serene yacht mohammed bin salman

The Best Yacht Concepts From Around The World

The Stunning Ritz Carlton EVRIMA Yacht

Gliding Across Tokyo’s Sumida River: The Mesmerizing Zipper Boat

CROCUS Yacht: An 48 Meter Beauty by Admiral

• Zuretti Interior Design
• Zuretti Interior
• Zuccon International Project
• Ziyad al Manaseer
• Zaniz Interiors. Kutayba Alghanim
• Yuriy Kosiuk
• Yuri Milner
• Yersin Yacht

• Superyachts

SERENE Yacht – Dreamlike $400M Superyacht

The impressive yacht was designed by Espen Øino International, with interior design by Reymond Langton Design.

Built by shipbuilders Fincantieri, SERENE was delivered in 2011 from their Muggiano-based shipyard. The superyacht is the epitome of luxury and offers an excellent yachting experience.

SERENE yacht interior

 British designer  Reymond Langton Design  penned the interior design of the SERENE yacht. The superyacht can accommodate 24 guests across 12 cabins in 1 master suite, 1 VIP, seven doubles, and three twins.

There is accommodation for 62 crew on the 134m yacht that ensures that guests have a lavish and luxurious experience.

The yacht’s amenities include seven swimming pools, an underwater viewing room, and a health spa.

The beach club stretches almost throughout the interior length of the yacht, providing an excellent indoor-outdoor area for guests to enjoy on the water level.

The beach club features one of the most advanced swimming pools built onboard a superyacht.

A dedicated children’s playroom makes the yacht a family-friendly yachting experience for guests. There is an indoor climbing wall, a top deck with a wet bar, and a jacuzzi.

The SERENE yacht has another spa pool on the sun deck for relaxation on the water, surrounded by sun loungers.

The yacht also has two helicopter pads. The fun features of the yacht include a pizza oven and a teppanyaki grill on board. The yacht’s interior is defined as modern and luxurious with attention to detail.

The yacht also features many social spaces for guests to use and a conference room to conduct business on board.

Espen Øino International penned the expert exterior design of the SERENE yacht.

The 134m vessel presents an imposing with six decks, a blue steel hull, and a white aluminum superstructure. She was built by  Fincantieri  in their Muggiano shipyard and delivered in 2011.

An impressive display of underwater lights emphasizes the yacht’s exterior during the night.

The yacht was the first ever to be built by the Italian shipyard, which had primarily focused on commercial ships before. 

Specifications

The 133.9m superrich has a beam of 18.6m and a draft of 5.6m. She has a massive volume of 8321 gross tons powered by 8 MTU engines.

With a range of 5000 nautical miles, she has a maximum speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots.

The SERENE yacht is one of the largest yachts in the world; at the time of her delivery, she was placed at the 9th largest yacht in the world. She has a $25 – $35 million running cost per year.

Do you have anything to add to this listing?

• Espen Oeino
• Fincantieri
• King Salman
• Raymond Langton Design

Love Yachts? Join us.

Related posts.

BLUE Yacht – Extraordinary $160 M Superyacht

RACE Yacht ( Ex RIVA) – Yacht of Dreams $30 M Superyacht

LEL Yacht – Regal $30 M Superyacht

PACIFIC Yacht – Exclusive Retreat $150M Superyacht

Saudi crown prince MBS’s $400 million megayacht has a dedicated snow room for the royal to beat Riyadh’s blistering heat. The mammoth 439 feet long vessel has a saltwater swimming pool, a climbing wall, a submarine, two helipads, and a $450 million Da Vinci painting.

You may also like

Delta unveils super yacht design for worldwide cruising

Inspired by the mighty US Aircraft carriers, a sultan of UAE has designed a 459-foot long megayacht concept to host diplomats and royals. The mammoth vessel will have a wellness area, two helipads, a submarine, and even a press-room for international gatherings.

A futuristic 262 feet superyacht that has a transforming swimming pool and a lot more

In true Ocean’s-Eleven style, a Russian billionaire made his seized 111 ft long superyacht disappear from a dry dock and cleverly fooled the authorities by switching it with an identical vessel made by the same shipyard.

5 Super Yachts with waterfalls in them

The top 5 superyacht pools

Sanctioned billionaire Roman Abramovich has very cleverly saved his prized megayachts Eclipse and Solaris from being seized by authorities. But his luck may have finally run out as his $1.3 billion armada may soon be banned from sailing the high seas.

Symmetry 590-feet Super Yacht spans fulfills fantasy of an infinity pool in the middle of the ocean

While his brother owns the world’s largest superyacht – This billionaire sheik may have bought himself the newly launched $450 million Lurssen Opera megayacht – The 478 feet long vessel is spread across 7 decks, has a large swimming pool, and a beach club.

• Agency Home

• Saturday, June 22
• Visit our Agency Site

Inside the Saudi Crown Prince’s AU$600 Million Superyacht “Serene”

• Michael Lozina
• 12 months ago

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, is not just rich, he’s uber rich with a net worth estimated to be $25 billion USD. Small wonder then that his superyacht Serene is worth around $600 million AUD and comes equipped with all the bells and whistles. Some you’d expect, others not so much. 

This yacht is big measuring at 439 feet (133.8 metres) in length with 4,500 square feet (418 sqm) of space making it the 22nd largest yacht in the world. 

It was originally built for Russian vodka tycoon, Yuri Shefler, by Italian yard Fincantieri with interior work done by Reymond Langton in 2011 before being bought by the Crown Prince in 2014 for € 500 million. 

Serene has seven decks, two helipads, a hanger, a custom submarine (certified to 100m depth), and underwater viewing ports in the Nemo room. She can fit up to 24 guests and 62 crew members. 

The most peculiar feature of Serene is the snow room. This room is kept at the freezing temperature of -11 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit), with real snow falling from the ceiling. This room looks like somewhere Mr. Freeze would call his lair. 

Other features include a massive internal saltwater pool, a children’s play area (with slides flowing between the decks), a fully-equipped health spa and beach club, a full conference room, an outdoor cinema, and a pizza oven. 

If the features and toys aren’t enough for you, there’s a Leonardo da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi , displayed on board (as reported by the Wall Street Journal ), though the attribution to the historic artist is a matter of debate amongst experts. It was bought in November 2017 for $450.3 million USD at Christie’s, setting a record for the most expensive painting ever sold at a public auction. 

Hublot and Daniel Arsham Resurrect Organic Design with the Droplet Pocket Watch

Charles leclerc insists he ‘never believed in the [monaco] curse’, jaeger-lecoultre unveils fresh polaris variants with enchanting hues and novel complication, mercedes f1 team giving up on “miracle update” to focus on “incremental gains”, alex albon signs multi-year deal at williams, get the best of ten pieces of eight to your inbox.

TEN PIECES OF EIGHT

Ten Pieces of Eight is the premier online destination for the discerning gentleman offering curated content on the latest in film, timepieces, and extreme sports, tailored to meet the needs and desires of the modern man. Join us as we explore the finest in culture, style and adventure, guiding our readers on a journey of self-discovery and refinement.

The Socials

Agency menu.

• Website Design & Development by Crescospec | © 2023 Ten Pieces Of Eight
• Privacy Policy

Sign up for our mailing list for a chance to win.

