The $600 million superyacht Blue has company in Greece. It’s been joined by another nautical marvel, the Flying Fox, the world’s most expensive charter vessel, valued at an astonishing $450 million. But if you were dreaming of stepping aboard (at a dizzying $4 million per week), those hopes have just been dashed. The Flying Fox was spotted alongside Blue, signaling a change in ownership. The 446-foot Lürssen-built beauty has joined the fleet of yacht connoisseur Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, often referred to as Sheikh Mansour, as reported earlier by Luxurylaunches and confirmed by The Yacht Report.
The 54-year-old Emirati royal also owns the $450 million luxury vessel A+, bringing his fleet’s worth to an insane $1.5 billion. Few individuals can lay claim to a private fleet that includes some of the most coveted vessels in the world, favorites of Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio, and other megastars.
It’s arguably the most extravagant personal armada ever assembled. He is the current Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and holds stakes in Premier League club Manchester City F.C. While royals are no strangers to residing in humongous, ornate palaces, Sheikh Mansour has indeed upped the ante, and how, on the high seas.
His family, the ultra-wealthy Al Nahyan royal family of Abu Dhabi, boasts a combined net worth estimated at over $305 billion. They also own the 590-foot Azzam and the 479-foot Opera. Some of the largest vessels by volume in the world now belong to the Al Nahyan clan, but it is truly mind-boggling how much the accomplished horse rider will splurge on simply maintaining these pleasure craft.
With annual upkeep averaging 10% of a yacht’s value, maintaining a $1.5 billion fleet translates to an eye-popping $150 million per year, or $411,000 per day. That’s enough to buy a brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantom every morning, or a Manhattan apartment every few days. But for a man with a $20 billion fortune, watching the sun dip below the horizon from one of his multimillion-dollar seaborne palaces is simply priceless.
Meet the $1.5 billion royal fleet where even the smallest yacht sleeps like a king-
When it comes to sheer size and grandeur, Flying Fox is actually the smallest of the trio. While A+ sleeps 62 and Blue hosts 48 guests, Flying Fox accommodates 25. Together, the three stretch to about 1,454 feet in length, roughly four football fields end to end. Yet with a combined crew of 215 across the three vessels, Sheikh Mansour ensures five-star service even in the middle of nowhere. Each Lurssen yacht boasts two helipads, sprawling pools, spas, cinemas, and lavish salons. No matter which vessel he chooses for his next escape, one thing is guaranteed, the world’s most regal experience on water.
