After the EU and the UK removed Russian businessman Farkhad Akhmedov from their sanctions list, it became clear once again that, one way or another, this Russian tycoon gets what he wants. Call it luck, strategy, or sheer resilience, but the man emerges victorious even when the odds are stacked against him. What else would you call it when, after enduring one of the costliest divorce battles in British legal history, Akhmedov still managed to keep his prized possession, the superyacht Luna? His bitter legal war with ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova saw him turn over every stone to ensure the $460 million pleasure craft didn’t sail away in her name.
Then came the sanctions in June 2022. Though he had held on to Luna, he could do little as the yacht was frozen in Germany. Still, in yet another twist of fate, 69-year-old Akhmedov has now been removed from the UK sanctions list, according to a notice published by HM Treasury. The EU had already lifted its sanctions against him in September 2023.
With no legal or political shackles left, the billionaire is free to enjoy his megayacht once more. And that also means the yacht’s crew, owed nearly half a million euros in salaries, can finally be paid, according to The Yacht Report.
Valued at $1.6 billion, Akhmedov is no Bezos or Zuckerberg, or even Abramovich, from whom he bought Luna in 2014 for $256 million. His superyacht represents around 30% of his entire net worth. For context, Jeff Bezos’ $500 million Koru represents just 0.217% of his $230 billion empire. It’s no wonder Luna means so much to Akhmedov, who is finally free to enjoy it without courts, sanctions, or legal barriers in his way.
Living the good life aboard the majestic $300 million Luna superyacht-
While the days of sanctions are now behind her, the scale of the 377-foot vessel is better understood when you learn how heavily guarded she once was. Built by Lloyd Werft and featuring nine sprawling decks, the superyacht was thoroughly searched by over 30 investigators from the German Navy, federal, and state police while it was impounded in Germany.
They combed through hidden compartments and uncovered expensive artwork onboard. Luna accommodates 20 guests across ten VIP suites, tended by a crew of 52. Everything about her is larger than life: over 80 TVs, more than 70 painters who worked round-the-clock for eight months on her interiors, numerous bulletproof windows, generators powerful enough to supply a town of 25,000, and not one, but two helipads.
Commissioned originally by Roman Abramovich, the yacht bears striking similarities to Solaris and Eclipse, with shared features like multiple decks, a large swimming pool, mini-submarines, a military-grade missile detection system, and even an escape pod, making it one of the most secure yachts in the world.
It’s no surprise that Tatiana Soroka, who was awarded Britain’s biggest divorce settlement of $640 million, later sued her lawyers. While they won her a record-breaking settlement in 2016, they couldn’t win her ex-husband’s 377-foot floating palace. And honestly, can you blame her for being furious?