• Yachts for sale
• Yachts for charter
• Brokerage News

• New York Times names the owner of megayacht Serene
• Yacht Harbour

Latest News

‘Missing’ £350 million Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece discovered aboard Saudi crown prince’s superyacht

By Annabel Sampson

The mystery of the enigmatic Salvator Mundi painting that inexplicably disappeared off the face of the earth after being sold at auction in New York for a record-breaking price has now been solved. According to an expert writing for ArtNet News , it has been hanging inside the £400 million, 50-men crewed superyacht, Serene, that belongs to the ruler of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman.

The artwork is a depiction of Christ as the saviour of the world. It was created in the workshop and arguably by – a hotly debated subject – Leonardo Da Vinci, painted in the early 1500s. It broke all records at Christie’s in New York back in November 2017 when it was purchased by Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud for $450,300,00 including fees.

By Harriet Johnston

By Isaac Bickerstaff

It was thought at the time that the prince was acting and buying on behalf of the more senior member of the royal family, Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. It was also originally thought to have been bought to be hung in the new Louvre Abu Dhabi as a gift to Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi) – only when the museum opened with all the pomp and pageantry you would expect of such an occasion, it was nowhere to be seen. Missing without notice nor explanation and universally understood to have vanished.

It appears to be the latest chapter in the compelling and tempestuous history of the painting. Sixty years ago it swapped hands for £45 as an undistinguished work in a job lot of Old Masters which had been collected by an English baronet.

In 2005, New York art dealers Alexander Parrish and Robert Simon bought it for $10,000 at a Louisiana estate sale. Next and after extensive restoration, the painting broke unprecedented records at Christie’s, becoming the world's most expensive painting before being reported ‘missing in action’.

ArtNet News reported that at the time of its disappearance, the work had been, ‘whisked away in the middle of the night on Mohammed Bin Salman’s plane and relocated to his yacht’.

Whatever might be next in the unfolding drama of the Salvator Mundi?

By Keith Dovkants

By Ben Jureidini

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Rise of Saudi Prince Shatters Decades of Royal Tradition

By Mark Mazzetti and Ben Hubbard

• Oct. 15, 2016

He has slashed the state budget, frozen government contracts and reduced the pay of civil employees, all part of drastic austerity measures as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is buffeted by low oil prices.

But last year, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, saw a yacht he couldn’t resist.

While vacationing in the south of France, Prince bin Salman spotted a 440-foot yacht floating off the coast. He dispatched an aide to buy the ship, the Serene, which was owned by Yuri Shefler, a Russian vodka tycoon. The deal was done within hours, at a price of approximately 500 million euros (roughly $550 million today), according to an associate of Mr. Shefler and a Saudi close to the royal family. The Russian moved off the yacht the same day.

It is the paradox of the brash, 31-year-old Prince bin Salman: a man who is trying to overturn tradition, reinvent the economy and consolidate power — while holding tight to his royal privilege. In less than two years, he has emerged as the most dynamic royal in the Arab world’s wealthiest nation, setting up a potential rivalry for the throne.

He has a hand in nearly all elements of Saudi policy — from a war in Yemen that has cost the kingdom billions of dollars and led to international criticism over civilian deaths, to a push domestically to restrain Saudi Arabia’s free-spending habits and to break its “addiction” to oil . He has begun to loosen social restrictions that grate on young people .

The rise of Prince bin Salman has shattered decades of tradition in the royal family, where respect for seniority and power-sharing among branches are time-honored traditions. Never before in Saudi history has so much power been wielded by the deputy crown prince, who is second in line to the throne. That centralization of authority has angered many of his relatives.

His seemingly boundless ambitions have led many Saudis and foreign officials to suspect that his ultimate goal is not just to transform the kingdom, but also to shove aside the current crown prince, his 57-year-old cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, to become the next king. Such a move could further upset his relatives and — if successful — give the country what it has never seen: a young king who could rule the kingdom for many decades.

Crown Prince bin Nayef, the interior minister and longtime counterterrorism czar, has deep ties to Washington and the support of many of the older royals. Deciphering the dynamics of the family can be like trying to navigate a hall of mirrors, but many Saudi and American officials say Prince bin Salman has made moves aimed at reaching into Prince bin Nayef’s portfolios and weakening him.

This has left officials in Washington hedging their bets by building relationships with both men, unsure who will end up on top. The White House got an early sign of the ascent of the young prince in late 2015, when — breaking protocol — Prince bin Salman delivered a soliloquy about the failures of American foreign policy during a meeting between his father, King Salman, and President Obama.

Many young Saudis admire him as an energetic representative of their generation who has addressed some of the country’s problems with uncommon bluntness. The kingdom’s news media have built his image as a hardworking, businesslike leader less concerned than his predecessors with the trappings of royalty.

Others see him as a power-hungry upstart who is risking instability by changing too much, too fast.

Months of interviews with Saudi and American officials, members of the royal family and their associates, and diplomats focused on Saudi affairs reveal a portrait of a prince in a hurry to prove that he can transform Saudi Arabia. Prince bin Salman declined multiple interview requests for this article.

But the question many raise — and cannot yet answer — is whether the energetic leader will succeed in charting a new path for the kingdom, or whether his impulsiveness and inexperience will destabilize the Arab world’s largest economy at a time of turbulence in the Middle East.

Tension at the Top

Early this year, Crown Prince bin Nayef left the kingdom for his family’s villa in Algeria, a sprawling compound an hour’s drive north of Algiers. Although he has long taken annual hunting vacations there, many who know him said that this year was different. He stayed away for weeks, largely incommunicado and often refusing to respond to messages from Saudi officials and close associates in Washington. Even John O. Brennan, the C.I.A. director, whom he has known for decades, had difficulty reaching him.

The crown prince has diabetes, and suffers from the lingering effects of an assassination attempt in 2009 by a jihadist who detonated a bomb he had hidden in his rectum.

But his lengthy absence at a time of low oil prices, turmoil in the Middle East and a foundering Saudi-led war in Yemen led several American officials to conclude that the crown prince was fleeing frictions with his younger cousin and that the prince was worried his chance to ascend the throne was in jeopardy.

Since King Salman ascended to the throne in January 2015 , new powers had been flowing to his son, some of them undermining the authority of the crown prince. King Salman collapsed the crown prince’s court into his own, giving Prince bin Salman control over access to the king. Prince bin Salman also hastily announced the formation of a military alliance of Islamic countries to fight terrorism. Counterterrorism had long been the domain of Prince bin Nayef, but the new plan gave no role to him or his powerful Interior Ministry.

The exact personal relationship between the two men is unclear, fueling discussion in Saudi Arabia and in foreign capitals about who is ascendant. Obscuring the picture are the stark differences in the men’s public profiles. Prince bin Nayef has largely stayed in the shadows, although he did visit New York last month to address the United Nations General Assembly before heading to Turkey for a state visit.

His younger cousin, meanwhile, has worked to remain in the spotlight, touring world capitals, speaking with foreign journalists, being photographed with the Facebook chairman Mark Zuckerberg and presenting himself as a face of a new Saudi Arabia.

