With astoundingly-majestic appearances, and endless luxuries ranging from double-stacked swimming pools, to personal submarines, there’s no doubt that superyachts are the pinnacle of extreme wealth. Typically distinguished from regular old yachts by the classification of being more than 80ft in length, the colossal, ultra-lavish superyachts of the super-rich make flying first-class look cheap. From yachts so big they need backup ships, to mega-boats that cost over a billion dollars, let’s sail away aboard the most expensive superyachts in the world.
La Perla - $3,200,000
La Perla is a charter yacht that costs $80,000 per week just to rent! This jaw-dropping superyacht looks like if a 1920s steamboat had a baby with a 1970s imagining of the space-faring future, and considering the $3,200,000 price tag, you’d certainly hope the boat offers something special!
Boasting 130-feet in length, there’s plenty enough space to comfortably sleep 26 guests all cared for by a crew of nine. Like most superyachts, this hired crew will consist of a mixture of deckhands and stewardesses, and technical crew, like the captain, engineers, and chefs. When the owners or guests are abroad, the crew routinely work 14-hour days, ensuring the ship’s sleek wood floors and surfaces are spotless, and that the ultra-rich clientele’s every desire is catered for.
LA PERLA I An unique Croatian-built 130'3" (39.70m) motor yacht I For sale with IYC by IYC Yachts To keep things steady and comfortable, La Perla can only sail a maximum of 13 knots with all diesel cylinders burning, that’s 15 miles per hour for all you land-lovers. But a slow pace is no problem here: after all, you wouldn’t want the masseuse to slip while you’re enjoying your personal massage parlor, would you? However, as much style, comfort and luxury as La Perla may have, believe me, we’re just getting started. If we’re talking superyachts, this beautiful boat is about as cheap and minimalist as it gets. So, let’s sail onto some real money from now on.
Adastra - $10,000,000
Adastra is a superyacht designed for speedy ocean voyages with a fairly modest $10,000,000 price tag. This speedy sea-faring vessel proudly sports 140 feet in length, with catamaran-esque hips sitting comfortably at 53 feet wide.
Its unique "trimaran" shape, meaning it has three hulls, makes the ship tremendously fuel-efficient, with its designer claiming it uses only one-seventh of the fuel a regular yacht of the same size would normally use. This is partly because the ship is incredibly light for its size. Being mainly made of expensive Kevlar and carbon fiber, it weighs only 49 tons, which you’d usually expect from a 60-foot boat, not a 140-footer like this.
Adastra film by Shuttleworth Design Still, compared to other superyachts, it’s not huge, but it’s intelligently designed. The comfortable interior easily sleeps six guests between one master cabin, one VIP cabin, and one twin cabin, the perfect setup for a family looking for adventure on the high seas. Once she hits the waves and gets a chance to open up, the aerodynamic hull allows her to cruise along at speeds topping out at an impressive 23 knots. There’s no point to all of this speed if your ship can’t go far, but this ship has a range of 4,000 nautical miles, meaning you can cross the Atlantic from France to the USA in one go at high speeds. Although, bouncing up and down for 4,000 miles doesn’t sound too appealing, even in a luxury vessel.
ODYSSEY (Ex J'ade) - $35,000,000
Odysseys come in all different shapes and sizes, from Ancient Greek sea voyages, to expeditions into the cosmos. Somewhere in the middle, floats a $35,000,000 superyacht. Designed by and built by Italians, this sea-bound mansion sporting the Odyssey name can be kept ship-shape with an annual running cost of three to five million dollars.
Like most yachts, those running costs are spread over endless fees including maintenance, fuel, dock rentals, supplies, staff, and more, but it’s all made worthwhile by one awesome feature. In the beast’s extravagant belly hides a truly seaworthy secret: a boat cave. The perfect space to hide away Odyssey’s ‘tender’, which is a nautical term for a smaller boat designed to ferry passengers and equipment to-and-fro.
