There's a certain amount of luxury associated with owning a boat, even if it's a mere speedboat or sailboat for weekend recreation. But over-the-top vessels called "superyachts" take boating to another level of extravagance (and more than one on this list even has a defense system). Here's a look at some of the world's most expensive yachts, including Jeff Bezos' superyacht, which was recently towed away in the dead of the night, possibly to escape angry Dutch residents.
Estimated price: More than $500 million
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people in the world, so it makes sense he'd want one of the most expensive yachts in the world. Commissioned in 2018, the reportedly $500 million-plus vessel called Y271 was built in the Netherlands by Dutch company Oceanco. It is a whopping 417 feet long, according to Architectural Digest, making it the world's biggest sailing yacht. In true mega-billionaire fashion, Bezos asked the Dutch city of Rotterdam to dismantle a section of its historic Koningshavenbrug Bridge in order for the yacht to pass through, but the answer was a resounding no after an outcry. The drama continued as Bezos recently had the vessel towed away in the dead of the night to a further shipping yard, presumably when angry Dutch residents wouldn't be out to throw eggs at the monstrosity. Amazingly, this monster of the seas won't accommodate a helipad, so Bezos has commissioned a backup yacht to allow his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, a helicopter pilot, a place to land her bird. Fun fact: The cost of the yacht is about twice what Bezos paid to buy The Washington Post in 2013. Alas, pictures of the secretive project are hard to come by so far.
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Estimated price: $300 million
Pelorus has changed hands a few times, passing through those of megayacht owners Roman Abramovich and David Geffen, who upgraded to even bigger boats on this list. The latest owner is property magnate Samuel Tak Lee. He (or, we assume, someone he hires) captains the 377-foot yacht via joystick.
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Pelorus' interior feels like an "informal beach house." Terence Disdale designed the wood paneling to look natural and distressed, even though it was manufactured specifically for Pelorus. It can accommodate a total of 22 guests in 11 cabins, including the master and two VIP rooms, plus 41 crew to serve them.
The top deck has two pools, and the sea-level transom opens onto a platform from which to launch water toys or just lounge by the ocean. It was Abramovich who added the second helipad, for the billionaire who needs room for more than one helicopter. Pelorus also features stabilization systems at sea and at anchor, for smooth sailing that is common for most of the yachts on this list. Many yachts have movie theaters, but the one onboard Pelorus includes beds.
Estimated price: $300 million
Emirati businessman Abdulla Al Futtaim bought Radiant from Russian media billionaire Boris Berezovsky. It's easy to see how this 361-foot superyacht, reportedly worth $300 million and originally named Darius, earned the name Radiant when you see it lit up at night.
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Al Futtaim has kept photographers out of Radiant's cabins, but we know it can host 20 guests in 10 cabins, plus 44 crew. The decks are made of teak, and designer Tim Heywood used a large beam to leave the interior wide open. It also has an extremely powerful water canon to defend itself against attacks.
When Berezovsky was designing Radiant, he included an "escape launch," a turbo-charged twin diesel speed boat that can shoot him out of the yacht at 75 knots. You've got to wonder who he thought he needed to escape from, but we're sure Al Futtaim can sleep easier on the sea knowing it's there. There's also a helipad to allow guests and VIPs to easily come and go from the yacht, along with a cinema, a gymnasium, a swimming platform, swimming pools, a beach club, and massage rooms.
Estimated price: $323 million
Russian fertilizer and coal magnate Andrey Melnichenko owns this 390-foot yacht. It may look like a submarine, but it doesn't submerge. This motor yacht (not to be confused with Melnichenko's sailing yacht) includes bomb-proof glass, which is apparently the sort of thing billionaires need to think about. At least it served him well until he listed it for sale in 2016, although there didn't seem to be any takers — Melnichenko still owns it.
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Designer Philippe Starck wanted to create a wide open space, so the main deck of Motor Yacht A is a single saloon across the length of the interior — that's what's under that long submarine nose. The opulent interior includes Baccarat-crystal tables and polished silver. There are almost 24,000 square feet of interior space (making it many times larger than most American homes), and in the master suite there's a secret "nookie room" hidden behind mirrors. The yacht is big enough to accommodate 14 guests in the owner's suite and six guest suites. The chairs on the yacht are made from alligator hides and the walls are covered in hand-stitched calf's leather.
The A's three swimming pools manufacture currents for swimming upstream, like an underwater treadmill. One of those pools has a glass floor so you can look up at swimmers from the deck below. Starck's favorite spot is reportedly the tender garage, the place on a yacht that houses smaller boats and other billionaire toys. On Motor Yacht A, these get their own luxurious cabins, just like the human guests.