“There is no topic that is more important than succession matters, especially now,” said Joseph A. Kechichian, a senior fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, who has extensive contacts in the Saudi royal family. “This matters for monarchy, for the regional allies and for the kingdom’s international partners.”

Among the most concrete initiatives so far of Prince bin Salman, who serves as minister of defense, is the Saudi-led war in Yemen , which since it was begun last year has failed to dislodge the Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies from the Yemeni capital. The war has driven much of Yemen toward famine and killed thousands of civilians while costing the Saudi government tens of billions of dollars.

The prosecution of the war by a prince with no military experience has exacerbated tensions between him and his older cousins, according to American officials and members of the royal family. Three of Saudi Arabia’s main security services are run by princes. Although all agreed that the kingdom had to respond when the Houthis seized the Yemeni capital and forced the government into exile, Prince bin Salman took the lead, launching the war in March 2015 without full coordination across the security services.

The head of the National Guard, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, had not been informed and was out of the country when the first strikes were carried out, according to a senior National Guard officer.

The National Guard is now holding much of the Yemeni border.

American officials, too, were put off when, just as the Yemen campaign was escalating, Prince bin Salman took a vacation in the Maldives, the island archipelago off the coast of India. Several American officials said Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter had trouble reaching him for days during one part of the trip.

The prolonged war has also heightened tensions between Prince bin Salman and Prince bin Nayef, who won the respect of Saudis and American officials for dismantling Al Qaeda in the kingdom nearly a decade ago and now sees it taking advantage of chaos in Yemen, according to several American officials and analysts.

“If Mohammed bin Nayef wanted to be seen as a big supporter of this war, he’s had a year and a half to do it,” said Bruce Riedel, a former Middle East analyst at the C.I.A. and a fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Near the start of the war, Prince bin Salman was a forceful public advocate for the campaign and was often photographed visiting troops and meeting with military leaders. But as the campaign has stalemated, such appearances have grown rare.

The war underlines the plans of Prince bin Salman for a brawny foreign policy for the kingdom, one less reliant on Western powers like the United States for its security. He has criticized the thawing of America’s relations with Iran and comments by Mr. Obama during an interview this year that Saudi Arabia must “share the neighborhood” with Iran.

This is part of what analysts say is Prince bin Salman’s attempt to foster a sense of Saudi national identity that has not existed since the kingdom’s founding in 1932.

“There has been a surge of Saudi nationalism since the campaign in Yemen began, with the sense that Saudi Arabia is taking independent collective action,” said Andrew Bowen, a Saudi expert at the Wilson Center in Washington.

Still, Mr. Bowen said support among younger Saudis could diminish the longer the conflict dragged on. Diplomats say the death toll for Saudi troops is higher than the government has publicly acknowledged, and a recent deadly airstrike on a funeral in the Yemeni capital has renewed calls by human rights groups and some American lawmakers to block or delay weapons sales to the kingdom.

People who have met Prince bin Salman said he insisted that Saudi Arabia must be more assertive in shaping events in the Middle East and confronting Iran’s influence in the region — whether in Yemen, Syria, Iraq or Lebanon.

Brian Katulis, a Middle East expert at the Center for American Progress in Washington, who met the prince this year in Riyadh, said his agenda was clear.

“His main message is that Saudi Arabia is a force to be reckoned with,” Mr. Katulis said.

A Swift Ascent

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s few remaining absolute monarchies, which means that Prince bin Salman was given all of his powers by a vote of one: his own father.

The prince’s rise began in early 2015, after King Abdullah died of lung cancer and King Salman ascended to the throne. In a series of royal decrees, the new king restructured the government and shook up the order of succession in the royal family in ways that invested tremendous power in his son.

He was named defense minister and head of a powerful new council to oversee the Saudi economy as well as put in charge of the governing body of Saudi Aramco, the state oil company and the primary engine of the Saudi economy.

More important, the king decreed a new order of succession, overturning the wishes of King Abdullah and replacing his designated crown prince, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, with Prince bin Nayef.

While all previous Saudi kings and crown princes had been sons of the kingdom’s founder, Prince bin Nayef was the first of the founder’s grandsons to be put in line. Many hailed the move because of the prince’s success at fighting Al Qaeda and because he has only daughters, leading many to hope he would choose a successor based on merit rather than paternity.

The bigger surprise was that the king named Prince bin Salman deputy crown prince. He was 29 years old at the time and virtually unknown to the kingdom’s closest allies.

This effectively scrapped the political aspirations of his older relatives, many of whom had decades of experience in public life and in key sectors like defense and oil policy. Some are still angry — although only in private, out of deference to the 80-year-old king.

Since then, Prince bin Salman has moved quickly to build his public profile and market himself to other nations as the point man for the kingdom.

Domestically, his focus has been on an ambitious plan for the future of the kingdom, called Vision 2030 . The plan, released in April, seeks to transform Saudi life by diversifying its economy away from oil , increasing Saudi employment and improving education, health and other government services. A National Transformation Plan, laying out targets for improving government ministries, came shortly after.

Read in one way, the documents are an ambitious blueprint to change the Saudi way of life. Read in another, they are a scathing indictment of how poorly the kingdom has been run by Prince bin Salman’s elders.

Official government development plans going back decades have called for reducing the dependence on oil and increasing Saudi employment — to little effect. And in calling for transparency and accountability, the plan acknowledges that both have been in short supply. Diplomats and economists say much about the Saudi economy remains opaque, including the cost of generous perks and stipends for members of the royal family.

The need for change is greater now, with global oil prices less than half of what they were in 2014 and hundreds of thousands of young Saudis entering the job market yearly. Prince bin Salman has called for a new era of fiscal responsibility, and over the last year, fuel, water and electricity prices have gone up while the take-home pay of some public sector employees has been cut — squeezing the budgets of average Saudis. He has also said the government will sell shares of Saudi Aramco, believed to be the world’s most valuable company.

Many Saudis say his age and ambition are benefits at a time when old ways of thinking must be changed.

“He is speaking in the language of the youth,” said Hoda al-Helaissi, a member of the kingdom’s advisory Shura Council, which is appointed by the king. “The country for too long has been looking through the lenses of the older generation, and we need to look at who is going to carry the torch to the next generation.”

Some of his initiatives have appeared ham-handed. In December, he held his first news conference to announce the formation of a military alliance of Islamic countries to fight terrorism. But a number of countries that he said were involved soon responded that they knew nothing about it or were still waiting for information before deciding whether to join.

Others have been popular. After Prince bin Salman called for more entertainment options for families and young people, who often flee the country on their vacations, the cabinet passed regulations restricting the powers of the religious police. An Entertainment Authority he established has planned its first activities, which include comedy shows, pro wrestling events and monster truck rallies.

The prince has kept his distance from the Council of Senior Scholars, the mostly elderly clerics who set official religious policy and often release religious opinions that young Saudis mock as being out of touch with modern life.

Instead, he has sought the favor of younger clerics who boast millions of followers on social media. After the release of Vision 2030, Prince bin Salman held a reception for Saudi journalists and academics that included a number of younger, tech-savvy clerics who have gone forth to praise the plan.

Prince bin Salman’s prominence today was difficult to predict during his early years, spent largely below the radar of Western officials who keep track of young Saudi royals who might one day rule the kingdom.

