It’s strange to hear of billionaires facing plebeian troubles like parking space, but in the case of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, it did happen. Surprisingly, it wasn’t with his Rolls-Royce or Bentley but with his 557-foot Eclipse, the world’s largest private yacht at the time in 2011. The businessman, then the owner of Chelsea Football Club, was denied parking space for his $590 million yacht as it was simply too humongous to fit into the ‘Millionaire’s Quay’ in Antibes, French Riviera. Let it be known, this quay is Europe’s biggest yachting harbor.
The only spot that could’ve accommodated the Lürssen-built mammoth was already taken by another legendary vessel, Kingdom 5KR, owned by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, worth nearly $19 billion per Forbes.
This 265-foot yacht, which was once Donald Trump’s Trump Princess and Nabila before that, occupied the prime position at Millionaire’s Quay, leaving Eclipse and her owner several hundred feet out at sea. Abramovich had no choice but to use his motorboat to travel to shore.
But honestly, why would the tycoon worth $9.7 billion today according to Forbes, even want to leave his ship, a floating palace with room for 62 guests, two swimming pools, hot tubs, a steam room, a disco hall, a mini-submarine, and more?
The answer is simple. In addition to this seaborne marvel, Abramovich also owned a jaw-dropping villa in the town. Not just a holiday home, the iconic Château de la Croë is a palace in its own right, sitting on eight hectares of grounds on the Cap d’Antibes peninsula in the French Riviera. This historic estate, once home to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1938 and later to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, was acquired by Abramovich in 2001. He spent $37 million and four years restoring it to its former glory.
Why wouldn’t the man hop into a motorboat to visit the Château he poured his heart (and millions) into? If parking his 557-footer out at sea was the price to pay, so be it. After all, Antibes is known as the ‘Bay of Billionaires,’ and it’s the largest yachting harbor in Europe, boasting over 2,000 moorings. Naturally, it’s nobody’s fault that Eclipse happens to be a gargantuan motor yacht that can only fit in one spot big enough for her.
Interestingly, Abramovich did try to combat the parking problem by applying to the Antibes council to build a private pontoon at his villa. Unsurprisingly, the plans were rejected. Good for him, though, he had a crew of 50 waiting to tackle every whim and command, ensuring he got home in style. It’s good to be rich!
