Topline
A company tied to one of the world’s wealthiest men, who has made headlines for his association with President Donald Trump, is reportedly the new owner of a 348-foot superyacht sold by the U.S. government after it was seized from a Russian oligarch during the start of the war in Ukraine.
The yacht Amadea, which was seized by the Fiji government at the request of the US, arrives at the Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii, June 16, 2022.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
The yacht, named the Amadea, was auctioned off back in September, years after it was seized as part of sanctions enforcement against wealthy Russians linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ownership of the Amadea officially changed on Oct. 10, according to ship database Equasis, and several outlets have reported it is now owned by Beyond Holdings Group Limited, a company headquartered at the same address as United Arab Emirates-based billionaire Hussain Sajwani’s Damac Properties.
Beyond Holdings Group was previously known as the AHS Four Company, a Russian outlet first reported, adding that AHS is Sajwani’s son’s initials and is the name of his son’s yacht, which charters for more than $500,000 per week.
The Amadea, formerly owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, is estimated to be worth roughly $300 million, though an auction price was not revealed at the time of sale.
The yacht, which set sail in 2017, can accommodate up to 22 guests in eight staterooms and also has a gym, sauna, massage room, 32-foot infinity pool, private theater, helipad and two elevators on board.
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Key Background
Kerimov was first designated as an official of the Russian government in 2018 and he was re-sanctioned in September of 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In June of 2022, the Amadea was seized by authorities in Fiji at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, which have claimed Kerimov violated several American laws, including money laundering and conspiracy. A winding legal saga followed as the government attempted to prove the true ownership of the ship, which was purchased using shell companies and trusts and under the proxy-ownership of oligarch Eduard Khudainatov. In August of this year, the U.S. said it would auction the Amadea in an attempt to put pressure on Russian oligarchs and compel them to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. The auction of the Amadea was the first sale of a seized Russian luxury vessel since the start of the war, according to the Associated Press. A dozen Russian-linked yachts have been seized around the world in the last several years, including in Italy, Spain and France.