Superyacht J'ade by CRN by YACHTemoceans.com Skipping across the water at a max speed of 16 knots, and with a more casual cruising speed of 14 knots, the Odyssey embodies a journey of ancient Greek proportions. Especially when you consider her nautical range, 3,000 to 3,200 nautical miles, would’ve sailed Odysseus from Troy to his home in Ithaca several times, twice, on one tank of fuel. This luxurious vessel stretches an impressive 190 feet from stern to bow, and houses four VIP suites and one master bedroom. So there’s plenty of space for a crew of 14.
Lady Linda - $44,000,000
Built by Posillipo yachts, Lady Linda is an Art Deco masterpiece, has an elegant interior sporting an ocean’s-worth of luxury materials; burl wood, Lalique glass, and polished stone line the inside of a sink. And what will this Art Deco wonder set you back? Only a few million short of $50,000,000, coming in at $44 mil.
Linda’s asking price is stretched across a respectable 157 feet, as she needs room for her four equally sized and comfortable guest suites, separate from the lavish master suite, totaling up enough space for a recommended 10 but a doable 12 guests.
Lady Linda by djart Attending to the vessel are 13 to 14 crew members ensuring a smooth ride from dock to harbor. The perfect space for hosting small parties, Linda features two bars, and an ultra-elaborately paneled dining area. And, if Linda’s cruising speed of 22 knots isn’t enough for you, she’s fully equipped with a speedboat and a jet ski.
TATIANA - $100,000,000
The Tatiana is where we separate our millionaires from our multi-millionaires. She costs an even $100,000,000, plus $10,000,000 annual running costs. Superyacht running costs usually vary from boat to boat. As a rule of thumb, you estimate running costs will be roughly 10 to 20% of a yacht’s initial price.
Fees can quickly mount up though, as mooring alone can sometimes soar to an eye-watering $17,000-per-day at ultra-high-demand spots like Monaco during the Grand Prix. On top of that, with administration, insurance, and a lot of fuel to worry about if you’re not sure whether you can afford to maintain a superyacht, you can’t afford to maintain a superyacht.For those who can, though, this queen sits at 262 feet long and 40 feet wide, and is designed with the utmost luxury in mind for her 12 to 16 guests. The 30-foot 95-foot swimming pool transforms from open air to an indoor pool, utilizing the massive hinged rear wall for a sea-view swim, and the extendable space at the side for lounging and drying.
Bilgin 263 80m Tatiana by Bilgin Yacht There is indeed another pool directly above the main interior pool! When Tatiana’s guests aren’t swimming, they’re probably in the on-board sauna and steam rooms. However, given the Tatiana’s semi-global range of 7,500 nautical miles, let’s hope they don’t spend the whole trip in there.
YAS - $180,000,000
Our next superyacht queen is called, simply, Yas! This affirmatively-named vessel is 463 feet of pure force, and was originally a Dutch Navy frigate, keeping the seven seas safe from any pirates who dared to break the peace. Known in its glory days as HNLMS Piet Hein, the soldier served its time in the Dutch Navy before being sold to the United Arab Emirates in 1998 for $180,000,000.
Since her 2013 renovation, however, her value is estimated much closer to $200,000,000. It’s a price tag that makes this badboy’s 10 to $20,000,000 annual running cost seem cheap. Like a star quarterback being traded, this fast, maneuverable ship initially changed its name to Al Emirat and its flag to U.A.E., but kept its nickname, Swift141. That’s because she’s fast. Really fast.
Utilizing modern diesel power and variable-pitch propellers, she cruises along today at 20 knots, pushing it to the max at 26 knots, making her one of
the fastest boats in the world for her weight range. To rudely discuss the lady’s weight, this beauty tips the scales at an impressive 5,002 tons, that’s about the same as 2,500 Ford Tauruses, in case you were wondering.
