Russian oligarch’s superyacht seized in Fiji three years ago to be auctioned in US

Bids for the Amadea require a US$10 million deposit and are accepted until September 10. Photo / Getty Images

A luxurious superyacht seized by the United States authorities from sanctioned Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is headed to the auction block.

The 348-foot (106m) Amadea has a helipad, pool, jacuzzi, gym, spa, beauty salon, and eight staterooms that can accommodate 16 guests, according to amadeaauction.com.

The yacht, which has been valued at more than US$300 million ($500m), was seized from the Russian oligarch in Fiji in April 2022 and is berthed at San Diego, California.

The auction is being held by National Maritime Services, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company. Sealed bids are being accepted until September 10 and require a US$10m initial bid deposit.

The auction comes after a US judge in March dismissed a competing claim to ownership of the vessel.

Another wealthy Russian, Eduard Khudainatov, the former head of Russian state oil and gas company Rosneft, claimed in a New York court to be the rightful owner of the Amadea but his claim was dismissed by District Judge Dale Ho.

According to prosecutors, Khudainatov was a “straw owner” of the Amadea and the true owner was Kerimov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 and again in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Following the February 2022 invasion, the Justice Department under then-President Joe Biden began seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs close to Putin, an operation known as Task Force KleptoCapture.

President Donald Trump disbanded the task force after taking office.

The US Congress passed legislation last year that allows for the sale of seized Russian assets, with the proceeds going to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

-Agence France-Presse