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US is auctioning Amadea, a 348-foot mega yacht seized from Suleiman Kerimov. The yacht’s estimated value is now at $80-120 million.
Interested buyers must provide a $10 million deposit. (Image Credit: National Maritime Services)
The US government is auctioning off a 348-foot mega yacht seized from a sanctioned Russian billionaire, with bids closing this week, in a sale that could test the market for ultra-luxury vessels tied up in years of litigation. The yacht, Amadea, was valued at up to $350 million before being seized in Fiji in 2022 by the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force, which was set up to target assets of Russian oligarchs following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Built in 2017, the six-deck vessel features an infinity pool, eight staterooms, a grand salon with a marble fireplace and piano, a sauna, gym, helipad, private cinema and even a lobster tank. It has been docked in San Diego since its seizure.
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Legal Battle Over Ownership
US prosecutors allege the yacht belongs to Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire and gold magnate on the US sanctions list. They argue Suleiman Kerimov used the US financial system to cover operating costs in violation of sanctions.
Another Russian, Eduard Khudainatov, a former head of Rosneft and Millemarin Investments also claimed ownership, saying Suleiman Kerimov was not the real beneficiary. But in March, Judge Dale Ho in New York awarded the vessel to the US government, ruling that Eduard Khudainatov and his associates acted as “straw owners” and lacked standing to contest forfeiture.
Despite the ongoing case, the yacht has been formally transferred to US ownership and listed for sale as prosecutors dismissed Eduard Khudainatov’s objections as an effort to “impede the Government’s ability to sell the Government’s own property and damage the Amadea’s selling price.”
Auction Underway
The sealed auction is being handled by National Maritime Services and broker Fraser Yachts. Interested buyers must provide a $10 million deposit. Researchers estimate the yacht could now fetch between $80 million and $120 million- far below its initial valuation- given its size, costs and legal entanglements.
Mounting Maintenance Costs For Amadea
Maintaining the yacht has been expensive as court filings showed that the US Marshals Service has spent $32 million on transportation, storage, maintenance and crew expenses since taking control of the vessel two years ago.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
September 10, 2025, 16:27 IST
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