Estimated price: $350 million
Previously named Platinum, Panhandle, and Golden Star, this 532-foot yacht valued at $350 million was built for Brunei Prince Jefri Bolkiah. Now called Dubai, it belongs to Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates.
Make your way up and down Dubai's seven decks — one of them with an air-conditioned enclosure, perfect for the Gulf's hot climate — on the yacht's magnificent circular staircase, where the glass changes color as you step. You've heard of a red carpet? Here, glamorous guests can sit on gigantic, circular red sofas. The yacht's social spaces feature a variety of salons, and there are 50 guest suites. The VIP portion of the ship, meanwhile (in case you didn't already view the entire, lavish yacht as a VIP experience), is a sprawling apartment divided into three suites and a home theater.
Most yachts have swimming pools, but what other yacht turns the swimming pool into a work of art? Al Maktoum's guests can open their eyes underwater to see the pool's beautiful handmade mosaics, which were designed to be reminiscent of the marine life in the Persian Gulf. Other parts of Dubai also feature a mix of tile materials — gold leaf, marble, onyx, lazuli, and malachite — to create a work of art everywhere you walk. And like every self-respecting yacht owner, the sheikh has a helicopter station on board, which can which can accommodate a Sikorsky S76 or any other helicopter up to 9.5 tons.
Estimated price: $450 million
Formerly known as Topaz, the $450 million A+ certainly makes the grade at 482 feet long and eight decks tall. While it's owned by Sheikh Mansour Al Nahyan of the UAE (half-brother of ruler Abu Dhabi Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan), the flag flown by A+ represents the Cayman Islands.
While few details about the yacht have been made public, it is known that A+ can accommodate up to 62 guests between 26 cabins with further capacity for 79 crew members spread amid 35 additional cabins. During its Topaz days in 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio hosted an '80s-themed party on the yacht that included the likes of Jamie Foxx and Orlando Bloom. With friends like these, who needs their own yacht?
For entertainment, the emphasis seems to be on relaxation with an outdoor bar and sunbathing space dominating the decks. Additional highlights include a cinema, study, sauna, spa, Turkish-style bath, gym, library, and observation lounge. And like any yacht worthy of a sheikh, Yacht A+ also has a helipad.
Estimated price: $458 million
The Stoli vodka empire afforded Yuri Shefler this yacht, but he sold it to then-deputy Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2015 for 350 million euros or $458 million after only a few years of sailing. You can see all 440 feet of Serene glowing neon turquoise in the pitch-black sea at night.
Serene has six decks and more than twice as many crew members to serve them. Guests can dine well onboard Serene thanks to a wood-fired pizza oven and Teppanyaki grill. Each area is a circular design by Reymond Langton, incorporating pure white, wood, and leather, and the occasional chandelier. The formal dining area, a room flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, features two tables accommodating up to 12 people each.
Amenities abound on this yacht, which rivals a 5-star hotel. They include seven pools, one of which is a salt-water swimming pool, a supersized hot tub, sauna, and helipad. There's also a sky lounge that offers views from every angle, an indoor climbing wall, and an underwater observation lounge. Bill Gates once paid $5 million per week to enjoy all this fabulousness.
Estimated price: $590 million
When you create Geffen Records and co-create Dreamworks, you can have a $590 million yacht like David Geffen. But the Rising Sun didn't get to dock at Cannes until Geffen bought it from Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Nor did it host Oprah before Geffen was there to invite her yachting.
Forty-five crew members vastly outnumber the potential 16 guests. The living space on this yacht totals more than 8,000 square meters, which is spread over five levels. There's also 3,300 square meters of deck space covered in teak. Additional luxe touches include countertops made from onyx, a full gym (because we all know celebrities absolutely must stay in shape), and a massive wine cellar.
Naturally there's a movie theater aboard the Rising Sun, given Geffen's marquee spot in the industry. The theater features an enormous plasma screen, but of course. There's also a basketball court, sauna, and spa. And before you even ask, yes, there's a helipad. Yawn.
Estimated price: $600 million
This 728-foot "yacht liner," the world's first, is slated to sail beginning in 2024. It will feature 39 luxury apartments that will be available via invitation only, and owners' identities will remain secret. Plans call for its apartments to have "bespoke features" that will be tailored to the whims of each buyer.
Amenities are expected to include a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, a gym and library, an onboard beach club, several restaurants and bars, and "seven-star service" that will include full concierge and medical services.
Estimated price: $605 million
Azzam is owned and was commissioned by Abu Dhabi Emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates. A 590-foot yacht, Azzam cost about $605 million to make and is said to be environmentally friendly, featuring decreased carbon dioxide, noise, and soot emissions. (Thank goodness the world's billionaires are thinking about the environment.)
