There are superyachts, and then there are megayachts. There are shipbuilders, and then there is Lürssen, the maker of mammoths. The $450 million superyacht, Project Ali Baba, is a true testament to their genius, albeit one without an owner. The Russian tycoon who commissioned it could not take delivery of the vessel due to international sanctions. However, Project Ali Baba is a magnificent magnet that attracted none other than Sergey Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google, who, in all probability, has scooped up this floating palace at a fat multi-million-dollar discount, according to The Yacht Report.
This giant, measuring 466 feet, is set to become Lürssen’s largest build to date when delivered, fitting for the world’s seventh-richest man, with a net worth of $140 billion. As this is the sale of a seized vessel, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to presume the price tag has been slashed. Additionally, a late 2024 delivery date means that the tech tycoon won’t have to wait too long for a vessel of this size.
At 9,400 GT, Project Ali Baba will accommodate 24 guests in 12 staterooms, served by a crew of 45. The four-deck design is by German Frers, with the interior crafted by Nauta Design. She boasts a maximum speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots. At 466 feet, she will be one of the largest superyachts in the world, surpassing seasoned greats like David Geffen’s $490 million Rising Sun and even Paul Allen’s 414-footer, Octopus. She will overshadow centibillionaire Jeff Bezos’ $500 million Koru and make Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million Launchpad look lackluster. Interestingly, what ties Zuckerberg and Brin together is the acquisition of their luxury vessels. The Silicon Valley tycoon purchased the 387-footer commissioned by Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin as soon as the Dutch government permitted the sale of seized superyachts to non-Russians.
Brin, at 51 years old, benefited from the sanctions imposed on the commissioning owner, Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, worth $25 billion (chief executive officer of Novatek, the largest non-state-owned natural gas provider in Russia), which prevented him from taking ownership of this marvel.
The Lürssen motoryacht was sold while still under construction, with Brin bidding adieu to his existing superyacht, the 239-foot Dragonfly which is listed for about $30 million, and welcoming a befitting beauty to enhance his holiday plans. Unlike Launchpad, which was shrouded in secrecy, the world got a glimpse of Brin’s beautiful boat when Project Ali Baba collided with a dry dock gate at the shipyard’s Bremen site in December 2023, with the yacht striking the doors from the inside.
Who is Google co-founder Sergey Brin?
Moscow-born tech tycoon Sergey Brin moved to the United States at age six. His academic excellence paved the way for his success. As co-founder of Google, he studied math and computer science at the University of Maryland, followed by a doctorate at Stanford. It was here that he met his business partner, Larry Page, and together they created the world’s largest search engine, Google, in a friend’s garage in 1998. The billionaire also holds small stakes in electric car maker Tesla, but it seems boats and yachts are where his heart lies.
In addition to Dragonfly, which he will soon part ways with, the tech tycoon owns the 125-foot Butterfly yacht, a smaller vessel called Firefly, and several toys, like jet skis, foilboards, dinghies, and kiteboards that will comfortably fit in Project Ali Baba’s massive tender garage. Raised humbly by a mathematics professor and a NASA researcher, the self made centibillionaire now employs a team of 50 solely to maintain his impressive fleet.
