who owns alfa nero yacht

Alfa Nero sold to US billionaire for $68m

Alfa Nero, courtesy of Merjin der Waard, SuperYachtTimes.

T he government of Antigua and Barbuda has sold superyacht Alfa Nero to an American billionaire for $67.6m, despite eleventh-hour attempts by its   alleged owners to stop the sale. The new owner is the former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt.

The auction closed on Friday June 16th, with three bids for the 81m (267ft) Oceanco superyacht. The former Google executive secured the vessel for a below-market value price too. According to Dennis Causier, senior superyacht specialist,  VesselsValue  the superyacht is worth a cool $79.5m (€75.3m).

“ We’re happy because it’s a very reasonable amount of money and will cover all the costs of what is owed to the government and to [Alfa Nero’s] suppliers and for fuel and the crew,” Lionel Hurst, chief of staff, Government of Antigua and Barbuda told Superyacht Investor.

Schmidt, who headed the multinational technology firm’s holding company, Alphabet, is worth around $24.8bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. He now has until the end of the week to pay into the Consolidated Fund in Antigua and Barbuda’s treasury, with the government of Antigua and Barbuda poised to receive all proceeds from the sale.

This follows the recent change in legislation, the Port Authority (Amendment) Act, that gives the country’s port authority to take ownership of ships that are abandoned, detained or seized. The amendment came into force in March this year, allowing the government to seize the luxury vessel, believed to be owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev.

“ The change of the law is something we are especially proud of, because we are sufficiently protected from the same instance from happening again, ” said Hurst. “ The main thing is to protect our waters, because if a vessel that size is abandoned in our harbour during a hurricane, then that could cause serious harm to people and the environment.”

The yacht was put up for auction after the yacht was abandoned in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua for over a year. During this time, Alfa Nero has accrued a fair amount of debt, with the government claiming the vessel was costing them tens of thousands of dollars every week to maintain, supply and pay crew. Hurst added that the official amount owed to creditors will be disclosed by the Port Authority later this week.

There were also attempts by two separate entities to try to prevent the sale just hours before the bidding closed on Friday. However, Hurst said that they were nothing of concern.

“They were not serious claims whatsoever. Why would the owner not come forward for over a year and then appear at the last moment? It was just some foolishness ,” said Hurst.

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By Conor Feasey 09 Jan 2024

From Nero to Hero

A high court judge has ruled in favour of nautilus’ claim, with more than a year’s wages set to be paid to the crew of alfa nero….

Nautilus International has secured a settlement in favour of its members working aboard the abandoned Alfa Nero following an Antiguan High Court judgement. As a result of the lengthy legal battle, the crew are set to receive more than a year’s worth of unpaid wages. While what happens next in the Alfa Ner o saga remains unclear, with the government setting its sights on yet another auction, Charles Boyle, Director of Legal Services, Nautilus International, tells SuperyachtNews that the ruling is a huge victory for the union and its members.

“Although some crew may be slightly disappointed as they wanted to be successful on all aspects of the claims, securing payment for over a year’s worth of wages for our members is an amazing result,” he says. “This is especially true given the context of the Russian sanctions, which has been a completely new legal territory for everyone.”

The legal dispute revolved around outstanding payments owed to the original crew members before the yacht's abandonment and those who continued on board or were hired as part of the skeleton crew between March 2022 and April 2023.

Represented by Captain Christopher Malcolm Lewis and the UK-based trade union, the unionised crew members claimed that they were entitled to €2.2 million in unpaid wages with a 4 per cent interest rate. Their argument was grounded in Section 49(1) of the 2006 Merchant Shipping Act, asserting priority for maritime liens, including wages, over other debts. Simultaneously, non-unionised crew members filed a separate claim seeking payment of €439,494.40. The combined payment sought totalled around €2.7 million.

The claim arrived with Nautilus’ legal department via its yachting team. It quickly became very clear to the organisation that it had a lot of members who were owed payment for their work on Alfa Nero  which had not been paid due to the sanctions.

