The U.S. is auctioning a seized yacht docked in SD with $740K monthly upkeep
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Amadea is docked at B Street Pier downtown. Photo: Andrew Keatts/Axios
The federal government is auctioning off a Russian oligarch's six deck, $325 million yacht that has been docked in San Diego Bay since 2022.
The big picture: The Amadea was seized in Fiji at the request of the U.S. three years ago and transported to San Diego, part of a push to confiscate the assets of Russian oligarchs after Russia invaded Ukraine.
- The Feds are now selling it amid a Trump administration pressure campaign on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.
State of play: Interested bidders simply need to demonstrate a net worth of $500 million and deposit $10 million into an escrow account to participate in the auction, which runs through Sept. 10.
What's inside: The Amadea can accommodate 16 overnight guests in eight staterooms — not counting its 36-person crew, who sleep in 21 cabins, according to the auction site.
- There's a helipad, a movie theater, sauna, elevator, infinity pool and guest spa.
- One of its six decks is exclusively for the yacht's owner and includes an outdoor jacuzzi, gym, office, beauty salon, bar, and skylounge.
The U.S. says Suleiman Kerimov, a former Russian politician sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2018, owns the Amadea.
- But Eduard Khudainatov, a former CEO of Russian oil company Rosneft, has argued in court that he owns the yacht, per the Union-Tribune.
Catch up quick: A federal judge ruled in March that Khudainatov's ownership claim wasn't plausible, and said in June that a sale could move forward.
- The government argued in a legal filing that it needed to sell the yacht because it's spending $743,750 a month maintaining it.
- A Khudainatov representative sent the Associated Press a statement saying the sale will invite "years of costly, uncertain litigation" on any buyer.
What's next: A U.S. envoy on Thursday briefed Ukrainian and NATO officials on a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ahead of a potential Trump-Putin summit next week.