With owning expensive things, also comes a hefty maintenance bill. If anyone can understand that well, then it is the island nation Fiji that is footing a weekly maintenance bill of $1 million just for the upkeep of Suleiman Kerimov’s luxurious superyacht, Amadea. The 384 feet long luxury vessel was well on its way to getting seized by the U.S. authorities until lawyer Feizal Haniff, a representative of Millemarin Investment Limited, took the matter to the Court of Appeal, which granted a temporary stay order.
As per FBC News, Director of Public Prosecution Christopher Pryde says the stay needs to be lifted because it costs the government $1 million a week to keep the megayacht in the country. That’s an astronomical amount to shell out for a nation that has a health budget of $403 million.
Suleiman Kerimov is worth nearly $16 billion and is among the wealthiest billionaires in Russia. In comparison, the GDP of the island country is $4 billion, as per The Fiji Times. Having spent a whopping $4 million to keep Amadea moored at the Lautoka Wharf has already cost Fiji 1% of the country’s entire health budget.
From this perspective, the tiny Pacific island nation is bleeding money to conserve a rich man’s cherished toy. Amadea descended on Fijian shores on 12th April, and per the new outlet, the matter of the $325 million ship will be heard next Wednesday, 18th May. This additional week of Amadea’s upkeep will add yet another million, setting Fiji back by a staggering $5million in totality.
The high-maintenance Amadea is milking the Fijian government dry:
Lürssen-built Amadea is a gorgeous vessel. The grand yacht extends 384-feet in length and boasts a beam of almost 60-feet. With a draft of 4.1m and a volume of 4,402 GT, the vessel is massive and equally demanding. Amadea is powered by 2 MTU engines and carries 392,000 liters of fuel onboard and 77,000 liters of water as per Superyacht Times. Clearly, maintenance won’t come cheap with an asset that’s longer than a football field. It is believed Amadea is looked after by a crew of 25 who take turns for its upkeep.
The sprawling main deck converts to a party space with 20,000 Watts of built-in speakers, lights, and lasers. The stunning spa pool can transform into a stage. Adding to the list of outrageous amenities is a gigantic pool, a Jacuzzi, and a helipad. Besides the extravagant private quarters, the ship accommodates 16 guests across eight cabins.
Standout features of Lurssen-built Amadea:
Among the standout features of Amadea is the winter garden, a dining area that will seat up to 24 in a space decked with ferns and painted with liana. The galley has beams with copper pots and pans, a huge grill area, and even a live tank for lobsters on the top deck. Add to this the luxurious qualities of the ship, such as an exquisite owner’s deck with a dressing room, a bathroom, a gym, and a separate salon, bar, and dining area.
The ceiling of the owner’s cabin recreates the night sky using 2,000 fiber-optic cables. These aspects put into perspective why such superyachts are worth millions, and their upkeep is an endless invoice. A bill meant only for billionaires.
The unpredictable journey of the Amadea:
After making an 18-day trans-pacific voyage, one would assume that Amadea would escape further trials and tribulations. However, her docking on Fijian shores was just the tip of the iceberg, followed by four grueling weeks of speculations, investigations, and courtroom hearings. The U.S. authorities fervently tried seizing Kerimov’s prized possession from when it docked in Fiji without customs clearance. This was followed by an ownership battle wherein Kerimov’s lawyers claimed authorities could not capture the vessel as it belonged to a different billionaire. Despite the U.S. proving that Kerimov and not Eduard Khudainatov (as stated by the registered owner, Millemarin Investments) was the owner of the luxurious megayacht and the Fiji court ruling in favor of the United States, the tale didn’t conclude.
The joy of success soon turned into an embarrassing setback for the United States, as the Pacific island country paused the seizure of the sanctioned Russian billionaire’s asset. It has since been bleeding the country dry, with weekly bills scaling to a million dollars. As expected, the Fiji Government wants to eliminate this burden best suited to billionaires. The coming days will throw more light on whether Amadea will finally hit the shores or remain an unwanted guest in Fiji Police custody.
The mighty United States couldn’t afford the upkeep of the $90 million superyacht Tango:
After the FBI enthusiastically seized sanctioned Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg’s $90 million superyacht Tango, the authorities realized they lacked adequate funds to maintain this 225 feet long extravagant vessel. Tango was the first luxury vessel to be seized by a joint operation carried out by the FBI at the request of U.S. authorities along with Homeland Security Investigations and Spain’s Civil. The uber-luxurious superyacht is slated to hit the auction block and be sold for a knock-down price.