Several of King Salman’s other sons, who studied overseas to perfect foreign languages and earn advanced degrees, built impressive résumés. One became the first Arab astronaut, another a deputy oil minister, yet another the governor of Medina Province.

Prince bin Salman stayed in Saudi Arabia and does not speak fluent English, although he appears to understand it. After a private school education, he studied law at King Saud University in Riyadh, reportedly graduating fourth in his class. Another prince of the same generation said he had gotten to know him during high school, when one of their uncles hosted regular dinners for the younger princes at his palace. He recalled Prince bin Salman being one of the crowd, saying he liked to play bridge and admired Margaret Thatcher.

King Salman is said to see himself in his favorite son, the latest in the lineage of a family that has ruled most of the Arabian Peninsula for eight decades.

In 2007, when the United States ambassador dropped in on King Salman, then a prince and the governor of Riyadh Province, to say farewell at the end of his posting, the governor asked for help circumventing America’s stringent visa procedures. His wife could not get a visa to see her doctor, and although his other children were willing to submit to the visa hurdles, “his son, Prince Mohammed, refused to go to the U.S. Embassy to be fingerprinted ‘like some criminal,’” according to a State Department cable at the time.

Prince bin Salman graduated from the university that year and continued to work for his father, who was named defense minister in 2011, while dabbling in real estate and business.

Many members of the royal family remain wary of the young prince’s projects and ultimate ambitions. Some mock him as the “Prince of the Vision” and complain about his army of well-paid foreign consultants and image-makers.

Other are annoyed by the media cell he created inside the royal court to promote his initiatives, both foreign and domestic. Called the Center for Studies and Media Affairs, the group has focused on promoting a positive story about the Yemen war in Washington and has hired numerous Washington lobbying and public affairs firms to assist in the effort.

Inside the kingdom, the government has largely succeeded in keeping criticism — and even open discussion — of the prince and his projects out of the public sphere. His family holds sway over the parent company of many Saudi newspapers, which have breathlessly covered his initiatives, and prominent Saudi editors and journalists who have accompanied him on foreign trips have been given up to $100,000 in cash, according to two people who have traveled with the prince’s delegation.

Meanwhile, Saudi journalists deemed too critical have been quietly silenced through phone calls informing them that they are barred from publishing, and sometimes from traveling abroad.

In June, a Saudi journalist, Sultan al-Saad al-Qahtani, published an article in Arabic on his website, The Riyadh Post, in which he addressed the lack of discussion about Prince bin Salman’s rise.

“You can buy tens of newspapers and hundreds of journalists, but you can’t buy the history that will be written about you,” he wrote.

He said that the prince’s popularity among Saudis was based on a “sweeping desire for great change” and that they loved him based on the hope that he would “turn their dreams into reality.”

In that lay the risk, Mr. Qahtani wrote: “If you fail, this love withers quickly, as if it never existed, and is replaced by a deep feeling of frustration and hatred.”

The site was blocked the next day, Mr. Qahtani said, for the third time in 13 months. (It is now back up, at a new address .)

As sweeping and long-term as Prince bin Salman’s initiatives are, they may hang by the tenuous thread of his link to his father, who has memory lapses, according to foreign officials who have met with him. Even the prince’s supporters acknowledge that they are not sure he will retain his current roles after his father dies.

In the meantime, he is racing against time to establish his reputation and cement his place in the kingdom’s power structure.

His fast ascent, and his well-publicized foreign trips to Washington, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia, have led senior Obama administration officials to consider the prospect that he could step over Prince bin Nayef and become Saudi Arabia’s next king.

This has led to a balancing act for American officials who want to build a relationship with him while not being used as leverage in any rivalry with Prince bin Nayef. Obama administration officials say relations with Prince bin Salman have generally improved, but only after a rocky start when he would routinely lecture senior Americans — even the president.

In November, during a Group of 20 summit meeting at a luxury resort on the Turkish coast, Prince bin Salman gave what American officials described as a lengthy speech about what he saw as the failure of American foreign policy in the Middle East — from the Obama administration’s restraint in Syria to its efforts to improve relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s bitter enemy.

Personal relationships have long been the bedrock of American-Saudi relations, yet the Obama administration has struggled to find someone to develop a rapport with the prince. The job has largely fallen to Secretary of State John Kerry, who has hosted the prince several times at his home in Georgetown. In June, the two men shared an iftar dinner, breaking the Ramadan fast. In September 2015, dinner at Mr. Kerry’s house ended with Prince bin Salman playing Beethoven on the piano for the secretary of state and the other guests.

In May, the prince invited Mr. Kerry for a meeting on the Serene , the luxury yacht he bought from the Russian billionaire.

His desire to reimagine the Saudi state is reflected in his admiration — some even call it envy — for the kingdom’s more modern and progressive neighbor in the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates.

He has influential supporters in this effort, particularly the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who for more than a year has been promoting Prince bin Salman in the Middle East and in Washington.

Crown Prince bin Zayed, the United Arab Emirates’ de facto ruler, is a favorite among Obama administration officials, who view him as a reliable ally and a respected voice in the Sunni world. But he also has a history of personal antipathy toward Prince bin Nayef, adding a particular urgency to his support for the chief rival of the Saudi crown prince.

In April of last year, Mr. Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, led a small delegation of top White House officials to visit Prince bin Zayed at his home in McLean, Va. During the meeting, according to several officials who attended, the prince urged the Americans to develop a relationship with Prince bin Salman.

But all questions about Prince bin Salman’s future are likely to depend on how long his father lives, according to diplomats who track Saudi Arabia.

If he died soon, Prince bin Nayef would become king and could dismiss his younger cousin as a gesture to his fellow royals. In fact, it was King Salman who set the precedent for such moves by dismissing the crown prince named by his predecessor.

“If the king’s health starts to deteriorate, Mohammed bin Salman is very likely to try to get Mohammed bin Nayef out of the picture,” said Mr. Riedel, the former C.I.A. analyst.

But the longer King Salman reigns, foreign officials said, the longer the young prince has to consolidate his power — or to convince Prince bin Nayef that he is worth keeping around if Prince bin Nayef becomes king.

Most Saudi watchers do not expect any struggles within the family to spill into the open, as all the royals understand how much they have to lose from such fissures becoming public or destabilizing their grip on the kingdom.

“I am persuaded as someone who focuses on this topic that the ruling family of Saudi Arabia above all else puts the interest of the family first and foremost,” said Mr. Kechichian, the analyst who knows many royals.

“Not a single member of the family will do anything to hurt the family.”

An article on Oct. 16 about Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and a potential rival with his cousin for the throne, misstated, in some editions, an achievement of another one of King Salman’s sons. The son, Sultan bin Salman, was the first Arab astronaut, not the only one.

How we handle corrections

Nicholas Kulish, Jo Becker and Matt Apuzzo contributed reporting.

Old Salt Blog

A virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist rick spilman.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Superyacht Serene

While vacationing in the south of France, the prince was apparently quite taken with the yacht Serene . He was apparently so impressed that he bought it on the spot from its Russian oligarch owner, Yuri Shefler, for a reported $500 million. At 134 meters (440′) and  8231 tonnes, Serene ranks among the world’s largest yachts.  She was built at Fincantieri in 2011, with 12 guests cabins and 30 crew cabins. The yacht also features a helicopter, two helideck platforms, one heli-hangar, a five-person submarine, a spa with sauna, a climbing wall, and a multiple deck water slide. In 2014, Bill Gates reported chartered Serene for $5 million for one week.

