who owns the alfa nero yacht

Superyacht abandoned by a Russian fertilizer billionaire has a new secret owner, who got it for a huge discount

The Alfa Nero superyacht, which has been abandoned in the Caribbean for more than two years, has a new owner.

The 267-foot (81-meter) vessel, complete with a baby grand piano and a swimming pool that turns into a helipad, sold for $40 million last week, said Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US. He declined to name the buyer, citing a confidentiality agreement.

The sale marks the latest attempt to end the years-long Alfa Nero saga. A Russian oligarch abandoned the luxury yacht in Antigua in March 2022, after being sanctioned by the US Treasury. Then tech billionaire Eric Schmidt tried buying it at auction, only to  give up  when the sale became a legal quagmire. 

Meanwhile, the vessel sat in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour being tended to by a skeleton crew and costing over a $100,000 a month to maintain.

At $40 million, the new Alfa Nero owner will end up paying far less than the $67.6 million that Schmidt, a former Google CEO, had offered last year. Sanctioned Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Guryev had originally bought the Alfa Nero in 2014 for $120 million, the US Treasury Department said — which Guryev denies. 

His daughter, Yulia Gurieva-Motlokhov, later stepped forward to claim ownership of the yacht, triggering a legal dispute.

“It’s not worth 40 million, it’s worth way more,” said Richard Higgins, a broker with Northrop & Johnson who represented the undisclosed buyer. “They needed to get the boat sold.”

Higgins said the new owner is European and will likely put the Alfa Nero on the charter market.

The Alfa Nero is among more than a dozen superyachts pinned down in ports around the globe after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought a series of economic sanctions against Russian oligarchs. Many of the vessels have been stuck in limbo amid costly legal disputes and racking up maintenance costs.

The Phi superyacht has been moored in London since 2022 while other vessels are stuck in Italy and Spain. There’s also the Amadea, a 348-foot ship with a lobster tank and hand-painted clouds on the dining-room ceiling, which was seized from its alleged oligarch owner in Fiji and now sits in California. Last month, a New York court denied the US government’s request to sell the Amadea, Voice of America  reported .

Alfa Nero’s new owner “is not included in the sanctions list of any country or institution,” Ambassador Sanders said.

The latest attempt to sell the Alfa Nero was brokered through a private contract, the port manager, Darwin Telemaque, said in a phone call. He also declined to name the buyer. Telemaque expects the proceeds will cover the millions of dollars in port fees the Alfa Nero has racked up.

“I am very happy that the ship is no longer the responsibility of the people and the government of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. 

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81m Oceanco superyacht Alfa Nero finds new owner

The 81.3-metre Alfa Nero has been sold for $40 million with Northrop & Johnson's Richard Higgins bringing the buyer and assistance from FEMA Management (Federal Emergency Management Agency) on the side of the seller. According to Northrop & Johnson, the yacht was on the market just ten days before closing. 

The sale brings two years of legal wrangling and issues around unpaid crew wages to an end, following the yacht's arrest in 2022. At the time, she was put under investigation amid allegations that her owner was sanctioned and was later declared "abandoned" by the government of Antigua and Barbuda.

"The proceeds from the sale will be used to fulfill various obligations, including settling outstanding debts owed to creditors and the crew since the yacht’s arrival," read a statement by the Antigua Newsroom. "In addition to covering these debts, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to address the $220 million funding gap [in the local government] recorded for the first half of 2024".

In June 2023, between her abandonment and current sale, she was sold at auction to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt for $67,000,677 but the sale was not finalised due to legal complications. This could be referring to a last-minute application by Flying Dutchman Overseas Limited (understood to be the registered owner of the vessel) to block the sale ahead of the auction.

Since then, "the extended stay of the vessel has presented significant financial, environmental, and other challenges for Antigua and Barbuda," according to a government spokesperson. Issues around vessel maintenance, fuel costs, legal fees and unpaid crew wages were all under scrutiny since the yacht's seizure.

Alfa Nero is notable for her aft deck pool which stretches 12 metres and can be raised to form a helipad or dancefloor- a feature that was especially impressive when the yacht was delivered in 2007. Nuvolari Lenard is responsible for her exterior design. 

