Former Google CEO Buys Seized Russian Superyacht For $68 Million

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt purchased an abandoned 267-foot superyacht anchored at a Caribbean marina for the past year.

“Alfa Nero” was ditched in Antigua in March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. The likely owner of the vessel is sanctions-hit Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev. The abandoned vessel was quickly deteriorating, uninsured, and posed a significant risk to other yachts in Falmouth Harbour.

Earlier this year, the Antigua and Barbuda government put Alfa Nero, equipped with an infinity pool and helipad, up for auction to cover the monthly docking fees of $112,000.

On Friday, Bloomberg reported the winner of the auction was Schmidt. He “won the auction this morning in a fully transparent process,” purchasing the vessel for $67.6 million, according to Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s ambassador to the US.

The US Treasury sanctioned Guryev last year and said he purchased the vessel for $120 million in 2014. He has denied ownership of the yacht.

After a year of being docked with only a skeleton crew, Alfa Nero’s next move will likely be dry dock, where it will undergo maintenance to ensure it’s still seaworthy.