Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt won a lucrative auction in Antigua to buy a $67.6 million superyacht previously owned by a Russian oligarch.
Schmidt, 68, snapped up the coveted vessel Alfa Nero after it was seized from fertilizer mogul Andrey Guryev last year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The massive ship, which has been languishing in the Caribbean island since the start of the conflict, is among the most luxurious in the world, and boasts the first-ever swimming pool that can turn into a helipad.
It was also notably built by Oceanco, the same company that constructed the $500 million superyacht recently enjoyed by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.
The superyacht Alfa Nero docked in Falmouth Harbour in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua, on Wednesday, April 20, 2023
The ship boasts the first ever swimming pool that can turn into a helipad (pictured)
An Antigua & Barbuda Port Authority ‘Seizure’ sign onboard the superyacht Alfa Nero docked in Falmouth Harbour in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua, on Wednesday, April 20, 2023
Built in 2007, the 267 foot vessel was initially listed for sale in 2009 for a titanic price tag of $190 million.
The ship can host 12 guests and up to 26 crewmembers, and is fitted with amenities appropriate for a billionaire.
The master bedroom fills the entire front of the top deck, offering panoramic ocean views while the inside is decked out in lavish designs.
Inside the yacht, each room is said to have a separate, coordinated design. A saloon bar on the upper deck is palatial, while the main deck saloon boasts a more modern look.
A private gym with 180 degree views is also on the top floor, and a lower deck also has a health and beauty spa.
The Alfa Nero was described by its manufacturer Oceanco as ‘one of the world’s most iconic and highly awarded yachts’.
The Alfa Nero superyacht stands 267 foot long and was once valued at $190 million
It was described as one of the world’s most iconic and highly awarded yachts’ by its manufacturer Oceanco
The yacht is equipped with numerous lavish amenities fit for its billionaire owners
Each room in the home is said to be designed with a different coordinated theme
The massive ship was bought at auction hosted by the government of Antigua and Barbuda
A chair on the bridge of the superyacht Alfa Nero docked in Falmouth Harbour in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua, on Wednesday, April 20, 2023
Schmidt bought the boat after it was left abandoned in Antigua by Guryev last year following sanctions by the US Treasury.
US officials claimed Guryev, who owns one of the largest fertilizer producer companies in the world and has close ties to Vladimir Putin, bought the yacht in 2014.
The auction was hosted by the government of Antigua and Barbuda, which said on June 16 that Schmidt won in a ‘fully transparent process’.
In a strange move, an Antiguan port official told Bloomberg News that Guryev’s daughter filed a last-minute injunction, claiming she was the owner of the yacht.
Guryev has an estimated net worth of around $4.8 billion, and Schmidt’s fortune is valued at over $20 billion.
Stowed chairs on the deck of the superyacht Alfa Nero docked in Falmouth Harbour
An Antigua & Barbuda Port Authority agent onboard the superyacht Alfa Nero
An outside light control panel on the superyacht
Eric Schmidt (left) purchased the yacht after it was abandoned by Guryev (right) last year when he was slapped with sanctions from the US Treasury
Jeff Bezos’ superyacht was built by the same company as Schmidt’s. Pictured: The $500 million vessel, named Koru after the Maori word for ‘new beginnings’
The Koru (background) alone is simply not enough for the ex-Amazon chief, who also arrived in the French Riviera with a support yacht, the Abeona (foreground), which itself measures 246ft and carries a slew of gadgets, as well as a helicopter
The yacht was notably made by the same company that built another vessel to capture headlines in recent times.
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos splashed the cash on a new $500 million megayacht this year called Koru.
It is one of the tallest and longest ships in the world, at 417 feet in length.
Bezos and his glamorous fiancé Lauren Sanchez were recently spotted sharing a kiss on the expansive deck.
The Koru is so massive it is also joined on its voyages by a second, $75 million support yacht called the ‘Aboena’.
It floats nearby to help the billionaire live a life of luxury, hosting his selection of supercars, motorbikes, smaller boats, jet skis and helicopters.
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