How did this ex-navy boat get to look so pretty? Once in the UAE, luxury yacht builders ADMShipyards were tasked with replacing Swift141’s steel superstructure, so everything above its hull. They replaced it with a single structure made of a blend of materials, known as a composite structure. While 141’s specific materials haven’t been publicly stated, in modern shipbuilding, polyester and vinyl resins are often used, as well as glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber, so she’s likely sporting some combination of those. What we do know is, Yas’s composite superstructure ended up being the largest of its kind ever built, allowing for a fast, light, and ultra-spacious superyacht.To match its spectacular core construction, Parisian Design Studio, Pierrejean [pronounced: pee-air-zsh-on], was put to work to enlist this old soldier into the ranks of modern fashionistas. The ship’s focal point, the giant glass dome, is the owner’s cabin, which sports a completely round bed. Boasting 30 cabins for the lucky 60 guests invited aboard, Yas has 56 deckhands to ensure each and every guest is satisfied with military precision.
INSIDE THE DESIGN Episode #6: YAS 141M by PIERREJEAN VISION Design Studio
Despite Yas now living the high life, she still hasn’t forgotten her serious roots. Hidden below the surface is a boatload of the best military-grade equipment money can buy. Long-range underwater sonar, heat vision, and super-advanced night-vision, are only but a few of the gadgets Yas has to play with.
Lonian & Hodor - $215,000,000
Our next entry is the 285-foot-long Lonian superyacht. Costing between 150 and $160,000,000, with another 10 to $15,000,000 annual running costs, this gleaming superyacht has some tricks up its sleeves. Undoubtedly the centerpiece is a one-of-a-kind glass swimming pool with a translucent bottom that doubles as the ceiling for the beach club below.
As well as that piece de resistance, the Lonian also has a custom-made jacuzzi which doubles as an icy plunge pool to jump in after a quick round at the bridge deck gym. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to the ship’s interior as the owner wants it “to remain private”. But there’s still plenty of remarkable things we do know about the Lonian. While the superyacht has space for a helicopter, it doesn’t have much storage. That’s when Hodor comes in. No, not that Hodor from the
Game of Thrones.
Hodor is Lonian’s official support ship, always lurking in the background on voyages, carrying the mothership’s toys on its 217-foot hull. Toys like extra helicopters, for when you feel like exploring a distant mountain; or a 56-foot chase-boat with high-performance engines for when you have a need for speed; not to mention five smaller speed boats called tenders to transfer guests and belongings.
On top of all that, Hodor’s got its own submarine, ready for undersea exploration, and a whole swathe of jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, and dune buggies. Hodor is classed as a ‘shadow boat’ meaning it’s one of Incat Crowther’s Shadow Cat boats, specifically designed for supporting larger vessels. With cabins enough for a 20-person crew, and a variety of staterooms, this fully customized pack-mule has been meticulously designed with the comfort and safety of guests aboard the mothership as paramount. As a result, Hodor also houses a fully decked-out hospital suite, complete with decompression chamber and diver support equipment. Hodor is one extremely expensive packhorse coming in at a price estimated to be somewhere between 30 and $55,000,000. So, together the Lonian and Hodor mount up a sizeable $215,000,000. And if you’re wondering whether Hodor is named after the real Hodor, unfortunately, it’s unconfirmed, but given it carries stuff and supports the main character, it seems likely! Support vessels are common in the superyacht industry. Support boats of all sizes, like
the Axis from Damen Yachting, can often be spotted trailing along. Designed to support ocean discovery and environmental projects, the Axis carries a Triton submersible and an Icon A5 aircraft.
Measuring 181 feet long and 30 feet wide, this ship has supported a ton of different projects, including a sunken treasure expedition where a whole load of historic gold was found.
MOTOR YACHT A - $300,000,000
The Motor Yacht A has been dubbed the ugliest yacht in the world by the Wall Street Journal; and looking at its stumpy form and weirdly large forehead, it’s not hard to see why.
