Oligarch’s abandoned £100million superyacht could be yours after Antigua declared it a ‘hazard’ that has to be auctioned

• Antiguan government will look to sell superyacht unless owner claims in 10 days
• The Alfa Nero is understood to be owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev 

A Russian oligarch-owned superyacht, flagged to the Cayman Islands, is set to be auctioned if the owner does not claim it.

The Alfa Nero has been anchored at Falmouth Harbour in Antigua for over a year after it was abandoned by its owner following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda plans to auction off the 266ft (81m) yacht, bought for $120mn in 2014, which they deem a ‘hazard’ to shipping as it is not being maintained. 

Its owner has ten days to claim the boat from when sale notices are placed in the media, according to reports by the Antiguan government. 

The US Department of the Treasury has linked the vessel to Andrey Guryev, a Russian oligarch who they say is a ‘close associate’ of Vladimir Putin.

The Alfa Nero superyacht, here pictured in the Canale della Giudecca in Venice, Italy

Fertiliser tycoon Andrey Guryev (L) is one of Russia’s wealthiest men, worth an est. $10.1bn

An entertainment room in the £100mn superyacht that Antigua will soon look to auction

Six fully-furnished state bedrooms offer guests all the amenities of life on land 

Guryev was sanctioned by the US in August, by the UK in April, and by the EU in March 2022.

The oligarch is one of Russia’s wealthiest individuals with a net worth of $10.1 billion (£8bn), according to Bloomberg. 

READ MORE: Putin’s £500m superyacht ‘was a Christmas GIFT from fawning oligarchs in 2014 and had been used by his lover before being seized in Italy under Ukraine sanctions’ 

He founded PhosAgro, a leading Russian chemical company which makes fertiliser.

In March last year, photos emerged of the oligarch’s £300mn London house.

It was claimed the oligarch, then Russia’s 28th richest man, was the owner of the 25-bedroom mansion, Witanhurst.

The house was bought in 2008 through an offshore company called Safran Holdings, located in British Virgin Islands. 

The Alfa Nero yacht, which he has also been linked to, was built by Oceanco and can accommodate 12 guests in six staterooms and 28 crew, according to Boat International.

The yacht features an ‘infinity’ swimming pool – which gives the impression it merges with the sea.

It also has a dance floor and a gym to keep guests entertained, and jet skis attached for excursions.

It takes a crew of 26 staff to run the ship when operational.

Many Russian oligarchs living and travelling overseas in expensive yachts have been sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Putin’s own £500mn superyacht – reportedly a gift from oligarchs – was seized in Italy as part of the sanctions.

It was claimed the boat was used by his alleged lover, Alina Kabaeva.

In October last year, another £500mn superyacht owned by Alexey Mordashov mysteriously appeared in Hong Kong after a ‘hasty retreat’ out of Germany.

Its owner was reported to have lost around £10billion since the start of this 2022 due to western sanctions against him and his business interests. 

Falmouth Harbour in the south of Antigua where the superyacht is currently moored

The yacht has an infinity pool, with see-through surfaces that blend seamlessly with the ocean

The huge yacht weighs 2159 tons and requires a crew of 26 to staff it when operational

The superyacht has room to host up to 12 guests at a time in large state bedrooms…

…but four will be made to stand around the ship’s central dining table, it seems

Guryev was born in 1960 and celebrates his 63rd birthday this month.

He is the former head of PhosAgro, one of the four largest producers of phosphate-based fertilisers in the world.

Like most oligarchs, he became rich in the 1990s after acquiring state assets sold off at discounted prices after the collapse of the USSR. 

In 2004, he was able to acquire Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s half of the company when Russia’s former richest man was arrested by Putin’s regime.

Source: Read Full Article