Not all has gone serenely on Serene . In August of this year, the yacht ran aground in the Red Sea, 20 nautical miles east of the Egyptian resort, Sharm El Sheikh, doing significant damage to her bow and forward structure. The yacht was salvaged and was last reported underway in the North Sea off Belgium .  

134 Meter Fincantieri Serene Superyacht Redefines Luxury

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Superyacht Serene — 4 Comments

Check! Not all he has bought. A mansion, £450 mil for a christ painting he is making payments on and a lot more.

With Trump’s new tax reforms he might find himself moored alongside more Americans.

Trump’s tax scam has introduced a whole new level of corruption to the nation, so perhaps it will.

This superyacht Serene is beautiful. We will see what happens when the yacht ran aground in the Red Sea, 20 nautical miles east of the Egyptian resort.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman 'buys £452m yacht' but slashes public spending

The royal has helped to implement economic reforms including slashing the state budget at a time of low oil prices, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails, thanks for signing up to the breaking news email.

A senior member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family bought a £452 million yacht before helping push through drastic austerity measures within the country.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman picked out a Russian tycoon’s 440ft ship while holidaying in the south of France, according to the New York Times .

Prince Mohammed has frozen government contracts and it emerged this month that the country's capital spending was dropping by 71 per cent in 2016.

The article claims Prince Mohammed dispatched an aid to buy Yuri Shefler’s vessel after spotting it floating off the coast.

The deal - reported at €500 million, £452 million by today’s exchange rate - was done within hours, according to an associate of Mr Shefler and a Saudi close to the royal family.

The Russian apparently moved off the yacht the same day.

Part of the reform measures that Prince Mohammed is responsible for includes

cutting ministers pay by 20 per cent .

Joseph Kechichian , a senior fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, said: “I am persuaded as someone who focuses on this topic that the ruling family of Saudi Arabia above all else puts the interest of the family first and foremost.”

The Independent has contacted the House of Saud for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

• “𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙮𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙣 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙!”
• “Uncover the Astonishing Journey of Thalapathy Vijay as the First Electrifying Vehicle to His Luxurious Car Collection! – Details Revealed
• 🚀 Breaking News: Tata Unleashes Electric Revolution with 4 New EVs in 2024-25! 🔥🌐
• 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢’𝙨 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙-𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙧 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙀𝙎 2024 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙢
• “Revolutionizing the Indian Electric SUV Scene: MG Unveils the Stellar Yep Plus 5-Door EV, a Game-Changer in 2025!”

Saudi prince MBS buys Megayacht ‘Serene’ worth $ 400 million with Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mandi” painting

Saudi Prince MBS bought the $ 400 million Megayacht from the Russian oligarch and promptly expelled him.  The 439-foot-long ship has two helipads, a submarine and a nightclub.  Royal has hung a $ 450M painting on it.

   Megayacht “SERENE” – Exterior long view

Megayacht “SERENE”

• The 134-metre Serene yacht has been spotted in the south of France
• It is said that the prince Mohammed bin Salman bought it on the spot
• He left Russian owner Yuri Scheffler the day he bought it
• The yacht has a nightclub, health spa, multiple swimming pools and a movie theatre

The $ 400 million superyacht serene, initially chartered by Russian oligarch Yuri Scheffler, and later by Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bill Gates, is a masterpiece.  Traditional names are attached to the ship, but not the owners who make this ship.  Instead, the full glory of Goliath is complemented by the height of its owner.

   Megayacht “SERENE” beautiful interior

According to Forbes, Serenity is the first superyacht built by Italy’s Fincantieri Yard and once featured on the world’s three largest yachts.  At 439 feet, it fell behind Roman Abramovich’s 550-foot-long Eclipse and steel tycoon Viktor Rashikov’s 459-foot ocean triumph.  Let’s take a closer look at how it charmed the Saudi prince with the charm and allure of a serene superyacht:

   Megayacht “SERENE” – Charterworld

   Wonderful serene yacht:

Serene is owned by Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia .

The Deputy Crown Prince may not be the world’s largest yacht.  When it comes to an endless list of significant features and amenities, Serenity is a tough ship to beat.  With a massive beam of 60 feet, the ship has seven decks and 4,500 square metres of interior space designed by Raymond Langton of Pascale Raymond.

   Megayacht “SERENE” – exterior close view

Made in 2011 features a serine steel hull and an aluminium superstructure.  Its USP has many amenities and luxuries that are difficult to find.  This factor has attracted the world’s wealthy.  Paul Ashton, editor of Superatch World, said: ‘The interior is a closely guarded secret, often like most private yachts at the top.  But this is the work of Raymond Langton, who is one of the most specialised design teams in the world, so it is breathtaking.

  Megayacht “SERENE” – Luxury bedroom

He added, ‘Such a yacht is not really like anything else – the company or the football club and the property to make money – the big yacht only costs money.’  The money side of the cost is as accurate as it comes.  With the gigantic inner ocean water pool, and if that’s not enough, turn one of the two helipads into another pool or dance floor.

  Megayacht “SERENE” – Helipad

The sumptuous owner’s suite is a magnificent double cabin with a private swimming platform and private lift.  Additionally, 12 stylish cabins can accommodate 24 guests, who can hop on a cruise submarine to explore the world below.  As you learn more about onboard amenities, more serenity seems like the perfect yacht for a family to charter.

  Megayacht “SERENE” – Drawing Room

There is much to do with the extraordinary snow room, the many children’s playrooms, the climbing wall between the decks and the exciting underwater observation room.

   Megayacht “SERENE” – Drawing Room

Adults also enjoy the classic in outdoor cinema, while music and conversations take place in the piano room and bar.  The Wellness and Beauty Centre is a great place, equipped with spas, hammams and more for relaxation and relaxation.  The award-winning serenity showcases a private beach club with a sunny bathing area.

Megayacht “SERENE” – ‘Jacuzzis’.

There are also two jacuzzis , The Jacuzzi is a custom-made hot tub.  It does not have a specific structure. It’s a large tub filled with water used for hydrotherapy, relaxation or pleasure.  Some have powerful jets for massage purposes.  Hot tubs are sometimes also known by the trade name “Spas” or Jacuzzi.

And a sundeck dance floor. Most fall into the ship’s observation deck, a fully stocked wet bar with extra sun loungers.

A yacht that has everything is not complete without a full collection of tenders and toys.  Bill Gates, one of the richest people globally, could not resist its charms and in 2014 chartered a quiet supernatural for an estimated $ 5 million a week. The family enjoyed a week together on a yacht just off the coast of Puerto Cervo.  , Sardinia.