“The cohesiveness of our yachting and legal teams is what really spurred this battle on and allowed us to achieve the result that we did,” says Boyle. “Once the crew contacted our helpline, the yachting team were especially effective and efficient in handling the data collected from their seafarer’s employment agreements, payslips and other details about the claim, and then coordinating the best plan of action.” Nautilus’ legal team then took the initial approach of enforcing the claim as a maritime lien against the vessel, which was subsequently arrested by Nautilus.

Alfa Nero has been stationed in Antiguan waters since March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Registered to Flying Dutchman Overseas, it faced sanctions from the US, prompting the termination of crew services by management company Burgess Crew Services. The yacht was declared abandoned and subsequently seized by the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority in April 2023, enabling its eventual removal from the list of sanctioned vessels and allowing its potential sale.

The Antiguan government initially intended to use the proceeds of the sale for its own benefit after repaying all creditors of the yacht, which was met with some controversy when first announced. However, ownership disputes, particularly involving Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev's daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, and Flying Dutchman Overseas, have complicated the transaction. Notably, the government has continued to pay significant sums of money for the boat’s upkeep. This has in turn led to complications surrounding the crew’s pay.

“[Government officials] have acted as interveners and somewhat prevented our members from securing payment,” says Boyle. “They of course have the best interests of their government at heart and have been paying a huge amount of money on the yacht’s maintenance, not to mention the environmental risk it poses too. But whilst they are not saying that the crew shouldn’t be paid on principle, they have forced us to prove what our members are actually entitled to, and nothing more, because that would be less for them.”

High Court Judge Nicola Byer oversaw the hearing and addressed issues concerning the crew, Captain Lewis’ authority and ownership disputes. The judge determined that while Captain Lewis hired crew members out of necessity, any pay increase or promotion given between 17 March, 2022, and 10 April, 2023, was beyond his authority.

The judgment also dismissed claims of double pay, as the crew could not demonstrate their employer’s ability to fulfil promises. Byer then stated that crew members hired through Burgess were entitled to their holiday pay per their contracts before termination. Ultimately, the judge ruled that crew were entitled to be paid for the specified period as per their originally agreed upon rates.

No specific date for crew payment was provided in the judgment and given the nature of the sanctions and the yacht’s ownership disputes, what happens next is speculative. Usually in this situation, the funds for the crew’s wages would be covered in the proceeds of the sale. But having failed once already in auctioning the yacht, alternative routes may be the best course for both parties.

“The government could take the approach of issuing a bond to pay the crew, allowing them to deal with the claim immediately and then tackle the sale of the Alfa Nero on their own terms,” says Boyle. “The money flow still can’t come through the employer channel because of the sanctions, so they are going to have to get it from some other means.”

Until a buyer is found, Alfa Nero continues to pose challenges for the Antiguan government, accumulating lawsuits amid taxpayer concerns over ongoing maintenance costs. To tackle this, government officials have openly discussed the possibility of another auction to get rid of the vessel once and for all while simultaneously raising the capital to pay for the debts it has incurred while stationed in Falmouth Harbour.

The two preferred bidders in the initial auction last June, Eric Schmidt and Warren Halle, have retracted their interest in the superyacht. Former Google executive Schmidt withdrew his $67 million bid as a result of the legal delays relating to the yacht’s ownership, which prevented him from acquiring the rights to the vessel.

Meanwhile, Halle has sued the Antiguan government over its alleged failure to adhere to the auction’s rules, which by its own account would have seen Halle purchase the yacht following Schmidt’s failure to transfer the funds. The government is reportedly in talks with Halle to drop the lawsuit and sell the superyacht, but neither party can seem to agree on a price for the Oceanco yacht.

Following the High Court ruling, however, Nautilus has ensured that the crew can find solace in the fact that their pay has been secured, regardless of how the funds are raised. What this situation, among others, has shown amidst the issues the industry has faced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the necessity for crew to perform their due diligence on their ultimate employer.

“This case also shows us how vital it is to keep copies of your employment agreements and correspondence records, so if you ever do effectively have a claim, you have written evidence to back it up,” adds Boyle. “This judgment is a massive win for us and the Alfa Nero crew, and it was the result of months of hard work. It is an outcome we are immensely proud of, and one we aim to replicate for those in need in the future.”

