After spending over two years floating in legal limbo, the $250 million superyacht Amadea is finally headed for auction. A New York federal judge has cleared the way for the U.S. government to sell the lavish vessel, which has been docked in San Diego since its dramatic seizure in Fiji in 2022.
Costing roughly $850,000 per month to maintain, the yacht’s continued upkeep has been funded by American taxpayers. Now, with its future uncertain and the maintenance bill stacking into the tens of millions, the Department of Justice has decided it is time to let the opulence sail into new hands.
The judgment came from US District Judge Dale E. Ho, who ruled that a delay in the auction would harm public interest due to the immense ongoing cost, as reported by the Global Investigations Review. Judge Ho also rejected efforts by Eduard Khudainatov, former head of Russian oil giant Rosneft and alleged straw owner of the yacht, to stop the sale.
Khudainatov claimed that he was the rightful owner of Amadea, but the court determined there was sufficient evidence linking the true ownership to sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. With Khudainatov’s appeals denied and his refusal to sit for a deposition held against him, the court saw no reason to continue footing the yacht’s massive bills.
Now, the most talked-about yacht in the United States could soon belong to someone entirely new. With its sale looming, attention has turned to who might actually be in the market for such a vessel.
Naturally, the conversation has turned toward America’s richest, particularly the class of ultra-wealthy tech executives who have already made the oceans their playground. From Jeff Bezos and his sleek Koru, to Mark Zuckerberg’s elusive Launchpad, and Sergey Brin’s enormous Dragonfly, it’s clear that superyacht ownership has become an unspoken status symbol in Silicon Valley.
There’s speculation that someone like Elon Musk, despite his public disinterest in material possessions, could make a contrarian move and bid for Amadea, either for personal use or to repurpose it for one of his futuristic ventures. Others suggest that someone like Larry Ellison, already a longtime yacht aficionado, might expand his fleet with this former oligarchic jewel. Even younger billionaires like Airbnb’s Brian Chesky or Stripe’s John Collison might see the auction as an opportunity to make a bold statement. The truth is, whoever ends up purchasing Amadea will not just be acquiring a luxury vessel, they’ll be inheriting a symbol of a geopolitical turning point.
The upkeep costs alone, at $850,000 per month, require deep pockets and perhaps a desire to make headlines. While the US government has not yet announced the format or timeline for the auction, insiders suggest it may follow the sealed bid route, similar to past forfeited assets. There’s still uncertainty over what price Amadea might fetch.
Past government auctions of seized yachts have resulted in significant losses compared to their original valuations, often due to the legal baggage and limited buyer pool. But for the right bidder, Amadea could be a bargain, albeit one with eye-watering maintenance fees and a layered backstory.
The Amadea – a floating spectacle
At 347 feet long, Amadea is a marvel of maritime design. Built by Lürssen and designed by Espen Øino, its exterior features cascading shell decks and silver satellite domes. The interiors by François Zuretti include a double-height atrium, a grand piano, hand-painted ceilings, a full-beam dining table, and walls lined with leather-bound books.
The yacht houses a cinema with a popcorn machine, a winter garden style dining patio for 24 guests, and a party deck with 20,000-watt speakers. With a helipad, spa pool, beauty salon, and accommodation for 16 guests, Amadea is a floating palace that now waits for its next owner.