   Mohammed bin Salman

Prince Mohammed bin Salman owns Serene Motor Yacht:

Speaking of serene charm, the Saudi prince was taken from this magnificent megayacht, who immediately pulled the $ 400 million yacht off the Russian oligarch owner.  While vacationing in the south of France, the Saudi prince enhanced the sense of holiday shopping once he spotted this luxury yacht and wasted no time in acquiring it

  Megayacht “SERENE” – swimming pool

  According to the New York Times, he sent aides to buy the ship, and the deal was made within hours, with Mr Yuri Scheffler leaving the yacht the same day. Billionaire tycoon Yuri Scheffler is the owner of SPI Group, an international consortium that sells alcohol in over 160 countries, most notably the Stolichnaya Vodka brand.  By March 2022, their net worth is estimated to be $ 1.5 billion.

   Salvator Mundy

The home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi :

According to CNBC, Mohammed bin Salman has a family net worth of more than $ 1 trillion.  They are expected to have a lavish superyacht that will give the palaces and the race for their money.  But the brightness far exceeds that of the ship and her immense comforts.  The world’s most expensive painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, can be found in Serene, which was purchased in 2017 for about half a billion dollars (which is more expensive than a yacht).

Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi:

For a long time, the whereabouts of this Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece was a mystery.  According to Al Jazeera, it was reported that Mohammed bin Salman had brought the painting and hung it on the wall of the cabin in a serene superyacht.  Both purchases together amount to $ 1 billion.  A painting intended to adorn the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi has never been shown at scheduled events.  This leaves people distracted and wondering where the expensive painting is.  All except one

You may be wondering how Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundy” got here, the world’s most expensive painting. That’s up to their own guesses..

Can you tell me how this painting got here?

Drivepilots.com

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Dual membrane promises long-term energy storage..!
• Fisker says it is focused on an overlooked EV feature: affordability.

Drive Pilots

We would like to bring technologically advanced plus environmentally friendly feature-rich vehicles details easier to understand everyone and related news,

You May Also Like

Electriva to set up 1 lakh charging points; Budget to give EV charging infrastructure huge

PMV Micro EaS Electric Car Launch Price 4.79 L – up to 200 km

We have predicted that Tata Nano Electric will be restarted before Ratan Tata

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters
• Deliver my newspaper
• Sun Vouchers
• The Sun Digital Newspaper
• Racing Members Enclosure

‘Missing’ £350m Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece – the world’s most expensive painting – ‘found on Saudi crown prince’s yacht’

• Tamar Lapin for the New York Post
• Published : 6:14, 11 Jun 2019
• Updated : 8:51, 11 Jun 2019

A LEONARDO da Vinci masterpiece which has been “missing” for the past two years has reportedly been found on the Saudi crown prince’s superyacht.

The whereabouts of the ‘Salvator Mundi’ have been shrouded in secrecy ever since it sold for £344million ($450m) in 2017 – becoming the most expensive painting in history.

But Artnet.com has reported that the rare painting is being kept on the£400m superyacht of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The evocative work, dubbed the “male Mona Lisa” because of its similarities to the iconic painting, was said to have been purchased by another prince, acting as a proxy for bin Salman at the Christie’s auction.

The 500-year-old painting was reportedly gifted to Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, so that it could be displayed at the new Louvre Abu Dhabi.

But the September 2018 exhibit was delayed indefinitely.

It was also pledged as a loan to the actual Louvre in Paris for an upcoming exhibit to mark the 500 years since da Vinci’s death — but was pulled from that show. Then it disappeared.

Reports claim the work was whisked to bin Salman’s yacht the Serene, according to two sources.

As of May 26, the yacht was floating in the Red Sea off Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort town on the Sinai Peninsula, according to Bloomberg ship tracking data.

The painting will remain on board the 439-foot boat until the Saudis create a planned cultural hub in the Al-Ula region, which Artnet described as “basically an art Disneyland.”

The superyacht, called Serene, boasts a nightclub, cinema, climbing wall, two helipads and a submarine hangar - and was reportedly hired out by Bill Gates two years ago for $5million-a-week.

According to a Telegraph report, the Louvre had insisted on attributing “Salvator Mundi” — whose authenticity has been questioned — to “the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci” instead of the Renaissance master himself.

No longer attributing the painting solely to da Vinci would diminish its value substantially, perhaps influencing the decision to keep the work in-house.

MOST READ IN NEWS

Boy, 15, falls 60ft off cliff on school trip while having photo taken by pal

I'm not sure who to vote for - but I'd rather elect my dog than Starmer

Brit police offer to help find missing teen - but Tenerife cops refuse

Jay Slater search focusing on area of Tenerife dubbed 'the badlands' by locals

It comes after it was claimed the legendary artist may have had ADHD , according to a shock paper.

New research also suggested Mona Lisa's world famous smile "wasn't genuine" when it was painted.

The Renaissance master may have been prevented from finishing the painting due to a damaged hand.

A version of this story originally appeared on the New York Post

MORE SECTIONS

• Social Casino

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters

Inside Mohammed bin Salman’s amazing £44million superyacht with cinema room and £330m Leonardo da Vinci painting on wall

• Katie Davis
• Published : 7:10 ET, Oct 7 2021
• Updated : 6:10 ET, Jan 27 2024

SAUDI Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the proud owner of a £44million superyacht.

The impressive 78m vessel - which comes with a hefty price tag - boasts everything from a 13-seat cinema to a helipad that doubles up as a golf driving range.

There is even the world's most expensive painting on board, an original by Leonardo da Vinci called Salvator Mundi - which is Latin for Saviour of the World

Bin Salman reportedly bought it for around £330million at Christie's in 2017, and it is thought to hang on one of the walls of his yacht.

The yacht, named Pegasus VIII, was seen moored in the bay near Pendennis Point, in the picturesque town of Falmouth back in April.

Bin Salman, often referred to as MBS, is about to become the owner of Newcastle United.

And Toon stars will certainly want a tour of the boat that has accommodation for up to 12 guests and has a crew of 26 people.

There is plenty to keep bin Salman's visitors entertained, as the yacht features a party deck complete with two bars, a dance floor, grand piano and barbecue - not to mention the 1,000 bottle tequila cellar.

The ship - which has a top cruising speed of 16 knots - also has its own gym and jacuzzi on the exterior deck, as well as a drydock which can be flooded to create a 12-metre swimming pool.

The sizeable ship was built by the Royal Denship, a Danish yacht construction company, and delivered in 2003, bought by Californian investor Ronald Tutor.

The yacht's exterior design and engineering are the work of Espen Oeino, the naval architect behind the looks of many world's biggest boats, while Francesco Zuretti put together the interior.

Tutor named it Pegasus V, having previously owned other yachts with the name Pegasus.

Most read in Sport

Mahomes shows off ripped body on family vacation after losing 'dad bod'

Meet Hayley Davies, the daring boob-flashing model banned for life by UFC

Tom Brady linked with influencer Isabella Settanni who looks like ex Gisele

Molly Qerim wows in behind-the-scenes First Take snap featuring Monica McNutt

In 2015, the businessman sold it on to the Saudi prince for £44million, who renamed the ship Pegasus VIII.

The 35-year-old, who serves as Saudi Arabia's deputy prime minister, sent the cruiser off to the Netherlands for an intensive refit, according to Super Yacht Fan.

It is powered by diesel-electric engines, and with a 435,700 litre fuel tanks, has a maximum range of 7,5000 nautical miles at 12 knots.