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The daughter of a sanctioned Russian billionaire says she's the true owner of a $68 million superyacht bought by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt

• Eric Schmidt bought a superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian billionaire at auction in June.
• The Russian mogul has denied owning the vessel – but his daughter now says she's its true owner.
• She filed an appeal after her previous attempt to stop the auction failed, Bloomberg reported.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently paid $67.6 million for a stranded superyacht that has been linked to a sanctioned Russian billionaire. The Russian chemical mogul's daughter now says she's its true owner and wants it back, according to a report by Bloomberg .

Schmidt bought the 267-foot Alfa Nero at auction last month . The US Treasury said that the yacht was bought by Andrey Guryev for $120 million in 2014 and Antigua and Barbuda said in a March 2023 notice that the vessel that it was "owned/controlled" by Guryev, but the billionaire has repeatedly denied being the owner .

Related stories

A legal representative for Guryev told Bloomberg in March that he "neither owns nor controls the Alfa Nero and has simply used the vessel from time to time under commercial charter since 2014."

Guryev, whose wealth  Bloomberg estimates to be at $9.75 billion, is the co-founder and largest shareholder of fertilizer giant PhosAgro. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine he was sanctioned by the US Treasury, which described him as a "known close associate" of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Guryev was also sanctioned by the UK , and his son was sanctioned by the US , the EU , and the UK .

Alfa Nero had been anchored by the Caribbean island of Antigua since last spring, and FBI agents searched the vessel in August . Local authorities say the yacht was abandoned . Antigua and Barbuda took control of the vessel this April, and mounting crew expenses left authorities eager to auction it off .

But on Wednesday, lawyers for Guryev's daughter Yulia Gurieva-Motlokhov filed an appeal saying that she was the vessel's true owner, Bloomberg reported.

She said in a filing that she was the "sole adult discretionary beneficiary of the 'Tyne Trust' and 'Flagstaff Trust,'" which own two companies that own both the Alfa Nero and the artwork on board, per Bloomberg. Her previous attempt to stop the auction had failed, Bloomberg reported.

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This Abandoned 267-Foot Superyacht Has Links to a Russian Oligarch. Now It’s Heading to Auction.

Alfa nero will be sold to the highest bidder if it remains unclaimed., rachel cormack.

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“A notice to the newspapers and other media will be published for a period of 10 days, notifying the sale of the Alfa Nero vessel in order to satisfy the requirements under the law for a forced sale,” a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda read. “If the owner fails to claim the vessel within that time period, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will sell it to the highest bidder.”

Delivered in 2007 by Oceanco, Alfa Nero features a striking exterior by Nuvolari Lenard and interior styling by Alberto Pinto that together have landed the yacht a number of awards. The beautiful behemoth notably features six staterooms, accommodation for 28 crew, a hydraulically operated pool and a large helipad aft. Alfa Nero was sold in 2011 to its current owner with an asking price of $115 million, according to Marine Industry News . The Guardian has previously reported that the yacht is linked to the Russian oligarch (and Putin ally) Andrey Guryev.

The Antigua and Barbuda government reportedly consulted with the US authorities prior to taking the action. During a media briefing, Information Minister Melford Nicholas told reporters that any proceeds from the sale of Alfa Nero would remain in the Antiguan government’s hands, but the US could request access to the funds in the future.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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The auction of the $120 million Alfa Nero superyacht begins today as no one claimed ownership of the 267 feet long vessel from Antigua and Barbuda authorities

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ALFA NERO YACHT CHARTER

81.27m  /  266'8   oceanco   2007 / 2021.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Iconic superyacht
• Large infinity pool transforms into a helipad
• Huge master suite with private deck & spa pool
• Beauty and hair dressing salon
• Modern interior with pop art influences
• State-of-the-art party setup

At 81.27m/266'8", iconic charter yacht Alfa Nero features a compelling line-up of living areas and modern amenities and abounds in luxury and comfort

The 81.27m/266'8" 'Alfa Nero' motor yacht built by the Dutch shipyard Oceanco is available for charter for up to 12 guests in 6 cabins. This multi-award winning yacht features interior styling by Alberto Pinto.

