tycoon, who became a tech billionaire when selling his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011, has been recovered from his wife's 183-foot-long luxury yacht that was struck by a waterspout — a water-bound tornado, essentially — on Monday.

The only other person whose whereabouts are still unknown in the wake of the disaster is Hannah, Lynch's 18-year-old daughter. The billionaire's wife, Angela Bacares, and several others were rescued thanks to the help of another nearby yacht that avoided the waterspout.

Prior to Italian rescue officials' confirmation that the software entrepreneur's body was among those that had been recovered from the Bayesian, reports indicated that four of the other six people who'd been missing following the sinkage had been found dead. As WaPo notes, their numbers included Lynch's attorney Chris Morvillo and his jeweler wife Neda, along with Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, charity trustee Judy Bloomer.

Strange Tidings

Bizarrely, the accident that led to the billionaire's untimely demise occurred the same day that his former colleague and codefendant Stephen Chamberlain died from his own tragic accident. The one-time finance executive at Autonomy was struck by a car when going for a run in Cambridgeshire, England over the weekend, and died the same day the Bayesian sank.

To make matters even stranger, the pair had also just been acquitted on 11 counts of fraud in the United States that stemmed from the Autonomy sale 13 years prior.

Lynch's right-hand man and Autonomy's former chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, did not get off as easy after being convicted of similar fraud charges in the US and sanctioned by the UK government — but then again, he's still alive.

In an interview with The Telegraph , e-commerce entrepreneur and Lynch friend Brent Hoberman likened the billionaire's death to Shakespeare.

"He had just worked hard to clear his name for the last 12 years," Hoberman told the British newspaper, "and was on a celebratory cruise with the people who supported him so much through that really tough time."

More on maritime nightmares: Man Rowing Across Ocean Suddenly Realizes He's Surrounded by Over 1,000 Whales

The post Billionaire's Body Recovered From Sunken Superyacht appeared first on Futurism .

The search for missing British billionaire Mike Lynch is over after officials recovered his body from the Bayesian, his wife's superyacht.

Sinking of a superyacht adds to questions billionaire Mike Lynch wanted to put behind him

On left, head shot of Mike Lynch. On right, a view of his yacht, the Bayesian

It was a sunny August morning when software entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, gathered 10 of his closest friends along with his wife and daughter on the dock of Porto di Milazzo, on the northern coast of Sicily. They had come to celebrate his freedom. Only months before, several of the guests played crucial roles in persuading a San Francisco jury to acquit Lynch of federal charges related to the sale of his software firm Autonomy to HP for $11 billion.

Five days after the yacht left port, Lynch, his daughter, four guests, and a hired chef were dead in the Mediterranean Sea after a storm flooded the ship. The drowned included the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, a star witness at Lynch’s trial, as well as one of Lynch’s lead defense attorneys. Among the survivors were a former Autonomy exec who went on to become a partner at Lynch’s venture capital firm, a second member of his defense team, and Lynch’s wife, who reportedly owns nearly all his fortune. The same day of the drowning, U.K. news outlets reported that Lynch’s codefendant in the fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, who had also been acquitted, had been fatally run over by a car as he was out jogging—a shocking coincidence.

Less than a week after the tragedy, there are far more questions than answers. Did the yacht named Bayesian —an homage to a statistical theorem for predicting future outcomes—simply fall victim to a terrible storm? How did most of the crew and a few passengers escape, and why couldn’t they reach Lynch and the six others who did not make it out? Italian officials are looking into manslaughter charges, but it’s not yet clear who they may have in their crosshairs. Giovanni Costantino, who runs the Italian Sea Group that owns Perini Navi, the Italian maker of the yacht, had harsh words for the crew, whom he blames. “This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance,” he told Reuters .

There are also huge questions swirling around the business ventures of the man dubbed the “British Bill Gates.” While the Bayesian excursion was to serve as a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal on all charges in the U.S.—where he had spent months under house arrest—the reality is that his legal troubles were far from over. In a January 2022 civil trial, the U.K.’s High Court found that the company, which by then had changed its name to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), had “substantially succeeded” in proving that Autonomy leaders had fraudulently made it look like the company was earning more revenue than it was. In 2019 Autonomy’s CFO was convicted of 16 counts and sentenced to five years in prison. At this time, the U.K. case is in a holding pattern as the judge determines what damages are owed to HPE. (The company’s spokesperson Adam Bauer says HPE is “saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives.”)