• Foreign royals
• Mohammad Bin Salman
• Saudi Arabia

Exclusive: After Khashoggi murder, some Saudi royals turn against king’s favourite son

• Medium Text

Reporting by Reuters correspondents; Editing by Nick Tattersall

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Israeli strikes kill at least 42 in gaza, enclave's government media office says.

At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City in the north of the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, the director of the Hamas-run government media office said.

Inside the Luxurious World of the Wealthiest Travelers

Posted: 8 September 2023 | Last updated: 6 March 2024

Magnificent modes of transport that will make your jaw drop

Billionaires like to go from A to B in supreme comfort and style, and think nothing of splurging on the finest and most exclusive modes of transport imaginable. 

Read on to see the private jets, opulent trains, prestige cars and magnificent megayachts of the planet's richest people.  All dollar values in US dollars unless stated.

Planes: Bill Gates' Bombardier BD-700 Global Express

While he is famed for his thrifty ways, Bill Gates does allow himself the occasional splurge and calls the Bombardier BD-700 Global Express private jet he bought in 1997 his “guilty pleasure”. According to the New York Times , the Microsoft co-founder paid $21 million (£12.9m) for the plane, which can seat up to 19 people. Gates actually owns three more planes including two Gulfstream G650ERs, and a collection of helicopters.

Planes: Larry Ellison's fighter jets

Planes: Sir Richard Branson's Dassault Falcon 50EX

Sir Richard Branson has plenty of planes at his disposal but for routes his Virgin Atlantic airline doesn't cover and short-haul trips to and from his private island Necker in the Caribbean, the British billionaire travels in his Dassault Falcon 50EX private jet. A relatively affordable option, the aircraft can be picked up for just several million dollars.

Planes: Larry Page and Sergey Brin's Boeing 767-200

In 2005 Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin spent $15 million (£7.8m) on a Boeing 767-200, which they acquired from Australian airline Qantas. The pair then spent an additional $10 million (£5.2m) redesigning the interiors to make it into a private jet suitable for 50 passengers. Together with ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the tech titans own a formidable fleet of aircraft including a Boeing 757 and two Gulfstream Vs, and even have their very own private terminal at San Jose airport in California.

Planes: Mukesh Ambani's Boeing Business Jet 2

Hot on the heels of gifting his wife a tricked-out private jet complete with a bar, master bedroom, games consoles and more, Mukesh Ambani treated himself to a $73 million (£55.9m) Boeing Business Jet 2. India's richest person opted for a luxe custom interior boasting everything from a sweeping business suite to a full-sized bath tub. But Ambani has reportedly more than one plane, and his fleet also includes a Falcon 900EX jet and an Airbus 319.

Planes: Ratan Tata's Dassault Falcon 2000

Planes: Jeff Bezos' two Gulfstream G650ERs

Jeff Bezos is the proud owner of not just one but two Gulfstream G650ER private jets. The first was delivered in 2015 while the second was snapped up in 2019. Together the planes are worth up to $150 million (£115m), small change for one of the world's wealthiest people. Other billionaire Gulfstream G650ER owners include the aforementioned Larry Ellison and Bill Gates, as well as Elon Musk and British retail tycoon Sir Philip Green.

Planes: Donald Trump's Boeing 757-200

Donald Trump bagged the second-hand aircraft dubbed 'Trump Force One' in 2011 from the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who first got the plane in 1995. The future president spared no expense revamping the plane in suitably blingy style, pimping out the $100 million (£76.7m) jet with plush cream leather seating, a cinema, gold silk-upholstered master bedroom with a double bed and a spacious bathroom featuring a shower and 24-carat gold sink. However, it is currently sat, minus one engine, at Stewart Airport in New York, where it went to be stored during his presidency.

Planes: Sultan of Brunei's Boeing 747-430

Equally ostentatious is the Sultan of Brunei's Boeing 747-430. The autocratic ruler purchased the jumbo jet for $100 million (£76.7m) and dropped an additional $120 million (£92.1m) customising the interior. Super-extravagant, the plane wows with 24-carat gold accents, Lalique crystal fixtures and sumptuous leather sofas.

Trains: John Paul DeJoria's Patrón Tequila Express

Trains: Bernard Arnault's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Trains: Bernard Arnault's Royal Scotsman

Trains: Bernard Arnault's Eastern & Oriental Express

Trains: Bernard Arnault's Andean Explorer

Automobiles: Donald Trump's Rolls-Royce Phantom

Now for some classic and supercar eye candy. First up is Donald Trump's 2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom, for which he is likely to have paid something in the region of $500,000 (£324k). The vehicle of choice for the billionaire who values old-school elegance, the grand car is the priciest in Trump's collection.

Automobiles: Elon Musk's Lotus Esprit S1 Submarine

Elon Musk just couldn't resist splurging more than £616,000 ($926k) in 2013 on James Bond's 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 Submarine car that featured in The Spy Who Loved Me . Nicknamed 'Wet Nellie', the submersible was built specially for the 007 movie at a cost of around $100,000 (£49.3k) and clad in a Lotus Esprit S1 bodyshell.

Automobiles: Jay-Z's Dartz Prombron

Automobiles: Kylie Jenner's Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta

Reality star and make-up mogul Kylie Jenner has no shortage of sensational supercars to choose from. They range from a custom Rolls-Royce and orange Lamborghini Aventador to this fantastic $1.4 million (£1.1m) Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, which like the Aventador features Back to the Future -esque scissor doors.

Automobiles: Kylie Jenner's Bugatti Chiron

That fabulous Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta isn't actually Kylie Jenner's priciest car – far from it in fact. The former world's youngest self-made billionaire has a monochrome Bugatti Chiron tucked away in her garage. Jenner bought the to-die-for supercar for $3 million (£2.3m) in October 2019 and posted a video of her new buy on social media, but later deleted it after receiving criticism for showing off her wealth.

Automobiles: Mark Zuckerberg's Pagani Huayra

Automobiles: Prince Turki Bin Abdullah's fleet of gold cars

Suspected Saudi royal Turki Bin Abdullah took the UK capital by storm in 2016 when he imported his wow-factor collection of gold supercars and cruised around central London's streets in the eye-catching vehicles. They include two Lamborghinis, a Mercedes AMG off-roader, Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe and Bentley Flying Spur, which together were reportedly worth more than $2 million (£1.2m). He spends thousands having his vehicles coated in gold, his favourite colour.

Automobiles: Bill Gates' Porsche 959

Along with his private jet, Bill Gates has a penchant for Porsche supercars, which he considers his other rare indulgence. The major philanthropist bought his first Porsche, a 911 Turbo, in 1979, and then went on to purchase a rare 959 in 1987. Now worth up to $2 million (£1.4m), the supercar was impounded by US customs for 13 years and Gates, who recently acquired an electric Porsche Taycan, actually helped pass a law to make the model road-legal. 

Automobiles: Jay-Z's Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

Automobiles: Rob Walton's Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa

Walmart heir Rob Walton has built up an astonishing collection of classic cars, having spent millions of dollars in the process. Among his many exceedingly valuable models is a sublime 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that Walton purchased for $12.1 million (£8.5m) in 2009, but the vintage vehicle could now be worth up to $40 million (£28.7m).