Reportedly costing $300,000,000, its Russian oligarch owner named the vessel, imaginatively, “A”. Now, the owner’s story is that he did this because both his and his wife’s names start with A, Andrey and Aleksandra Melnichenko. However, the more likely reason is, it was to get ahead of the competition. Being named “A” puts the ship to the top of shipping registers, so docks and marinas will find it super easy to locate, label, and sort, and it’ll typically speed up the docking process for the owner. As for the boat itself, stretching its uniquely designed hull a respectable 394 feet, the razor-sharp tip of the “A” smoothly slices through water with more of majestic edge than you might initially expect. Racing forward at 18 knots, or rather gently gliding, as it was seen (in the footage below) doing through London’s tower bridge in 2018, Motor Yacht A has a range of 3,000 nautical miles.
Motor Yacht A - Tower Brigde-London-UK by Epitagma Epitagma The yacht has 42 crew members tending to 14 guests residing in seven luxury cabins. The owner’s cabin is only accessible with a fingerprint lock and is protected by bomb-proof glass, because that’s just how Russian Oligarchs do it. Below deck, you’ll find an indoor small boat parking, to admire your other boats while you ride your main boat.
Nord - $500,000,000
Our next yacht is Nord. Originally named Project Opus, this 464-foot vessel is a mighty boat with a bit of an action-packed recent history. Resembling a soviet warship after a very expensive weekend with the plastic surgeon, this superyacht has long-range autonomous cruising capabilities, two helipads, and a sports and diving center, giving it everything it needs to sail the seven seas forever.
Its owner, Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov, was sanctioned in 2022 by the international community as a result of Russia’s military activities in Ukraine. This meant he needed to get out of town fast. The Nord was spending its winter in the Seychelles, an African country made up of 115 islands, and part of the British commonwealth. So being in a port politically connected to Britain, Nord risked being impounded. Mordashov didn’t want to lose his yacht, after all, it cost him $500,000,000. Plus he already had this $71,000,000 yacht, Lady M, impounded by the Italian authorities following the same sanctions.
To escape from the Europeans, Mordashov had to get creative. So, first, he changed his ship’s flag from the Cayman Islands back to Russia. Changing a ship’s flag, and the country it’s registered to, is actually quite common on the high seas. Ships have to abide by the rules of the nation they're flagged to. So, if you’re Russian with a boat flagged to the Cayman Islands, and suddenly the Cayman Islands introduces new rules to impound any Russian-owned boats, you can see why changing back to a Russian flag might be desirable. After reflagging the ship, Mordashov paid for $465,000 worth of fuel, that’s 91,000 US gallons, or the equivalent of filling up your car 4,500 times. Once full, he, or rather his crew, powered it to Vladivostok, Russia.The journey back to Russia took more than a year and involved carefully timing and coordinating stretches of travel to avoid any sanctions or seizures. This was achieved in part thanks to having the ship’s location transponders, which are devices found in every ship and used by authorities to locate them via radio or GPS, disabled for eight months. Once the boat arrived,
Russian customs boarded the yacht to inspect it. Shortly after, some rare photos of the inside leaked online. They included a hanger full of hovercrafts, submarines, speedboats, quadbikes, and landing ships, full of ready-to-drive four-by-fours. So, basically, absolutely anything you might need to make a rapid getaway on land or by sea, should any trouble arise!
At the time of writing, the Nord was last spotted cruising in the Persian Gulf, just outside Dubai. Luckily for Mordashhov, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, aren’t involved in the Russia sanctions, so it should be plain sailing for his half-a-billion-dollar yacht in that part of the world, for now. For now, all Mordashhov can do it sit back, relax, get a tan, and wait for it all to blow over.
Eclipse $1,500,000,000
Eclipse is Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s $1,500,000,000 yacht. Yes, that's $1.5 billion. While some online sources value the mammoth vessel as slightly lower, most reliable evaluations easily break that billion-dollar mark. The $1,500,000,000 extraordinary valuation makes this the most expensive yacht in existence.
This 533-foot yacht earns this price both in style, and because it effectively doubles as a warship. Built to withstand attack, the ship comes with bullet-proof glass, anti-paparazzi lasers which fire targeted beams of light to ruin any photos it detects being taken, and a mini-escape submarine hidden in its belly for those clandestine exits. What’s more, the Eclipse is rumored to have an in-built missile defense system. While you would think having a missile defense system is illegal, and for the majority of us it is, for those who have enough cash, and a few more connections, laws are more like guidelines. AST, the company rumored to have installed it, have issued statements trying to justify these kinds of builds, by suggesting that pirates target private yachts, and so the yachts should be able to defend themselves.
