Seized luxury yacht owned by a Russian oligarch, worth $325 million, moves towards auction, coinciding with upcoming summit between Trump and Putin.
Superyacht Amadea Heads to Auction
The superyacht Amadea, once owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, is currently being sold via a sealed bid auction. The auction, which is open now, will close on September 10, 2025. Interested bidders must put down a $10 million deposit to participate.
The Amadea yacht was forfeited by order of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York due to its association with a sanctioned Russian oligarch. The yacht has been held in U.S. waters for the past several years following its seizure related to sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The funds from the sale of the Amadea yacht will be dispersed by the U.S. Marshals Service's Asset Forfeiture Division to various areas, including victim compensation, program expenses, and other agency expenses. While the specific breakdown is not detailed explicitly in the current available information, proceeds from forfeited assets such as Amadea typically go to the U.S. Treasury or other designated government funds as part of sanctions enforcement and asset forfeiture protocols.
The Amadea yacht was built in 2017 by the German shipyard LuΜrssen and has opulent interiors designed by Francois Zuretti. It features eight state rooms, a beauty salon and spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit, and two elevators. The owner's deck includes a lounge area with a grand piano, bar, and fireplace, a separate living room and office, a beauty center, a dressing room, an island, his and her toilets, and separate vanities. The yacht also includes a 33-foot infinity swimming pool and swim-up bar, a cinema with plush seating that moves and vibrates in sync with the action on screen, and a sauna, Turkish-style steam room, chromotherapy plunge pool, and dedicated massage room.
The yacht is designed to accommodate 16 guests and 36 crew, with the lower deck reserved for the owner's personal use. It has accrued approximately $1.1 million in fuel, security, and other fees since arriving in June 2022 in the Port of San Diego, where it is currently docked.
The auction of Amadea comes as President Donald Trump is negotiating an end to the Kremlin's three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine. The Biden administration launched the KleptoCapture task force to enforce sanctions on Russian elites accused of bankrolling Putin's war, and the sale of the Amadea yacht is a significant step towards enforcing these sanctions.
The Amadea yacht is available for viewing in San Diego, California, under certain conditions. For more information about the auction, interested parties can contact the U.S. Marshals Service's Asset Forfeiture Division.
[1] U.S. Marshals Service [2] Department of Justice [3] U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York [4] LuΜrssen [5] Francois Zuretti
- The current political climate, particularly the ongoing discussions regarding Russian sanctions, has been a significant factor in the auction of the superyacht Amadea.
- As the general news of the Amadea auction unfolds, it's worth noting that the yacht's opulent interiors, designed by Francois Zuretti, include a cinema with vibrating seats, a sauna, and a pool with a swim-up bar.
- The proceeds from the sale of the Amadea yacht, an asset associated with a sanctioned Russian oligarch, will not only cover costs related to its forfeiture but will also contribute to crime and justice efforts, as part of sanctions enforcement and asset forfeiture protocols.
- While the Amadea yacht is a high-profile item up for auction, it's important to remember that it is not a conventional casino or gambling establishment. However, its casino-themed amenities like the moveable cinema and massage room add an element of luxury rarely found outside of certain war-and-conflicts contexts or exclusive casino-and-gambling venues.