Automobiles: mystery billionaire's Rolls-Royce Sweptail

Automobiles: mystery billionaire's Bugatti La Voiture Noire

Bugatti snatched the accolade in 2019 with its one-off La Voiture Noire ('The Black Car'). The $18.7 million (£14.1m) masterpiece, which draws inspiration from the classic Type 57 SC Atlantic, was custom-made for an unnamed billionaire client. Rumours, which later turned out to be untrue, had suggested that the car had been commissioned by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. Since then it's been topped by Rolls-Royce...

Automobiles: Jay-Z and Beyoncé's rumoured custom Rolls-Royce

In May this year Rolls-Royce unveiled its Boat Tail car, which it's calling "the most ambitious motor car ever created". The four-seater car is shaped like a yacht deck at the back and measures almost 19 feet (5.8m) in length. The vehicle, which is rumoured to have a price tag of around £20 million ($28m) and is therefore the most expensive new car created, is part of Rolls-Royce's new Coachbuild programme where high-profile clients are invited to design their own unique cars. There are three Boat Tails being made, each personalised to its owner, and billionaire rapper and car enthusiast Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé are thought to be one of the buyers.

Automobiles: Ralph Lauren's Bugatti 57SC Atlantic

Automobiles: David MacNeil's Ferrari 250 GTO

Drum roll please, the most expensive car ever sold is this 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO. The holy grail of sportcars, the legendary silver Ferrari, which features French tricolore stripes, was bought in 2018 by David MacNeil, the billionaire founder of the WeatherTech car floor mats company, for an eye-watering $80 million (£58.2m).

Yachts: Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli's Vava II

Yachts: Larry Page's Senses

Yachts: Sergey Brin's Dragonfly

Yachts: Bernard Arnault's Symphony

The second wealthiest person in the world according to Bloomberg , Bernard Arnault has made his riches by building up the formidable luxury brands empire LVMH. A man clearly accustomed to the finer things in life, it’s perhaps a given that a slither of Arnault’s $173 billion (£122.6bn) fortune would go towards purchasing and maintaining an exquisite yacht. In 2015 this tastemaker purchased Symphony, a 333-foot (101m) vessel with eco-friendly credentials, including fuel consumption 30% lower than average, at a price of $150 million (£97m). Onboard facilities include a state-of-the-art kitchen designed to produce the finest French haute cuisine and lavish entertainment suites. 

Yachts: Jerry Jones' Bravo Eugenia

Owner of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team, Jerry Jones travels to games in style and is often snapped mooring up in his 357-foot (109m) superyacht Bravo Eugenia – that’s the length of the Cowboys’ home field at AT&T Stadium. Once a game’s finished, Jones’ yacht makes for the perfect after party venue, with capacity to accommodate 14 passengers and 20 members of crew, all of whom can easily be delivered onboard thanks to the vessel’s helipad. Designed by Italian firm Nuvolari Lenard, this extraordinary vessel is rumoured to have cost more than $250 million (£188.8m) back in 2019. 

Yachts: Samuel Tak Lee's Pelorus

The 377-foot (115m) Lurssen-built Pelorus was bought by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2004. His ex-wife Irina was given the yacht in 2009 as part of the divorce settlement, and she sold it on to Dreamworks co-founder David Geffen in 2011. The vessel changed hands again later that year when it was bought by the royal family of Abu Dhabi for a reported €214 million ($296m/£182m) and it was finally acquired by Chinese billionaire Samuel Tak Lee in 2016. We're sure he wasn't disappointed with his purchase – the wonder vessel has everything from multiple swimming pools to two helipads.

Yachts: Larry Ellison's Musashi

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison enjoys competitive sailing and the tech titan combined work and pleasure in 2000 when he founded a racing team called Oracle Team USA, which has made multiple successful appearances at the America’s Cup tournament since 2003. In 2005 Ellison commissioned a 454-foot (138m) yacht called Rising Sun, which reportedly boasted an incredible 82 rooms, a wine cellar and a basketball court. Rising Sun was then sold to David Geffen for an alleged $300 million (£201m) in 2010, and Ellison replaced the epic yacht with a 288-foot (88m) vessel called Musashi, which he bought in 2013. 

Yachts: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Serene

The 439-foot (134m) Serene was built in 2011 for Russian vodka billionaire Yuri Scheffler. Serene can comfortably accommodate up to 24 guests in 12 cabins, along with 62 members of crew to keep this incredible yacht afloat and provide that luxury experience. Formerly one of the most expensive yacht rentals in the world, the Serene was the go-to megayacht charter for the mega-rich, including the likes of Bill Gates, before it was taken off the market. In 2015, Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia bought it for approximately $562 million (£364m).

Yachts: Steven Spielberg's Seven Seas

Spielberg's Seven Seas superyacht has plenty of places to unwind, including a swimming pool on a partially-covered 2,700-square-foot (250 square metre) deck. The area has sun loungers for swimmers to relax on, as well as a bar and a dining area that seats 22 people. Either side of the pool are steps down to a swim deck. But the yacht also has a private deck and spa pool, a fitness room and spa with a massage room, sauna and steam room.

It also has a main living space the size of a ballroom and, unsurprisingly, the acclaimed movie director's custom boat has a film screening room. The large room has tiered, cinema-style sofas, a full bar and even a baby grand piano for live music moments.

Yachts: Jeff Bezos' project Y721

The founder of Amazon is the richest person on the planet, so it’s only logical that he owns one of the largest yachts in the world. The billionaire, who has a net worth of $187 billion (£121bn), has commissioned a 417-foot (127m) gigayacht set to be “one of the finest sailing yachts in existence”, according to the book Amazon Unbound by journalist Brad Stone.

It will be so enormous in fact that a second smaller yacht has been commissioned as its support vessel with its own helipad. Built by Dutch shipyard Oceanco, project Y721 will be the largest sailing yacht ever built in the Netherlands and will likely cost upwards of $500 million (£359m). It's so big in fact it will reportedly require the historic Koningshaven bridge in Rotterdam to be removed and then rebuilt so it can sail out to sea.

Now discover  the most valuable substances on Earth

More for You

Sabrina Carpenter, 25, smashes UK charts record as youngest female artist to reach number one and two in the same week

You're more likely to die early if you have these habits

UAE's Golden Visa | Benefits, Eligibility, Requirements & More

Cristiano Ronaldo slammed after Portugal game: 'Messi would not do that'

Bugatti reveals first hybrid car with 1,800 horsepower, 16-cylinder engine

Mohammed bin Rashid issues Decree on Board of Emirates International Accreditation Centre

The top 7 Netflix TV shows that you need to watch this weekend

Turkey vs Portugal probable lineups - Euro 2024

American Test Of Three Chinese EVs: 'It’s A Wake-Up Call'

The Netherlands and France draw: What's next at Euro 2024?

Wonder Woman: the legendary life of Lynda Carter

These 12 factories are the biggest in the world

Engaging games to boost brain power

5 Foods that Increase Sweating Issue

Taylor Wily dead at 56: Hawaii Five-0 actor and beloved UFC fighter passes away

South Africa continue unbeaten run in T20 World Cup with tense win over England

'Scandalous decision!': Gary Lineker furious following Euro 2024 controversy

Bahrain Cracks Down on Fake Citizenship Applications

17 rare AMG Mercedes in no-reserve sale

The warning signs of Parkinson's disease