But Lynch’s passing also looms over Invoke Capital, the venture firm he founded in 2011 and whose managing partner—Charlotte Golunski—survived the yacht disaster and saved her 1-year-old baby. One of Invoke’s most prominent bets was a 2013 seed-stage investment in Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm on whose board Lynch sat until 2018. Darktrace has developed a reputation as a sleek AI cybersecurity startup with ties to spy agencies like MI5 and the U.S. National Security Agency. It also became the target of short-sellers who in 2023 expressed doubt over Darktrace’s financial filings—the same sort of allegations that plagued Lynch’s Autonomy.

Darktrace insists that the short-sellers’ allegations were baseless, and they say an EY audit it commissioned showed this to be the case. In April Darktrace received a $5.3 billion acquisition offer from the giant private equity firm Thoma Bravo. The deal, which Fortune reported will likely go forward despite Lynch’s death, stood to help rehabilitate Lynch’s business reputation. As of Aug. 14, he and his wife collectively owned 3.21% of the company, which would be worth some $170 million upon the deal’s completion. Invoke Capital has not responded to multiple requests for comment, and Darktrace declined to comment.

Following his U.S. acquittal, Lynch was pleased enough with the state of things that he had begun celebrating weeks before the yacht party. In the days following the not-guilty verdict, Lynch and his wife; Stephen Chamberlain and his wife; the attorney Chris Morvillo—who drowned on the Bayesian —and 20 other lawyers gathered at a restaurant at a hotel near the San Francisco courthouse.

Brian Heberlig, an attorney at Steptoe who gave the closing argument in Lynch’s trial, recalls that Morvillo gave a moving toast, telling those assembled that the trial was more than just a job, but one of their life’s works. “He really was a brilliant man,” Heberlig told Fortune , fighting back tears as he remembered Lynch. “And he ran his legal defense the same way I imagine he ran Autonomy. He let the experts do their jobs, while still having a strong grasp on the material. As he used to say, ‘Let the brain surgeons do the surgery.’”

That night was the last time Heberlig ever saw Lynch or Morvillo.

A ‘virtually unsinkable’ boat

The sailing party departed Aug. 14—five days before the storm—and comprised 12 guests and 10 crew members. The Bayesian was one of the biggest yachts of its kind. Its first stop was a cluster of small islands off the coast of Sicily. Then it jetted across the sea to the Sicilian town of Cefalù, before putting down anchor for the final time on the coast of Palermo, a favorite getaway for the rich and famous, and a former haunt for the Mafia.

Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who reportedly held the couple’s entire $1.1 billion fortune, was jolted awake on Aug. 18 as the boat began to tilt. Glass from a shattered window exploded across the deck, according to reports, cutting her feet as she ran to investigate.

Black and white security footage appears to show the outline of what is believed to be the 184-foot sailing yacht, which used call sign 2ICB8, slowly disappearing behind a thicker and thicker veil of rain. Nearby villagers and fishermen say they saw a sea tornado called a waterspout. Soon after, the yacht lay on the ocean floor.

Theories are swirling about why the yacht sank. One holds that a bay door was left open in the storm, causing the ship to flood and sink in minutes. Another holds that the Bayesian’ s 246-foot-tall aluminum mast—one of the tallest in the world— broke in the wind and took the boat down with it.

Most news reports say the yacht sank almost instantly, but the CEO of the company that bought the boat’s maker after it went bankrupt in 2021 disputes that. In a Financial Times report, he called the boat “virtually unsinkable,” and says that it dragged its anchor for 16 minutes before it sank.

During those fateful moments, a far older nearby yacht, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, built in 1957, was drifting on a similar course as the Bayesian and not only survived, but also came to help. Some onboard saw a red flare shooting across the rainy sky—an emergency signal from those who had fled the doomed yacht, drawing the attention to a life raft filled with 15 of the 22 passengers.

Passenger Golunski, 35, who helped run Autonomy the first year it was at HP, described holding her 1-year old daughter Sophia as she screamed for help. One of Lynch’s most trusted employees, Golunski was a founding partner at Invoke Capital, the London-based firm that backed Darktrace. Lynch’s wife Bacares was also in the life raft along with Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who reportedly texted to her father: “there are deaths.”

