Gear -- 1 month ago
Words: Jonathan Wells
Words: Jonathan Wells
There’s something about billionaires and big boats. Whether their fancy prefers superyachts or megayachts, men with money love to splash out on these sizeable sea-going giants. And that all began in 1954 – with the big dreams of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
Onassis, keen to keep his luxury lifestyle afloat when at sea, bought Canadian anti-submarine frigate HMCS Stormont after World War II. He spent millions turning it into an opulent superyacht, named it after his daughter – and the Christina O kicked off a trend among tycoons. To this day, the world’s richest men remain locked in an arms race to build the biggest, fastest, most impressive vessel of all. Here are 10 of our favourites…
Image: Feadship
Built by: Feadship, who delivered the sleek, 91.8-metre beauty to its owner in the summer of 2024. It’s fairly classic in appearance and is defined by ‘crisply chamfered exterior contours’ – we also rather like the simple scheme of navy against white.
Owned by: Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, the clothing retailer who co-founded Inditex, which oversees Zara and Massimo Dutti. According to Forbes, Ortega earns more than $400 million in yearly dividends.
Key features: 91.8 metres in length / Top speed of 18 knots / Beach club / Wellness area / 14 guests
Built by: Blohm+Voss of Hamburg, with interiors and exteriors designed by Terence Disdale. Launched in 2009, it cost $500 million.
Owned by: Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club. His current net worth is $9.2 billion.
Key features: 162.5 metres in length / 9 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / Two swimming pools / Disco hall / Mini submarine / 2 helicopter pads / 24 guest cabins
Built by: Nobiskrug, a shipyard on the Eider River in Germany. The original idea came from Jacques Garcia, with interiors designed by Philippe Starck and a reported price tag of more than $400 million.
Owned by: Russian billionaire industrialist Andrey Melnichenko, the one-time main beneficiary of both the fertiliser-producing EuroChem Group and the coal energy company SUEK. Sailing Yacht A was seized in Trieste on 12 March 2022 due to the EU’s sanctions on Russian businessmen.
Key features: 119 metres in length / 8 decks / Top speed of 21 knots / Freestanding carbon-fibre rotating masts / Underwater observation pod / 14 guests
Image: Feadship
Built by: Feadship, who took five years to complete the vessel. It has all the mod cons one would expect from a superyacht, but it stands out from the crowd as it’s hydrogen-powered.
Owned by: Reports have linked this beast to tech magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates – but rumours suggest that he is now selling it.
Key features: 118.8 metres in length / Top speed of 17 knots / Hydrogen powered / Hospital / Cinema / Pool with a moveable glass bottom / 30 guests
Built by: Feadship, with an exterior designed by Tim Heywood. It reportedly cost around $150 million to construct.
Owned by: French billionaire businessman and art collector Bernard Arnault. Chairman and chief executive of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, his current net worth is $153 billion.
Key features: 101.5 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / 6-metre glass-bottom swimming pool / Outdoor cinema / Sundeck Jacuzzi / 8 guest cabins
Built by: The Oceanco shipyard, in The Netherlands. With exterior design by Nuvolari & Lenard and interior design by Alberto Pinto, it launched in 2007 (and cost around $125 million to construct).
Owned by: Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of Arcelor Mittal, the world's largest steel and mining company by output. He co-owns Queens Park Rangers, and has a net worth of $17.9 billion.
Key features: 80 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 18.5 knots / On-deck Jacuzzi / Helipad / Swimming Pool / Tender Garage / 8 guest cabins
Image: Feadship
Built by: Feadship, with construction having begun in early 2021, delivery expected this summer, and details kept tightly under wraps.
Owned by: It is said that this new iteration of Faith is destined for Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll, whose bulk of fortune came from selling his shares in Michael Kors.
Key features: 79.95 metres in length / Little else has been revealed about Faith, except that RWD was the exterior designer, with naval architecture by Feadship De Voogt.
Built by: Nobiskrug, the same German shipyard that built Sailing Yacht A. Both interiors and exterior were created by Focus Yacht Design, and the yacht was launched in 2013 with a cost of $80 million.
Owned by: Businessman Len Blavatnik. Founder of Access Industries – a private holding company and global investment firm with holdings in Warner Music Group – he is worth $26.4 billion.
Key features: 74 metres in length / 6 guest cabins / Top speed of 18 knots / Intimate beach club / Baby grand piano / Private master cabin terrace / Outdoor cinema
Built by: Italian shipyard Perini Navi in 2014. With interiors by Rémi Tessier and exterior design by Philippe Briand, Nautilus was estimated to cost around $90 million to produce.
Owned by: Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern. Alongside his Gulfstream G650 jet, Nautilus – named after the famous watch – is his most statement mode of transport. His current net worth is around $3 billion.
Key features: 73 metres in length / Top speed of 16.5 knots / Dedicated wellness deck / 3.5 metre resistance pool / Underfloor heating / Jet Skis / 7 guest cabins
Built by: Luxury Italian boatbuilder Benetti. Launched in 2009, the yacht’s interior was conceived by Argent Design and her exterior styling is by Stefano Natucci.
Owned by: Richard Caring, British businessman who has an alleged net worth of $1.05 billion. Chairman of Caprice Holdings, he owns The Ivy restaurants.
Key features: 64.5 metres in length / Cruising speed of 15 knots / Lalique décor / 5 decks / Oval Jacuzzi pool / Sun deck bar / Aft deck dining table / 7 guest cabins
Want more yacht content? Read our deep-dive into Kismet...
To receive the latest in style, watches, cars and luxury news, plus receive great offers from the world’s greatest brands every Friday.
