Luxury Superyacht Amadea Heads To U.S. Auction Amid Legal Quagmire

The Amadea, a striking 106‐metre superyacht once valued at around $325 million, is slated for a sealed‐bid auction in the United States on 10 September 2025, yet mounting litigation and financial burdens cloud its prospects.

Built by renowned German shipyard Lürssen and completed in 2017, the six‐deck vessel offers unparalleled opulence: spa, gym, helipad, swimming pool, cinema and marble‐clad interiors by François Zuretti, plus accommodation for 16 guests and 36 crew members. Seized by U. S. authorities in Fiji in 2022 and now docked in San Diego, it marks the first American auction of a seized Russian luxury yacht since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.

Legal determinations have largely favoured the U. S. position: in March a federal judge ruled that Eduard Khudainatov, the unsanctioned ex‐Rosneft executive, could not claim ownership, identifying him as a straw owner for sanctioned billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. Subsequent attempts to delay the sale-including appeals by Khudainatov and his associated entity Millemarin Investments-have been rebuffed. In June, a judge denied motions to block the sale or require a bond to guarantee full valuation, citing substantial government maintenance costs and insufficient grounds for intervention.

Prospective bidders must meet stringent financial criteria: placement of a €10 million deposit and proof of a net worth of at least $500 million are required. The high monthly upkeep-estimated between $600,000 and $740,000 depending on the source-adds urgency to the sale.

Despite clearance for auction proceedings, legal experts caution that ownership claims may be pursued overseas, complicating transfer of title and limiting insurability and operational viability.“We doubt it will attract any rational buyer at fair market price, because ownership can, and will, be challenged in courts outside the United States,” remarked Adam Ford, legal representative for Khudainatov.

This sale unfolds against shifting U. S. enforcement dynamics: the original KleptoCapture task force, established under the previous administration to confiscate oligarch assets in response to Moscow's aggression, has been disbanded under the current leadership. That structural shift brings uncertainty over how proceeds-potentially significant, given Amadea's valuation and ballooning maintenance costs-will be allocated, particularly concerning support for Kyiv.

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