Abramovich's Yacht Features Missile Defense, Submarine by Bloomberg Originals Either way, Abramovich certainly seems to be justified in being concerned for his safety. In 2022, Abramovich survived an attempted poisoning, so I’m not surprised he opted for the full security package when buying his yacht. When not hiding Roman from assassins, the ship has plenty of space to host guests and hold parties.
Having enough room to entertain 36 people, then 11 cabins to sleep 22 of those lucky guests, this beautiful superyacht stands as one of the world’s prime specimens of obscene wealth and luxury. Attending to the owner’s each and every need are 70 members of a full-time permanent crew. Anyways, the yacht was built and designed by the legendary, Hamberg-based, Blohm and Voss, the same company who built the Nord. Known for mainly building ships of war, Blohm and Voss are no stranger to coming up with mind-bendingly striking and aggressive designs. However, it’s not all cannons and machine guns. Sometimes, the team at Blohm and Voss just let their hair down and go a bit crazy. Recently, they teamed up with Iraqi-born architect, Zaha Hadid, to design some futuristic concept yachts. Vessels of elegance and beauty, and looking kind of like a floating Yeezy sneaker, these ships, which are purely graphical renderings, and don’t currently exist, represent Hadid’s first step into the superyacht industry. Up to now, she’s been building a name with her imaginative cars, tables, bottles, vases, and jewelry designs. Maybe her partnership with Blohm and Voss signals the way for a new look for Germany’s navy? What’s the point of fighting pirates if you’re not going to look good while you do it?
Super Duper Future Yachts
Over the next decade, the superyacht market is set to get a little bit wild. Case in point: this is the UAE One. Being built to ensure monarchs and diplomats are extremely comfortable, this work-in-progress concept yacht is expected to have a final build cost of $543,000,000. When you’re sitting on oil money, however, that’s just a drop in the barrel.
Once built, the UAE ONE will split its 30,000 square feet of opulence between a whopping nine decks. This 459-foot floating castle is set to be outfitted with three spy-proof meeting rooms and a titanic amount of tinted glass, letting you know it means business. That is, if it secures the funding to be built.This next concept yacht, by contrast, shows it means business by the fuel it uses. This is
Earth 300 in the image below, a 100% emission-free research superyacht, powered by relatively small and portable nuclear reactors, a little like those used in nuclear submarines.
The colossal 984-foot-long ship will be just short of 200 feet high, that’s as tall as a 20-story building. Its height stems from the 13-story Science Sphere, that big black capsize-risk in the middle of the ship. Inside the sphere will be 424 scientists using 22 high-tech laboratories to study climate change at locations around the world where its effects are felt most. And all for the reasonable price of $631,000,000. While the ship’s designers have claimed they plan to launch in 2025, there’s been no sign of actual construction yet. Although, if you’re more into lavish living than science, this next concept is for you. This is a proposed billion-dollar ship called, “
Streets of Monaco”! This floating 508-foot road is built around the Grand Atrium, a beautiful area housing a Casino, modelled on the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
This concept was dreamed up by Yacht Island Design, who are also responsible for this:
The Tropical Island Super Yacht. This concept will make 10 guests feel like they’re on a private tropical island, while en route to an actual private tropical island, just in case they’re too impatient to wait! So far, neither of Yacht Island Design’s beauties have caught the eye of any investors, and given the billion-dollar price-tag estimated for each, it’s not super-surprising. The next one is
Pegasus, proposed to be built by 2030, and if constructed, will be the world’s first 3D-printed solar and hydrogen-powered superyacht! This 288-foot-long 4-story superyacht will be built around a 3D printed polymer-alloy composite filament mesh, a fancy term for a half-plastic half-metal frame.