The lifeboat survivors were soon plucked from the sea while the Bayesian came to its current resting place 50 meters below the surface. Over the course of the next 72 hours, a team of scuba divers from the Guardia Costiera and specially trained cave divers from the Vigili del Fuoco, the local fire department, used boats and a helicopter to triangulate the yacht’s position. The divers, working in bursts of 8 to 12 minutes, searched the Bayesian’ s six guest suites, master suite, multiple living areas, and dining room.

The body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was the first to be found, floating on the water’s surface. On Wednesday, two days after the wreck, four more bodies were discovered, and on Thursday a fifth. Among them were Lynch and Chris Morvillo of the prestigious law firm Clifford Chance, who had made the controversial decision to have Lynch testify, and questioned him on the stand right before he was acquitted. The others discovered were Morvillo’s wife, Neda, as well as the Morgan Stanley banker and key witness Jonathan Bloomer, who had been a former executive director at Autonomy, and his wife, Judy. The body of Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was pulled from the sea on Friday.

Photo of Hannah Lynch and her father, Mike

The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency tells Fortune it is in contact with the Italian authorities but would not provide further information. The U.K.’s Foreign Office told Fortune it is providing “consular support to a number of British nationals and their families…and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Latest in Finance

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra gestures during a press conference after the royal endorsement ceremony appointing her as Thailand's new Prime Minister in Bangkok on August 18, 2024.

Thailand’s new prime minister inherits a $14 billion cash handout problem and a sluggish economy

Lowe’s followed Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson and John Deere in backing off DEI initiatives

Jensen Huang, baseball glove in hand and wearing a baseball jersey, gives a thumbs up.

Nvidia’s Q2 earnings could spark an AI rally—or trigger a panicked sell-off

NFL owners open the door to private equity investment into teams

Travis Kelce #52 of the Kansas City Chiefs samples wings at a Wingstop food stand during Kelce Jam at Azura Amphitheater on April 28, 2023 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Wingstop bucks fast-food slump with 5-year share price up 300%—and NFL season on the way

Woman looking at her laptop with a concerned look

This tool was supposed to fix America’s retirement crisis—but it may not be much of a solution after all

China fast-fashion retailer Temu soared like a rocket for two years—in just a few hours, its parent company lost more than $50 billion in market value

Australia gives workers the right to ignore their bosses outside of work hours—but employers call the rule ‘rushed’ and ‘deeply confusing’

Red Lobster’s new leader is a millennial Wall Street fave who doesn’t believe in work-life balance

Peloton’s former billionaire CEO says he’s lost all his money and had to sell his possessions

Saudi Arabia has never won an Olympic gold but it paid an athlete $1.3 million for coming close

Billionaire Autonomy cofounder Mike Lynch’s and Stephen Chamberlain’s careers were intertwined for years in a fraud trial. Then they died on the same day miles apart

