Superyachts of billionaires often dominate headlines, some for size, some for grandeur, and some for price tags. But have you ever wondered what a shipping tycoon’s floating asset would stand out for? Take Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, for instance, a shipping magnate who was born into the role. The son of a Romanian-born Israeli shipping titan who was once Israel’s richest man would, of course, own a vessel that makes the sea pause and take notice. It is safe to say that the superyacht Olivia O does exactly that.
It carves an identity among thousands of superyachts, a feat when they are all splendid. It boasts personality, performance, and prettiness, all rolled into one floating asset. Once you learn more about the ultra-high-net-worth owner of the 290-footer, it becomes easier to fathom why Olivia O, sweetly named after his only daughter by the doting father of four, is the way she is. The 75-year-old was born into a shipping family and spent his teenage summers working on one of his family’s ships, loading cargo, scraping the boat’s sides, and repainting them. As an adult, his empire was built on ships, too, as chairman of the Monaco-based Ofer Global, active in shipping, real estate, technology, banking, energy, and other investments. But out of them all, boats were certainly his business, and we are delving into the details of his maritime marvel, Olivia O, an Ulstein X-BOW yacht built by Ulstein Verft and delivered in 2020.
Oh, incredible Olivia O
Only a true admirer of ships could own the world’s first X-BOW yacht, and Eyal Ofer fits the brief. The 4,989 GT vessel, designed by Espen Øino with interiors by Droulers Architecture, is instantly recognizable in a sea of superyachts, thanks to a profile that not many billionaires can boast. The X-BOW is not just a dramatic design signature, it is an offshore-bred idea meant to make a yacht behave better at sea. Instead of riding up and slamming down in head seas, the inverted bow is designed to slice through waves more efficiently, reducing pitching and impact, helping keep the ride smoother, drier, and more comfortable on long passages.
Unique and impressive, the motoryacht stands out not only for her silhouette, but also for the features and performance she packs in. And then there is the volume. Olivia O sits massively above the average volume for yachts in her length band, which is why she feels larger than her measurements suggest. The marvelous five-decker began with her hull built in Norway and was then outfitted at Palumbo in Malta. She sleeps 14 guests in seven cabins and is serviced by 30 crew. The $200 million vessel, with an ice-class hull and a spaceship-like exterior, comes with a commercially rated helipad, a cornerstone requirement for any explorer vessel that lets guests reach remote corners of the world.
There is also a 32-foot swimming pool, plus a spa, gym, and a tender garage stocked with an arsenal of toys and tenders. More importantly, the garage and operating setup lean toward practicality, the kind of detail you see on serious explorer platforms, where the idea is to make launching and retrieving tenders feel possible even when conditions are not perfectly calm.
As serious as she looks on the outside, the interiors are airy and understated, with a calming Japanese mood. There is an intentional lack of bling, balanced by the rich, generous use of four different types of wood. The material is employed to create light and dark variations across the guest decks and in common social spaces. Olivia O may sound feminine, but she carries an undeniably industrial overlay, featuring metal surfaces, steel-bordered windows, and painted metal ceilings. Those who love marble bathrooms and gilded interiors may be a tad disappointed. Aboard Olivia O, the bathrooms look eye-catching in Italian terrazzo, and for a shipping tycoon, few things would beat the charm of a personal pleasure craft that nods to commercial shipping aesthetics. Olivia O is powered by Rolls-Royce engines and is capable of reaching a top speed of 15 knots.
About Eyal Ofer, the man who lives, breathes, and thrives on ships
Ofer is a billionaire worth $31 billion, according to Forbes, and he has a life to prove it. From business to art to philanthropy, he has left a mark across fields. Based in Monaco, the 75-year-old chairman of Ofer Global has deep roots in the maritime world. Through Zodiac Group, his shipping company, he owns and operates more than 200 ships. His Global Holdings real estate portfolio spans 120 properties around the world, including 15 Central Park West and 50 United Nations Plaza in Manhattan, and Vogue House in London.
An avid art collector, this Monte Carlo resident and his brother, Idan, split their father’s art holdings, a rare collection rumored to include works by Van Gogh and Picasso. Olivia O is a fitting ship for a man who built everything on ships and property, and that is why she feels less like a floating palace and more like a private flagship, the kind a shipping magnate would respect.