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The long tale of the yacht linked to a Russian oligarch and abandoned in the Caribbean for more than 2 years finally draws to a close

• An undisclosed buyer picked up the Alfa Nero for $40 million last week.
• The yacht was originally seized from a Russian oligarch in 2022.
• The sale ended an ownership tug-of-war, which included ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

An undisclosed buyer has finally stepped up to the helm of the Alfa Nero superyacht, ending a two-year-long saga, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

That buyer agreed last week to pay $40 million, a huge discount to the $67.6 million that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt bid last year, a deal he eventually abandoned.

The Antigua and Barbuda government sold the superyacht, which houses an infinity pool that converts to a helipad or dancefloor.

The massively discounted price can be attributed to authorities' need "to get the boat sold," Richard Higgins, a broker who represented the buyer, told Bloomberg.

Higgins said the European buyer, whose identify was kept secret, intends to put the superyacht on the charter market.

The person "is not included in the sanctions list of any country or institution," Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador to the US, told Bloomberg.

Related stories

The 267-foot-vessel was seized by Antigua and Barbuda authorities after it was linked to Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, who was accused by the US Treasury Department of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Guryev is the founder of Phosagro, Europe's largest producer of phosphate fertilizers, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index .

The Alfa Nero was among dozens of superyachts seized following global sanctions against Putin's closest associates, which led to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

The Alfa Nero's maiden owner was Guryev, who purchased the vessel for $120 million, according to the US Treasury and the Antigua and Barbuda government . The Russian billionaire had adamantly denied ownership.

After the vessel was seized in 2022, it remained docked in Antigua's Falmouth Harbour, which cost residents of the Caribbean nation $28,000 in weekly tax dollars for maintenance, which took as many as 44 crew members . The superyacht was then valued at $81 million.

In 2023, the Antigua and Barbuda government put the Alfa Nero up for auction, citing hazards due to a lack of maintenance.Eric Schmidt initially won the bidding, for $67.6 million , but eventually backed out after Guryev's daughter claimed ownership of the superyacht.

The most recent acquisition of the Alfa Nero finally ends its ownership limbo, during which it racked up millions of dollars in port fees under the custody of the Antigua and Barbuda authorities, Darwin Telemaque, the Alfa Nero's port manager, told Bloomberg.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Antigua and Barbuda taxpayers were footing a $28,000-a-week bill to maintain the Alfa Nero, including the salary of an Italian captain and $2,000-a-day in diesel to keep its air conditioning running. That's because if the AC is turned off, it could let mold spread throughout the vessel and ruin the hardwood interior or a Joan Miró painting onboard, per the WSJ.

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It’s Been A Long Ride But Oceanco’s Alfa Nero Finally Has An Owner

After two years of legal wrangling, the iconic 81.3-metre Alfa Nero has been sold this year for $40 million, with Northrop & Johnson’s Richard Higgins brokering the deal in record time (10 days). The sale comes after the yacht’s abandonment and two-year legal standoff.

So What Happened With Alfa Nero?

A yacht trapped in legal limbo.

Alfa Nero was seized in 2022 after its sanctioned owner left it stranded, accumulating unpaid crew wages and hefty maintenance bills. The government of Antigua and Barbuda eventually declared it abandoned, and the yacht was put on the market while crew played Call of Duty all summer with nowhere to take the yacht.

Funds to Clear Debts and Fill Gaps

The proceeds from the sale will help cover outstanding debts, including unpaid wages and a portion of Antigua’s £220 million budget shortfall. The sale brings much-needed financial relief to the island after the yacht’s costly stay.

Eric Schmidt’s Failed Auction Bid

In 2023, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt tried to buy Alfa Nero at auction for £67 million, but the sale collapsed due to last-minute legal battles initiated by the yacht’s original owner, blocking the deal.

A Legendary Yacht with Impressive Features

Despite the drama, Alfa Nero remains a masterpiece of design. Known for its 12-metre pool that can turn into a helipad or dancefloor, the yacht, designed by Nuvolari Lenard, has always been a standout since its launch in 2007.

End of an Era, Start of a New Chapter

Now with a new owner, Alfa Nero is ready to leave its past behind and embark on a fresh journey. No more legal troubles, just smooth sailing ahead!

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Maisie Granger

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