COMMENTS

10 of the biggest superyachts owned by billionaires
Owned by: Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the owner of private investment company Millhouse LLC and owner of Chelsea Football Club. His current net worth is $17.4 billion. Key features: 162.5 metres in length / 9 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / Two swimming pools / Disco hall / Mini submarine / 2 helicopter pads / 24 guest cabins.
Who Owns Which Superyacht? (A Complete Guide)
The list of superyacht owners reads like a whos who of billionaires, with names like Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The most expensive superyacht in the world is owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The Biggest Yachts Owned by Tech Billionaires From Jeff Bezos ...
The 95-meter-long Lürssen-built boat was formerly owned by the Jacksonville Jaguar's billionaire owner Shahid Khan. Schmidt renamed her Whisper. The ship can fit 12 guests and a crew of 28 ...
The Top 40 of the World's Richest Yacht Owners • 2024
Similar, when you are able to purchase a US$ 50 million yacht. Your net worth will probably be a few hundred million dollar. Only the world's billionaires are able to purchase yachts larger than 80 met. Which will cost more than US$ 100 million. Some billionaires, like the late Paul Allen, even owned more than one superyacht. Royalty
Tech billionaires and their yachts
The superyachts owned by tech moguls. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to join the exclusive club of yacht-owning tech tycoons as the rumoured owner of Oceanco's mighty 127m sailing yacht. Though it should come as no surprise - other big names in tech such as the late Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Paul Allen have been responsible for some of ...
Jeff Bezos and the secretive world of superyachts
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world's richest man, has seen his personal wealth roughly double since 2017, helped by his wallet ballooning last year as more people than ever turned to ...
9 of the largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, ranked
Skat's name is derived from the Danish word for treasure. It had a listing price of €56.5 million and was launched in 2002. (Other reports value it at €49.5 million.)
Billionaires on the Sea
Yachts owned by entertainment mogul David Geffen and retailers Philip and Cristina Green were spotted off the island's beaches in 2017 as well. To find Formentera and other billionaire hot spots ...
From Russians to CEOs, Here's Who Owns 10 of the Most Pricey Yachts
Radiant, a superyacht built for Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 2010, is 360 feet long and worth $300 million, according to Robb Report. The boat can accommodate up to 20 guests and 44 crew ...
10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires
Built by: Similarly to Symphony above, also Feadship. With exteriors designed by Beaulieu-based RWD, and interiors by Chahan Design, it cost a reported $200 million to construct in 2017. Owned by: Until recently, Canadian billionaire and part-owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team, Lawrence Stroll.Recently sold to Michael Latifi, father of F1 star Nicholas, a fellow Canadian businessman with ...
Meet the Azzam, the world's largest superyacht
Klaus Jordan/Lurssen. Meet the world's largest superyacht —. The Azzam is 590-feet long, 68-feet wide and can travel at a speed of over 30 knots. Klaus Jordan/Lürssen. Luxury vessel —. The ...
The 20 Most Expensive Yachts In the World
These are the 20 most expensive yachts in the world: 20. Lionheart - $150 Million. Sir Philip Green kicks off the list with his 207-foot behemoth, Lionheart. The British retail billionaire commissioned Italian shipbuilding company, Benetti, to build his superyacht.
Billionaires' Superyachts Are Bigger and More Luxurious Than Ever
The total value of the 203 superyachts over 30 meters delivered last year was $6.4 billion, according to data from SuperYacht Times. New custom builds from the world's most prestigious shipyards ...
World's Richest Yacht Owners
Worth $90.6 billion in 2021, Larry Ellison is an American business magnate and investor. One of the most famous yacht owners, he is best known for being the co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle Corporation. Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation known as the world's largest database management ...
AVIVA Yacht • Joe Lewis $250M Superyacht
• The yacht Aviva is owned by British billionaire Joe Lewis, with an estimated value of $250 million and annual running costs around $25 million. ... The current Aviva is the fourth of its name built for Lewis, reflecting his deep-rooted passion for the maritime world. Valuing the SuperYacht. Superyacht Aviva is valued at an estimated $250 ...
Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich Owns 16 Yachts And ...
Outside of the eight support vessels, the leaked documents also show that Abramovich owns a 40-foot Bluegame motor boat named Umbra A, valued at roughly $1 million in a 2016 annual report. The ...
How billionaire's superyacht trip to celebrate end of 13 year legal
The group had been welcomed on board the six luxurious suites of Bayesian, a 56-metre-long £30 million superyacht, by the ten crew.Boasting the tallest aluminium mast in the world - higher than ...
The Irony of Mike Lynch's 'Bayesian' Superyacht Sinking
The Creepy Coincidences of the Billionaire Superyacht Sinking Starting with the name. By Jeff Wise , a science journalist, private pilot, and co-host of the podcast 'Deep Dive MH370'
How did billionaire's 'unsinkable' boat end up on sea bottom
Billionaire tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch's cage was gilded to be sure but a cage nonetheless. And when he was cleared, Lynch took pals for a Mediterranean cruise on his super yacht, the Bayesian ...
Billionaire Yacht Was Piloted Recklessly Before Deadly ...
Billionaire Yacht Was Piloted Recklessly Before Deadly Sinking, Its Builder Warns. by Frank Landymore "Everything that has been done reveals a very long sum of errors." Aug 23, 2:58 PM EDT.
Bodies found inside luxury yacht that sank off Sicily
Built by the Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered yacht could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist boating sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast ...
Russia superyacht symbolises challenge of seizing assets
She claims she is the sole adult beneficiary of the trust that owns the yacht, rather than her billionaire father. Investigating that challenge led the BBC to uncover some £500m worth of assets ...
Questions for Investigators as Italy Tries to Unravel the Yacht's
But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch's ...
British tech billionaire Mike Lynch confirmed dead after yacht sinking
The yacht excursion was meant to celebrate Lynch's recent victory, with family, friends, and business associates joining him. Other members of the deceased include the yacht's chef, Neda and Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer who represented Lynch and Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International.
Here Are the Megayachts Belonging to Russian Oligarchs
France seized Amore Vero, a 281-foot megayacht linked to oligarch and politician Igor Sechin, on March 3. The yacht, Amore Vero, is estimated to have a value of $120 million. It has a swimming ...
Macabre Twist in Shock Sinking of Missing Tech Billionaire's Yacht
Mysterious circumstances that preceded the sinking of billionaire Mike Lynch's yacht on Monday morning have left the internet abuzz with conspiracies.. That's because Lynch's ex-colleague ...
Billionaire's Body Recovered From Sunken Superyacht
The search for missing British billionaire Mike Lynch is finally over after officials recovered his body from the Bayesian, his wife's superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week.
Italian prosecutors open investigation into yacht sinking that killed 7
Italian prosecutors open investigation into yacht sinking that killed 7 including tech billionaire. Prosecutors in Italy said Saturday they have opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter after a superyacht capsized during a storm off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard. ...
The sinking of Mike Lynch's super yacht adds to questions about
A 'virtually unsinkable' boat The sailing party departed Aug. 14—five days before the storm—and comprised 12 guests and 10 crew members. The Bayesian was one of the biggest yachts of its kind.
Mike Lynch dead: Dem recova bodi of British billionaire afta Bayesian
Di 59-year-old bin dey on holiday for im boat wit family, members of im business and legal inner circle, wen di yatch bin sink afta one powerful storm strike am for Monday morning.

