Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt won a lucrative auction in Antigua to buy a $67.6 million superyacht formerly owned by a Russian oligarch.
Schmidt, 68, seized the coveted ship Alfa Nero after it was seized by fertilizer magnate Andrey Guryev after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
The massive ship, which has languished on the Caribbean island since the conflict began, is one of the most luxurious in the world and features the first-ever swimming pool that can transform into a helipad.
Notably, it was also built by Oceanco, the same company that built the $500 million superyacht recently enjoyed by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.
The superyacht Alfa Nero docked at Falmouth Port in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua, on Wednesday, April 20, 2023
The ship features the first-ever swimming pool that can transform into a helipad (pictured)
An Antigua & Barbuda Port Authority ‘Seizure’ sign aboard the superyacht Alfa Nero docked at Falmouth Port 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 whopping $190 million price tag.
The ship can accommodate 12 guests and up to 26 crew members and is equipped with amenities fit for a billionaire.
The master bedroom occupies the entire front of the upper deck, offering panoramic ocean views, while the inside is decked out in lavish designs.
In the yacht, each room would have a separate, coordinated design. An upper deck saloon bar is regal, while the main deck saloon has a more modern feel.
Also located on the top floor is a private gym with 180 degree views and a health and beauty spa on the lower deck.
The Alfa Nero was described by manufacturer Oceanco as ‘one of the most iconic and most awarded yachts in the world’.
The superyacht Alfa Nero is 267 feet long and was once valued at $190 million
It was described as one of the world’s most iconic and highly awarded yachts by the manufacturer Oceanco
The yacht is equipped with numerous luxurious amenities fit for the billionaire owners
Each room in the house would be designed with a different coordinated theme
The huge ship was bought at an auction organized by the government of Antigua and Barbuda
A chair on the bridge of the superyacht Alfa Nero docked at Falmouth Harbor in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua, on Wednesday, April 20, 2023
Schmidt bought the boat after it was left behind in Antigua by Guryev last year following US Treasury sanctions.
US officials claimed that Guryev, who owns one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers and has close ties to Vladimir Putin, bought the yacht in 2014.
The auction was organized by the government of Antigua and Barbuda, which said on June 16 that Schmidt had 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 court order claiming she owned the yacht.
Guryev has an estimated net worth of around $4.8 billion and Schmidt’s fortune is estimated to be over $20 billion.
Stowed seats on the deck of the Alfa Nero superyacht docked in Falmouth Harbour
An Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority agent aboard the superyacht Alfa Nero
An exterior lighting control panel on the superyacht
Eric Schmidt (left) bought the yacht after it was abandoned by Guryev (right) last year when he was slapped with sanctions from the US Treasury Department
Jeff Bezos’ superyacht was built by the same company as Schmidt’s. Pictured: The $500 million ship, named Koru after the Maori word for “new beginning”
The Koru (background) alone is simply not enough for the ex-Amazon chief, who also arrived in the French Riviera on a support yacht, the Abeona (foreground), which is itself 74 meters long and has a whole host of gadgets on board, as well as a helicopter
Notably, the yacht is made by the same company that has built another vessel to make headlines in recent times.
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos splashed the cash on a new $500 million mega yacht called Koru this year.
It is one of the tallest and longest ships in the world, measuring 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 that it is also accompanied on its travels by a second $75 million support yacht, the ‘Aboena’.
It floats around to help the billionaire live a life of luxury, with his selection of supercars, motorbikes, smaller boats, jet skis and helicopters.