With an abundance of space and superlative amenities across her luxurious decks, you'll be spoilt for choice on a luxury yacht charter aboard Alfa Nero. She has sensational features such as a dancefloor, beauty salon, spa, elevator, beach club and gym.

Exterior Design

Alfa Nero won numerous design awards for her innovative approach to superyacht living, including her huge beach club area and swimming pool on the aft deck conceived by exterior designer Carlo Nuvolari, a design now incorporated into many subsequent yachts.

Interior Design

The interior, by Alberto Pinto, blends elegant understatement with pop art and features a staircase that wraps around a glass lift shaft.

Guest Accommodation

Built in 2007, Alfa Nero offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests in 6 suites comprising a master suite, two VIP cabins and three twin cabins. Excellent service is guaranteed, with twenty-six crew members on board to look after your every need.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

You and your guests can enjoy a variety of experiences on Alfa Nero, particularly a dancefloor where you and your guests can celebrate in style. If you're in need of indulgence, the beauty salon offers a range of treatments to pamper and restore. For the ultimate relaxation experience, she plays host to a luxury spa or elsewhere, the swimming pool is perfect for exercising or admiring a romantic sunrise. Make your day truly exceptional at the beach club and maintain your fitness routine and work out in the well-equipped gym. Retreat to the deck jacuzzi and soak up the scenery.

Whatever your activities on your charter, you'll find some impressive features are seamlessly integrated to help you, particularly an elevator, making any part of the yacht quickly and easily accessible. Whether you want to work, use social media or stream movies on board this yacht, you can with Wi-Fi connectivity or elsewhere, guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin MTU engines, she comfortably cruises at 15 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 20 knots with a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles from her 295,000 litre fuel tanks at 14 knots.

Alfa Nero has a good selection of water toys and accessories to entertain you and your guests whilst on charter. Take to the sea on the Jet Skis offering you power and control on the water. Guests can feel the wind in their hair and jump the waves on one of the WaveRunners. In addition there are towable toys offering fun and adventure. If that isn't enough Alfa Nero also features scuba diving equipment and inflatable water toys. When it comes to Tenders, Alfa Nero has you covered - with three tenders, including a 8m/26'3" Yachtwerft Meyer Limo Tender.

Book your next the Mediterranean luxury yacht charter aboard Alfa Nero this summer. She is already accepting bookings this winter for cruising in the Caribbean.

This ocean-going luxury charter motor yacht carries up to 26 professional crew who will cater to your every need.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for Alfa Nero, please provide .

Stand Out Features

Convertible infinity pool

From infinity pool and waterfall, to dancefloor, or helipad. Innovative designing at its best.

Individually styled staterooms

Every guest has a unique experience with their own styled stateroom. Each has private ensuite facilities and seating areas.

Impressive master cabin facilities

A spacious master stateroom is accompanied by a private deck with its own spa pool.

Alfa Nero Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Alfa Nero has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Alfa Nero is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 1 x 8m  /  26'3 Yachtwerft Meyer Custom Limo Tender
• 1 x 8m  /  26'3 Novurania MX 780 DL Custom Tender
• 1 x 6m  /  19'8 Nautique Correct Craft Ski 196

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

Alfa Nero Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2008 Best Interior Design - Motor Yacht Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2008 Best Exterior Styling - Motor Yacht Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2008 Best Power 65m+ Winner
• Asia Boating Award 2008 Most Innovative Exterior Yacht Design of the Year Winner
• ShowBoats Awards 2008 Best Motor Yacht (over 75m) Winner
• World Yachts Trophies 2008 Most Innovative Custom Motoryacht (over 40m) Winner
• Indian International Boating Award 2008 Most Innovative Interior Yacht Design Winner
• The ShowBoats Design Awards 2010 Design & Technology Award Finalist
• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'Alfa Nero' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€812,000 p/week + expenses Approx $871,500

High Season

€840,000 p/week + expenses Approx $902,000

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean Croatia, France, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, Turkey

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Ibiza, Sardinia, The Balearics

Winter Season

October - April

$728,000 p/week + expenses

$756,000 p/week + expenses

Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Saint Martin, St Barts

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

Note: Not for charter to U.S. residents while in U.S. waters

Charter Alfa Nero

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

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Specification

SEASONAL CHARTER RATES

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Iconic yachts: On board Oceanco's striking 81m superyacht Alfa Nero

Big, black and beautiful, the 81.27 metre Oceanco motor yacht Alfa Nero  makes an incredibly powerful impression.