Al Nahyan keeps the interior of his yacht private — there have been no known photographs made public. But we know it features six decks, a 95-foot main salon, and enough room for 60 crew members in 30 cabins. There are also said to be 18 staterooms that can accommodate up to 36 guests. The interior style, designed by Christophe Leoni, is described as a relaxed French Empire style. And it's rumored that Azzam has a bulletproof master cabin, as you do.
Some of the more unique features of Azzam include a submarine and a missile defense system (because what world leader doesn't need these things?) There's also a water desalination drinking-water system that runs on waste heat from the engine.
Estimated price: $700 million
Chelsea Football Club owner and Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich owns this modest $700 million yacht. Created by legendary ship builders Blohm + Voss, the Eclipse took five years to complete, a timeline that included design, development, and testing. As any good superyacht would, the finished product included a missile defense system and "laser shield" that Abramovich uses to thwart prying paparazzi.
Terence Disdale designed the interior with teak and silver — actual silver — rubbed into the grain of the black wood walls. There are 18 cabins, which can sleep as many as 36 guests. Eclipse also accommodates a mind-boggling 70 crew members.
Notable perks on this superyacht include two swimming pools, several hot tubs, a disco hall, a 56-meter owner's deck, two helipads, and three (yes, three) helicopters. Just in case all of that extravagance isn't enough, there's also a three-man submarine, because no self-respecting billionaire can ever have too many pricey toys.
Estimated price: $700 million
This 459-foot superyacht is impressive, but what really has people buzzing is the mystery about who actually owns it. While Russian oil tycoon Eduard Khudainatov is said to be the owner (and he isn't currently under sanctions), the U.S. believes the real owner is Russian president Vladimir Putin.
While the custom build hasn't been made available for public viewing, some details have been released by the shipyard or spotted by yacht watchers. Allegedly the ship has gold fixtures in all bathrooms and a tiled dance floor that, when a button is pushed, lowers to become a pool. There's also a movie theater and a lounge with the biggest TV ever on a yacht — a whopping 14.7 feet across. An aquarium, a mobile hospital unit, a judo studio, a gym, a formal ballroom, and a spa with Turkish, Roman, and cold baths are available to enjoy, along with a large pool. There's also an elevator for access between floors.
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While the six-level yacht has limited outdoor space (ostensibly for security reasons), it is well set up for a quick escape. There are two helipads (one at the bow and the other at the stern), one of which opens up to lower a helicopter into a hangar. The vessel is equipped with five tenders, six jet skis, and eight seabobs. There's also a drone-crashing system in case anyone unwanted gets too close.
Estimated price: $1 billion
At an estimated 476 feet long (about the length of two jumbo jets) and 62.4 feet wide, the in-development $1 billion X Force will look like a sleek, futuristic mansion of the seas. Created and developed by Dobroserdov Design Studio and Admiral Yachts, this five-level superyacht will be visually stunning at every turn.
The owner of Admiral X Force will have an entire level to themselves, which will include a master suite, a living room, dressing rooms, bathrooms, a private dining room, a sun deck, a spa, and a heliport (because your heliport can never be too close, after all). On X Force's second level, there will be a main hall decorated with a fireplace, fountains, a chandelier, and a staircase finished with crystal balustrades. Designed by Gianmarco Campanimo, it's meant to be a futuristic interpretation of classic luxury. Additional design elements include marble floors and gold and silver sculptures.
There's a plan for a two-level beach club on the Admiral X that includes such features as an indoor spa, a gym, a bar, a Jacuzzi, and swimming pools. Additional amenities include yet another helipad, as well as two cinemas.
Estimated price: Not yet available
One of the latest additions to the superyacht club, the Thor Explore concept was created by Gresham Yacht Design and measures 328-feet long. Yet another vessel that bills itself as futuristic (are you sensing an emerging theme here among superyachts?), the sleek Thor Explore will come complete with a mission control center where owners can map out their adventures exploring the globe.
Interior design highlights on Thor Explore include expansive nautilus windows, a floor-to-ceiling aquarium, and, on the main deck, an enormous saloon featuring a glass floor. As if the glass floor isn't striking enough, it can turn opaque at the flick of a switch, in case privacy is suddenly required. There's also a sunken seating area created to look like it floats between decks. The yacht can be designed to accommodate as many 36 guests.
Of course, there's an onboard beach club. That's practically a given on superyachts. But to reach the beach club, passengers must walk along a circular corridor where there's a cylindrical aquarium. Cool, right? There are also fold-down balconies, a helideck, and a hangar for storing a submarine, speedboat, and more.
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