10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires

Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Andrey Melnichenko

Symphony, owned by Bernard Arnault

Faith, owned by Michael Latifi

Amevi, owned by Lakshmi Mittal

Odessa II, owned by Len Blavatnik

Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern

Silver Angel, owned by Richard Caring

Lady Beatrice, owned by Frederick Barclay

Space, owned by Laurence Graff

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Further reading

Riding the wave: the Wajer 44 S is catnip for water sports enthusiasts

The luxury yachts of the world's royal families

Editor’s Picks: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, Brunello Cucinelli Trousers, KEF LSX II LT Speakers

Who Owns Which Superyacht? (A Complete Guide)

Short Answer

Overview of Superyachts

Who are the Owners of Superyachts?

The Most Expensive Superyacht in the World

Notable Superyacht Owners

What Amenities are Included on Superyachts?

How Much Do Superyachts Cost?

Keeping Superyachts Out of the Public Eye

Final Thoughts

Recent Posts

The superyachts owned by tech moguls

Larry Ellison

More about this yacht

Yachts for charter

Charles Simonyi

Sergey Brin

Yachts for sale

Barry Diller

Mark Zuckerburg

Eric Schmidt

Evan Speigel

Sponsored listings

10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires

Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Andrey Melnichenko

Symphony, owned by Bernard Arnault

Faith, owned by Michael Latifi

Amevi, owned by Lakshmi Mittal

Odessa II, owned by Len Blavatnik

Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern

Silver Angel, owned by Richard Caring

Lady Beatrice, owned by Frederick Barclay

Space, owned by Laurence Graff

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Further reading

Riding the wave: the Wajer 44 S is catnip for water sports enthusiasts

The luxury yachts of the world's royal families

Editor’s Picks: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, Brunello Cucinelli Trousers, KEF LSX II LT Speakers

Most Expensive

20. Lionheart – $150 Million

19. Aviva – $150 Million

18. Solandge – $180 Million

17. Ecstasea – $200 Million

16. The Rising Sun – $200 Million

15. Octopus – $200 Million

14. Lady Moura – $210 Million

13. Al Mirqab – $250 Million

12. Dilbar – $256 Million

11. Pelorus – $300 Million

10. Serene – $300 Million

9. Al Said – $300 Million

8. Radiant – $320 Million

7. Dubai – $400 Million

6. Motor Yacht A – $440 Million

5. Topaz – $527 Million

4. Azzam – $600 Million

3. Streets of Monaco – $1 Billion

2. Eclipse – $1.5 Billion

1. History Supreme – $4.8 Billion

What’s your favourite most expensive yacht? Leave a comment below.

The 20 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World

How did we select this list of tequilas?

The 2 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World