Its triangled frame structure will allow light through the entire boat, ensuring that no matter where you are you’ve got plenty of light and plenty of views. Although, that also means if you switch on a light at night, those outside may be able to see inside. Imagine looking out to sea at night and seeing a guy in the toilet pose, just floating. The boat will use mirrored glass, perfectly reflecting its surroundings leading to it being dubbed the world’s first invisible yacht. So where does the solar power come in if it’s all covered in glass? Well, believe it or not, the solar panels will be inside the glass, a type of technology that’s currently being developed! They’ll generate energy that will be used to convert seawater into hydrogen; hydrogen that will then be utilized in fuel cells to power the ship! If you think that sounds futuristic, get a load of this. This is a flying pyramid concept superyacht called the
Tetrahedron.
Measuring 70 feet long and 82 feet wide, once the Tet reaches 15 knots, its hydrofoils begin extending and the hull will be lifted above the surface! Hydrofoils are underwater fins designed to generate lift, kind of like an underwater airplane, raising boat’s hulls out of the water, allowing for higher speed with less drag from the water. Despite seeming futuristic, hydrofoils are already found in many real-world boats, and they look just as cool as you’d imagine. Once the Tetrahedron gets moving and hits 38 knots, it’ll glide along the water’s edge, making it one of the best superyachts to both speed through the deep seas and chill in the tropical shallows.
Giant Superyachts
Some real-world superyachts can be gigantic. Jeff Bezo’s 417-foot superyacht, Koru, for example, was so tall that, when it was built in Rotterdam, they couldn’t get it out to sea in one piece. The problem was that its masts were over 230 feet at their highest, taller than the maximum elevation of a drawbridge blocking the only way out to sea.
Bezos’ team suggested demolishing the historic bridge, offering to pay for its demolition and rebuild, but that idea didn’t go down too well with the residents of Rotterdam. The locals organized public opposition and threatened to protest and throw eggs at the yacht if the demolition went ahead. Ultimately, the local government refused to dismantle the bridge, forcing the yacht to remove its masts for the journey, not sure why they didn’t just do that in the first place. Talk about more money than sense! The yacht was then towed out to sea under the cover of darkness to avoid any possible lurking eggs. Getting a yacht from its shipyard to the sea is always a tricky operation. This next yacht is so long, however, that it would undoubtedly need to be built at sea. The name of the yacht is
Somnio, a $544,000,000 mega-yacht luxury residential liner; a blend of a superyacht, cruise ship, and residential home. It’ll stretch to a gigantic 728 feet, surpassing all other residential liners.
Somnio’s 30 rooms will be sold separately as luxury, invite-only residences with prices starting at $21,000,000. The rooms will range from 597-square-foot apartments through to 3,159-square-foot homes. As well as the expected superyacht amenities, the Somnio will have a 10,000-bottle wine cellar ready upon launch, which is estimated for late 2024! However, we’re yet to see any official photos beyond concept renders, so take those launch-date estimations with a grain of salt.If you prefer your mega-yachts even more gigantic, this concept yacht is so mind-boggling ginormous that they made a new class for it, calling it a terayacht. This outrageous idea, named the
Pangeos, has an estimated construction cost of roughly $8,000,000,000, which is $8 billion. For $8,000,000,000 you could buy a private island, a few Picassos, the most expensive house in America, and the Miami Marlins, and you’ll still have more than five billion left. Measuring 1,800 feet long and 2,000 feet wide, Lazzarini, the designers, want to make the Pangeos a turtle-shaped floating city-state that’ll accommodate 60,000 people.
The terayacht is still in the early funding stages, but hilariously, a fully functional digital version can be visited on Fortnite! Plus, if you want to help you can buy one of their NFTs. The creators promise that anyone who purchases a digital asset will secure a chance to ride the real thing, when it’s done of course. In the meantime, you’ll have to settle for one of the other absolutely absurd superyachts we’ve discussed today, which actually do exist. I hope you were amazed at the most expensive superyachts in the world! Thanks for reading.
