The most expensive yachts in the world: the ranking

Longer than a football pitch, equipped with defence systems, pocket submarines and crews of over a hundred people, the world’s largest yachts are floating fortunes. But behind the dizzying figures lie many estimates, a few persistent myths and vessels that have become geopolitical stakes. Here is an overview.

The 4.8 billion yacht that never existed

Let’s start by debunking a legend. You read almost everywhere that a yacht named History Supreme, covered in a hundred tonnes of gold and platinum, would have cost 4.8 billion dollars. It is a hoax. No shipyard built it, no authentic photograph exists, and the Italian builder Baia Yachts stated that the images circulated had been taken from its own website. The real record, however, is counted in hundreds of millions, not billions.

The real giants of the seas

Eclipse, Roman Abramovich’s floating fortress

Measuring 162.5 metres long and launched from the Blohm+Voss shipyards in 2010, Eclipse remains one of the most iconic yachts on the planet, estimated at between 340 million euros and 590 million dollars. On board: two helipads, a mini-submarine and, according to the British press, a missile detection system. The famous anti-paparazzi laser, however, has never been technically confirmed.

Azzam, the longest in the world

At 180 metres, Azzam, delivered by Lürssen in 2013, remains the longest private yacht ever built. Designed in one year and built in three, it exceeds 32 knots thanks to gas turbines. It was commissioned by the late Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Estimated value: around 600 million dollars.

Dilbar, the colossus by volume

Shorter than Azzam, at 156 metres, Dilbar is however the largest yacht in the world by tonnage, with the largest indoor pool ever installed on board. Estimated at between 600 million and 1 billion dollars, it is linked to the oligarch Alisher Usmanov and was impounded in Hamburg following the 2022 sanctions.

Sailing Yacht A, Philippe Starck’s UFO

The most radical piece on this list, this 142-metre sailing yacht with three giant masts, designed by Philippe Starck and estimated at around 600 million dollars, looks like a science-fiction vessel. Attributed to Andrey Melnichenko, it was seized by Italy in Trieste in March 2022, where its maintenance has since cost the state tens of millions.

Serene, a prince’s favourite

Built by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri for around 330 million dollars, this 134-metre yacht was bought for around 500 million euros by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who reportedly acquired it on a whim during a holiday on the Côte d’Azur. A snow room, indoor pool, helipads: nothing is missing.

Other behemoths complete this very exclusive club: A+ (formerly Topaz), Al Said, the state yacht of the Sultanate of Oman featuring a concert hall for around fifty musicians, or Flying Fox, the world’s largest charter yacht, available to rent for around three million euros a week.

The real cost of a yacht does not stop at purchase

Beyond the entry price, these vessels swallow up to 10% of their value each year in maintenance, fuel and crews of several dozen people. And for some, which have become symbols of power under sanctions, luxury has turned into a burden: impounded in European ports, they now cost a fortune without ever putting back to sea.