Although she is so large, the secret feature of Alfa Nero is that she is definitely not ‘high volume’ in the sense of trying to cram in every possible cubic metre of accommodation like a modern cruise ship. 

On the contrary, the first impression you receive on stepping aboard is of wide-open decks leading into big uncrowded rooms. The exterior and layout designers Nuvolari Lenard clearly agree with the notion that the ultimate luxury afloat is open space. In fact, with four decks to play with and only twelve guests to accommodate, they could afford to be exceptionally generous in their use of space.

The most spectacular visual trick is the first one you see: a sizeable swimming pool with a built-in current and an ‘infinity’ aft side where the water overflows across a large sloping sheet of glass to create a waterfall effect. 

This is particularly effective at night when both the pool and the waterfall are under-lit and the movement of the water creates an ever-changing light show. The pool is set in a wide expanse of open deck which extends well aft from the superstructure, creating a lido which can equally well serve as a party deck.

Having been one of the first designers to explore the possibilities of art deco afloat, Alberto Pinto has moved forward to the even more surprising era of pop art with the work of Roy Lichtenstein providing the inspiration. 

In addition to a number of Lichtenstein prints in his famous comic-strip style, Alberto Pinto has managed to create an entire decor based on them with zigs-zags of woodwork or kid leather, bold stripes of flooring, swirling patterns on upholstery, bright primary colours for lacquered woodwork, or high-gloss zebrano with its vibrant stripey grain.

Here you will find no gracious oak-panelled rooms, nor any varnished teak capping rails – all is new and modern. 

This is a big vessel with a big crew, capable of giving unrivalled standards of comfort and service to a fortunate few. The overall impression is of an incredibly spacious yacht with large, uncrowded guest areas and generous cabins, while exceptional use has been made of the exterior decks. Looking up at Alfa Nero ’s impressive outline, you might wonder what has become of pretty white yachts.

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Inside the Wild International Battle Over an Abandoned Superyacht

The fight over the Alfa Nero pits a Google billionaire against the daughter of a Russian oligarch.

Emily Shugerman

Senior Reporter

Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

In an inlet in Antigua, surrounded by touristy hotels and kitschy cafes, a yacht nearly three times the size of a basketball court and twice the price of a luxury private jet sits unused, awaiting its fate.

The Alfa Nero, one of the largest superyachts in the world, is the reported—but not confirmed— property of Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, a top target of sanctions imposed by the U.S. after the invasion of Ukraine last year. Thanks to a tangled mess of international restrictions and offshore ownership, its future is now the subject of a three-way battle between Guryev’s daughter, the government of Antigua and Barbuda, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt . And none of them know where the Alfa Nero will be this time next year.

“This whole damn thing has been like a Tom Clancy novel,” Darwin Telemaque, chief executive of the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority, told the London Times last month. “And I’m stuck in the middle.”

The Alfa Nero was constructed in 2007 for Greek shipping and steel magnate Theodore Angelopolous by Oceanco, the same company that built Jeff Bezos’ $500 million megayacht. The ship, which is 269 feet long, boasts three double cabins, two VIP cabins, a master suite, a living area, a gym, an office, two hot tubs, and a pool that converts into a helicopter landing pad. The interior features a nautical theme, with imagery like seashells and staghorn coral; its current owners have further adorned it with artwork by Joan Miró and a baby grand piano.

Angelopolous put the yacht up for sale multiple times between 2009 and 2014, when— according to the U.S. Treasury —Guryev purchased it for $120 million. Guryev, however, has denied owning the yacht, telling Bloomberg he “neither owns nor controls the Alfa Nero” and simply leases it for commercial charter “from time to time.”

Guryev is the 25th richest man in Russia, and an incredibly private one. Raised in a small town outside Moscow, he trained to be a martial artist and for a time taught judo to USSR sports authorities. He worked in local politics and at a major bank before founding PhosAgro, the biggest manufacturer of phosphate fertilizers in Europe, skyrocketing his net worth to an estimated $9.6 billion.

According to a New Yorker profile, Guryev is the likely owner of Witanhurst, the second-largest home in London after Buckingham Palace, though he has denied this, too. Despite working in politics on and off throughout his life and serving as a Russian senator for over a decade, he has never given an interview or made a speech in the federal legislature. His family is equally private; the most public attention they have received is when his daughter-in-law, Valeria Guryeva, posted on Instagram that she was “too pretty for work,” sparking international headlines.

That is, until 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and Guryev was placed on the top list of Russians sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. Suddenly, anything the billionaire was said to own was under strict scrutiny—including the Alfa Nero.

At the time, the ship was docked at Falmouth Harbour in Saint Paul Parish, Antigua. In August, the U.S. sent a team of FBI agents to search the vessel and concluded it belonged to Guryev through a complicated series of offshore companies that traced back to his control. (Another Russian businessman, Alexander Mavrodi, tried to claim the yacht was his, but the government dismissed this as “either a hoax or … a deliberate fabrication.”) Guryev maintained that the yacht did not belong to him.

As the war continued and the sanctions dragged on, the Alfa Nero sat unclaimed, burning through diesel and taking up space in the yacht club marina. The original 44 crew members were winnowed down to six, who passed their time lounging in lawn chairs on the deck or playing “Call of Duty” in the master suite, according to Bloomberg . Twenty-five members sued for millions in unpaid wages over the spring.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda, meanwhile, started to get antsy. Prime Minister Agston Browne complained the yacht was a security risk: It could spring a leak, catch fire, or set off any other number of calamities. “The yachting sector contributes more to our economy than even the cruise tourism sector,” he told the Antigua Observer . “Understand the reputational damage if we fail to act and we end up with a major catastrophe.”

Finally, in March, the islands’ government declared that the owner of the yacht had 10 days to claim it before it was auctioned to the highest bidder, with the proceeds going toward Antigua and Barbuda’s national debt. In April, the vessel was officially seized, and in June, the U.S. Treasury Department removed it from its list of blocked property. According to the Times , the government heard from 30 interested buyers, 16 of whom could prove they had the cash on hand and six of whom passed money-laundering checks. The final bids were submitted in sealed envelopes to the accountant general of the Antiguan treasury.

VWPICS/Nano Calvo/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

On June 16, the Anitguan government announced Schmidt, who is worth an estimated $20.4 billion, had the winning bid at $67.6 million—a 4 percent bump to the country’s gross domestic product. The former Google honcho, who owns another 195-foot yacht and a $20 million private plane, was instructed to make payment within seven days. Telemaque, the port executive, was thrilled. “I just want to see it gone,” he told the Times .

He may have spoken too soon.

In late May, a month before the auction, lawyers for a company called Flying Dutchman Overseas Limited filed suit in the Supreme Court of Antigua and Barbuda claiming it owns the Alfa Nero and had tried to assert ownership of it in the days before its seizure. It asked the court to block the sale, claiming officials had ignored its repeated attempts to lay claim to the boat. The judge on the case agreed that there may have been “procedural unfairness” in the seizure, but refused to stop the sale. Schmidt’s purchase went through eight days later.

But just this month, another obstacle appeared: Guryev’s daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, who lives in London with her hedge-fund manager husband Alexei Motlokhov. (The two recently caused a stir for trying to build a massive playground in the backyard of their $6 million, five-bedroom home, which neighbors deemed “more like a theme park.”) In an appeal filed July 12, Guryeva-Motlokhov claimed she is the sole beneficiary of the trust that owns the Flying Dutchman, and thus the rightful owner of the Alfa Nero.

In her appeal, she claimed that the Antiguan government did not have the right to sell off her property and that the auction had been improperly executed, according to the Antigua Observer .

Her attorney, David Dorsett, told the Observer he intends to fight for her right to the superyacht, adding: “We just want our boat back.”

“We think the action of the government in taking possession of the yacht and selling the yacht is wrong on all levels,” he said. “It is not the government’s yacht; they cannot just take it up and sell it to somebody else.”

A photo of Andrey Guryev, the Russian Oligarch, on June 3, 2023.

Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The government hit back with a counter-appeal of its own last week, arguing that Guryeva-Motlokhov had no standing in the case.

The attorney general, Steadroy Benjamin, told The Daily Beast the two sides were in court over the matter on July 18 but declined to answer any further questions. Dorsett did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

Schmidt, meanwhile, is reportedly withholding payment until the matter is resolved. The government of Antigua and Barbuda is scrambling to get him to pay up, even offering to indemnify him from any future liabilities created by the suits. The country’s parliament is scheduled to vote on approving these legal guarantees soon, with the hope of expediting the sales process.

Information Minister Melford Nicholas told reporters earlier this month that the government is “certainly committed to executing the Alfa Nero sale,” but growing anxious.

“A legal position is that we should wait until all legal proceedings are done,” he said at a press conference July 9, according to the Carribean Times . “The question is, how much time can we reasonably afford?”

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Supposed Owners Of Abandoned Superyacht Want Their Big Boat Back

Oligarch's daughter wants the alfa nero back, despite the deal to sell the boat being done and dusted..

When the 265-foot Alfa Nero finally sold for $67.6 million at action this past June , we figured that was it; the orphaned superyacht had finally found a home. Unfortunately for the government of Antigua and Barbuda, however, that is not the case.

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We’ve been following the fate of the Alfa Nero since officials first began seizing Russian oligarch-owned superyachts at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia received strict sanctions from the international community for its act of aggression against the country. This resulted in Russia’s monied class losing some of their biggest and bestest toys.

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Many of these superyachts are owned by shell companies owned by different shell companies in order to protect assets. When this scheme didn’t exactly work, wealthy Russians scattered with some leaving their big boats right where they were parked. The Alfa Nero — with its six staterooms, helipad and crew quarters that can squeeze in 28 personal — is one such boat. U.S. officials figured out that the Alfa Nero was likely owned by fertilizer magnate and sanctions list rockstar Andrey Guryev, the 25th richest man in Russia.

The Alfa Nero has been parked in Antigua since the start of the invasion. The small Caribbean country was paying $100,000 a month just for the general upkeep of the Nero (and that’s not counting crew costs and dock fees.) When no one came forward to claim the boat Antigua held an auction, and gave the owner of the yacht 10 days to claim their property in March. When no one came forward, the Alfa Nero was seized by April and was on the auction block by June.

The winning bid of $67.6 million came from ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt and actually bumped up the entire nation’s GDP by four percent. As you can imagine, the country is eager to unload this boat and get the cash. Only now there is a new wrinkle, according to the Daily Beast :

“This whole damn thing has been like a Tom Clancy novel,” Darwin Telemaque, chief executive of the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority, told the London Times last month. “And I’m stuck in the middle.” [...] But just this month, another obstacle appeared: Guryev’s daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, who lives in London with her hedge-fund manager husband Alexei Motlokhov. (The two recently caused a stir for trying to build a massive playground in the backyard of their $6 million, five-bedroom home, which neighbors deemed “more like a theme park.”) In an appeal filed July 12, Guryeva-Motlokhov claimed she is the sole beneficiary of the trust that owns the Flying Dutchman, and thus the rightful owner of the Alfa Nero. In her appeal, she claimed that the Antiguan government did not have the right to sell off her property and that the auction had been improperly executed, according to the Antigua Observer . Her attorney, David Dorsett, told the Observer he intends to fight for her right to the superyacht, adding: “We just want our boat back.” “We think the action of the government in taking possession of the yacht and selling the yacht is wrong on all levels,” he said. “It is not the government’s yacht; they cannot just take it up and sell it to somebody else.”

For one, I think Guryeva-Motlokhov is right; its incredibly unfair for some foreign government to waltz right in and just take someone else’s property. Perhaps she could take this philosophy up with her own government back home in Russia.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda counter filed against Guryeva-Motlokhov, saying the fertilizer magnate’s daughter has no standing to demand the Alfa Nero back. For now though, Schmidt is stuck without his big boat (well, his second big boat) and refuses to pay Antigua and Barbuda until the boat is delivered. The small country is scrambling once again to force the deal and get the Alfa Nero off their books. The whole thing is a huge mess.